Bridget Jones's Diary

Factual error: No British woman measures her weight in pounds only - always stones and pounds, or kilograms (a concession to the Americans but it sounds really odd to us Brits). Yes, in the American printing of the book it's always only pounds as well, but that's for the same reason, and still wrong.

Factual error: After all the running about at the end in the snow, no one's breath seems to be condensing.

Factual error: Bridget gets a screen notice ('One new email message') from MSN Hotmail. Hotmail does not give screen notices except for notices through MSN Messenger (which is not what Bridget gets).

Factual error: After Bridget arrives back in London from a visit to her parents, the camera pans away to reveal the train on which she is supposed to have travelled. You can tell from its distinctive yellow and white exterior that it's a Connex train, but these only run on the suburban commuter routes through south London to East Sussex, Surrey and Kent - nowhere near Mr and Mrs Jones's Cotswold home. Rail services from the Cotswolds are operated by First Great Western (grey high speed trains) and Thames Trains (navy blue exteriors) and terminate at Paddington in west London.

Factual error: One that only Londoners would notice or care about, but anyway: Bridget's flat is supposed to be in the trendy bit of Southwark, near Borough Market, i.e. south of the river. Right at the end, when she pursues Mark Darcy, the shop where she catches up with him is clearly in the City of London (the very distinctive Corporation of London bollards are all around, and the shop itself is on Threadneedle St, I think) - meaning that he's walked and she's run right across Southwark Bridge and up King William St in about thirty seconds...

Factual error: When Darcy leaves England and goes to New York City. He steps out of the terminal and a big banner reads Welcome to New York. Then he stops by a speed limit sign that said 15 miles per hour. Problem....that sign is red with white letters. The U.S. speed limit signs are not that color. Therefore, that airport was NOT in New York and they were saving money on production. I guess the banner helped.

Other mistake: Bridget has a large, fabulous flat in what another mistake contribution has identified as a trendy area of London - just around the corner from Borough Market - and there's no way she could afford it on her salary of assistant at a publisher's office. Her parents are ordinary, middle class folk; there is no way they could afford the £2000+ per month rent on a huge flat like Bridget's, and there is no indication that they are doing so.

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Suggested correction: Who says she pays for it herself? Her parents are rather well off. Surely they can help her afford a decent flat.

Sereenie

From where do you get the idea that her parents are wealthy? They are ordinary middle class country folk. A flat like Bridget's would cost the 2024 equivalent of about £2,700 a month - about £1700 at 2001 prices. That is well beyond the visible means of her parents.

Making up deus ex machina explanations for blatant mistakes does not invalidate them. Bridget's parents are ordinary, middle class country folk. The thought that they could subsidize their daughter to the tune of £2000+ a month is laughable. The posting is absolutely correct.

More mistakes in Bridget Jones's Diary

Bridget: Wait a minute... Nice boys don't kiss like that.
Mark Darcy: Oh, yes, they fucking do.

More quotes from Bridget Jones's Diary

Trivia: The publishing house where Bridget works is called "Pemberley Press". For those who haven't read or seen "Pride And Prejudice", this is also the name of Mr. Darcy's estate.

More trivia for Bridget Jones's Diary

Question: Does anyone know why Mark Darcy's mother's name was changed from Elaine (in the book) to Geraldine (in the film)?

Answer: Lots of times in book-to-movie situations and even in some remakes, the producers/writers/directors change names or events. It can be because of personal issues, legal ones or it can even be spur of the moment. it can also be unintentional,when they change it without the specific INTENTION to change it. I think in this case it was more likely that the character/or their name didn't have too much of an impact on the story line, so they didn't feel a pressing need to keep it the same.

More questions & answers from Bridget Jones's Diary

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