<Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $281.9 million </Td> </Tr> <P> Bridget Jones's Diary is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Sharon Maguire and written by Richard Curtis, Andrew Davies, and Helen Fielding . It is based on Fielding's 1996 novel of the same name, which is a reinterpretation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice . The adaptation stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget, Hugh Grant as the caddish Daniel Cleaver, and Colin Firth as Bridget's "true love", Mark Darcy . Production began in August 2000 and ended in November 2000, and took place largely on location in London and the Home Counties . The film premiered on 4 April 2001 in the United Kingdom and was released to theatres on 13 April 2001 simultaneously in the United Kingdom and in the United States . </P> <P> Bridget Jones's Diary received positive reviews and was a commercial success, grossing over $280 million worldwide . Zellweger was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film . A sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, was released in 2004, and another sequel, Bridget Jones's Baby, was released in 2016 . </P> <P> Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) is 32 years old, single, very accident - prone, and worried about her weight . She works in publicity at a book publishing company in London where her main focus is fantasising about her boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant). At a New Year party hosted by her parents, she re-encounters Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), the barrister son of her parents' friends . They had known each other as children . After their initial encounter, Mark thinks that Bridget is a fool and vulgar and Bridget thinks that he is arrogant and rude, and is disgusted by his novelty Christmas jumper . After overhearing Mark grumble to his mother about her attempts to set him up with "a verbally incontinent spinster who smokes like a chimney, drinks like a fish and dresses like her mother", she decides to turn her life around . She starts her own diary, which covers all her attempts to stop smoking, lose weight and find her Mr. Right . </P>

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