Bridget Jones' Diary (DVD, 2001)

In the screen adaptation of BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY, Helen Fielding's international best-selling phenomenon, documentary filmmaker (and real-life inspiration for the character Shazzer) Sharon Maguire has managed a rare feat--a film as captivating as the novel. Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) is a pretty and neurotic thirtysomething "singleton" (in her vernacular) who vows to take control of her life after being humiliated by handsome, standoffish barrister, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) at her parents' New Year's party. Determined to lose weight, and cut back on vices like wine, cigarettes, and workaholic-alcoholic-misogynistic men, Bridget begins a diary to chart her progress. Unfortunately, the P.R. executive hits a snag when her boss, gorgeous cad Daniel (Hugh Grant) instigates a sexy e-mail flirtation. Despite her tendency to bungle book launch parties, and any situation involving the ever-present, ever-disapproving Mark Darcy, Bridget's winning combination of charm, vulnerability, and wit intrigues not only the seductively dangerous Daniel, but also the arrogant barrister. Featuring a note-perfect performance by Zellweger, a devilishly against-type one by Grant, and the inspired casting of Firth (the object of Bridget's lusty fantasies in the book); DIARY is a clever, delightful romantic comedy guaranteed to please old fans and win new ones.