Not all superheroes wear capes, which is why, amid Hollywood's fascination with comic book characters and the rise of filtered social media stars, Bridget Jones makes a welcome return to the zeitgeist.
Fifteen years since Helen Fielding's novel made its cinematic debut, Bridget is back. Except this time the hapless heroine, who became an ambassador for single women throughout the '90s and noughties, is single, 43 and pregnant in the third film, Bridget Jones's Baby.
"She's not a superhero and yet in her imperfections she is a superhero in the sense that she really goes into her fears and she comes out the other side," said co-star Patrick Dempsey, in Sydney to promote the new film. "I think that's refreshing to see, when we're overwhelmed by all these superheroes to see a woman who is relatable and not perfect, that's fascinating to me so I hope we can continue to do material like that."
Bridget's return also marks the rebirth of Renee Zellweger, the star who, after critical and commercial success with the films, disappeared from Hollywood in 2010 for close to half a decade. The Oscar winner is now happy to be back in Bridget's full-bottomed knickers and has been overwhelmed by her alter ego's enduring popularity.
"It's her humanity. She's imperfect and she makes it OK for the rest of us to be imperfect," Zellweger said. "I love being privy to her inner dialogue and her self-deprecating humour because we relate to that. We all know what it's like to find yourself in the middle of an escalating disaster and realising that you can't get out of it but you are doing your best to proceed with it anyway.
"I love that in this day when there's so much pressure to be perfect she's not, but she triumphs anyway."
The script, co-written by Emma Thompson who also shines on screen, is a contemporary bookend to the first film. Bridget is pregnant yet unsure of who the father is. Enter Jack (Dempsey) and Mr Darcy (Colin Firth). What transpires is a comedic love triangle which tackles female morality minus the slut shaming.
An element that Dempsey feels gives the rom-com, which at times is conveniently saccharine, more depth.
"I think it works today because there has been a break. It makes sense now I think you can get away with that discussion," he said. "I think the idea of being pregnant and not knowing who the father is makes it very contemporary and progressive. The women are a little bit more aggressive and the men are sort of retreating and I think that's somewhere where we're at now in society."
Zellweger, a veteran when it comes to dealing with criticism about everything from her accent to her face, was too caught up being back in front of a camera to consider the film's social nuances.
"I didn't think about it in terms of slut shaming. I haven't thought about it that way. I was looking at the quality of the writing and how it made me laugh," Zellweger said. "I was so caught up in being back in Bridget's world and just excited to be back."
Bridget Jones's Baby opens in Australia on September 15
