Why Bridget Jones Will Always Be That Girl

If you’ve ever ugly-cried to Céline Dion in your coziest PJs while sipping (okay, chugging) wine straight from the bottle, or set a New Year’s resolution you knew you weren’t gonna keep, then congrats—you’re officially in your Bridget Jones era. And honestly? There’s no better place to be.

From messy love triangles to iconic snow-kiss moments, painfully awkward encounters, and surprise baby drama, Bridget’s been through it all. But even through the chaos, she’s the hot mess we can’t help but adore—because, deep down, she’s all of us.

And lucky for us, the queen is back one last time. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is finally here, and it’s the perfect excuse to round up the girls for a Galentine’s Day watch party. (Wine, matching PJs, and emotional support absolutely required.) This time, Bridget is a single mom trying to survive online dating while raising two kids and somehow holding down a career. Renée Zellweger is, of course, back in her rightful role, joined by two new love interests (Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall—yes, the White Lotus hottie). Oh, and did I mention Hugh Grant is back as Daniel Cleaver? Because we may have moved on from our toxic exes, but Bridget clearly hasn’t.

To prep for the final chapter of her saga, let’s break down why Bridget will always be that girl when it comes to navigating single life.

She Has Elite Taste

Listen, if there’s one thing Bridget does right, it’s curating a top-tier roster. We’re talking Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, then Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey, and now, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall. Like, if you’re gonna fumble through situationships, at least make sure the lineup is giving main character energy. Bridget said standards matter, and we should all take notes.

She Doesn’t Settle

Look, we can all agree Bridget has made some…questionable choices (dating her boss? Girl…). But one thing she never does? Settle. Remember when Daniel Cleaver hit her with the whole “If I can’t make it with you, I can’t make it with anyone” line? And Bridget instantly shut it down with, “That’s not a good enough offer for me.” Iconic behavior. Consider this your reminder: If someone isn’t sure about you, that’s their problem. Keep it moving.

She’s Got Ride-or-Die Friends

Surviving a dinner party where the only options are an omelette, orange marmalade dip, and blue soup? That’s loyalty. But Bridget’s crew goes above and beyond. When she was heartbroken in Bridget Jones’s Diary, they planned a getaway to Paris to help her move on. And when she ditched them the second Mark Darcy showed up? No judgment. Just pure, unconditional support. The lesson here? Romantic love is great and all, but your real MVPs are the friends who hype you up, drag you out of your funk, and stick by you no matter how chaotic life gets.

She’s a Work in Progress

We’ve been on this rollercoaster with Bridget since 2001 (yes, over 20 years—let’s not talk about it). And through it all, she’s never stopped trying. Sure, she’s had her moments (cough calling Mr. Fitzherbert “Mr. Fitzpervert”), but she’s always leveling up—whether it’s rebranding post-breakup, attempting (and failing) to quit drinking, or navigating career and motherhood chaos. Bridget went from obsessing over men to realizing she’s the main character, and honestly? That’s the kind of energy we all need.

If Bridget can handle all this with a glass of wine in hand, we can handle a little character development too. Cheers to that.