Film opening 4: Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Director: Sharon Maguire

Release date: 13th of April 2001 (USA)

Actors: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant

Production companies: Universal pictures, Studio Canal, Miramax Films, Working Title

The very first shot we see is a long shot of a woman (later known as Bridget) walking through the snow. The camera is following her walking down the street though a tracking shot so that there is created a mid-shot of her.

When these shots appear there is a female voice over in the background establishing the first person narrative. She is saying:

" It all began on New Years day... on my 32nd year of being single. Once again, I found myself on my own and going to my mother's annual turkey curry buffet. Every year, she tries to fix me up with some busy-haired, middle-aged bore and I feared this year would be no exception."

This also helps the audience to establish a setting by knowing that it is New Years day. In addition, the character and genre are being established, due to what she is saying. Furthermore, there is a contrast since she mentions being single while there is a couple walking around and hugging each other in the background.

After this, the shot dissolves into an establishing shot of a graveyard, cottages and rolling hills in the back. This creates a very idyllic setting of the countryside.

When she again walks up to a cottages the garden is very pruned and again this emphasises how pretty and idyllic the countryside is. When walking up to the door there is an over-the-shoulder shot created when her mother opens the door.

The minute the mother opens the door there is a non-diegetic sound named "Magic Moments" by Perry Como. This song connotes that Bridget's mother has an eccentric and silly personality. There is also an intertextuality created since this song is part of a Christmas candy advert and therefore reinforces that it is Christmas.

This shot is an is a dutch angle in order to give the affect that the audience is observing from the staircase.

After entering the house, there is a dialogue between Bridget and her mother creating shot, reverse shots from both the mother's and Bridget's perspective.

During the time that Bridget is talking to her mother, the voice over keeps coming back in between conversations.

After having spoken for a minute or two Bridget's mother tells her to run upstairs and put on some other clothes.

On her way up, there is again an establishing shot with the light tilt, creating a Dutch angle, also denoting the sign of resignation on Bridget's face.

The next shot is a mid-shot of Bridget in the clothes her mother had put out for her. She is peering around the corner.