Summary
-
Zellweger’s rom-com legacy goes beyond Bridget Jones, with iconic roles in movies like Jerry Maguire.
-
From New in Town to Miss Potter, Zellweger shines with relatable characters in various classics.
-
Zellweger’s knack for comedic timing and portraying real characters makes her performances appealing and aspirational.
Renee Zellweger Made her mark on romance movies with her iconic role in Bridget Jones’s DiaryBut that doesn’t mean her other classic projects should be overlooked. Throughout her career, Zellweger established herself as a romantic lead to great acclaim, which carried over to all of her performances. Zellweger may have started out in the romance genre, but she has contributed greatly to movies of all genres. She was in one of the best movie musicals of the 21st century in Chicago And Won the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing Judy Garland in Judy in 2019.
A big part of what distinguishes Zellweger and her performances is that she has incredible comedic timing and has often portrayed characters that are more relatable to large audiences.
Zellweger was in some of the best movies from the golden age of rom-coms. Although she’s not quite as associated with rom-coms as Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock, her work has been just as influential. A big part of what distinguishes Zellweger and her performances is that she has incredible comedic timing and has often portrayed characters that are more relatable to large audiences. This makes her both appealing to watch and aspirational to viewers In a way that does not alienate them. Watching a romantic film and feeling detached from the story defeats the purpose of the stories.
|
Movie |
Rotten Tomatoes score |
|
New in Town (2009) |
28% |
|
Miss Potter (2006) |
69% |
|
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) |
27% |
|
The Whole Wide World (1996) |
76% |
|
Bridget Jones’s Baby |
78% |
|
Down With Love (2003) |
60% |
|
Jerry Maguire (1996) |
84% |
|
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) |
80% |
Related
8
New in Town (2009)
Like Lucy Hill
New in Town is a romantic comedy directed by Jonas Elmer. The film stars Renée Zellweger as a high-powered consultant from Miami who is sent to a small town in Minnesota to restructure a manufacturing plant. Co-starring Harry Connick Jr., the film explores the culture clash and eventual connection between Zellweger’s character and the local community.
- Director
-
Jonas Elmer
- Release date
-
January 30, 2009
- runtime
-
96 minutes
Although Lucy leaves the big city for Ted’s small town to industrialize and cut costs, she finds much more than corporate success there.
New in townThe premise follows familiar tropes, but it’s easily redeemed by the chemistry between Zellweger and her costar, Harry Connick Jr. Although he is best known for his contributions to the music industry, Connick Jr. coms like New in town. The premise of the movie is well-worn, see Zellweger’s Lucy play the role of A high-powered executive who unexpectedly falls in love with the beautiful and down-to-earth stranger, Ted. Although Lucy leaves the big city for Ted’s small town to industrialize and cut costs, she finds much more than corporate success there.
The plot is on par with a Hallmark rom-com, however New in town Has enough tongue-in-cheek moments to make the audience think Zellweger and the movie are in on the joke. The film was released just before Zellweger took a hiatus from her intense time as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars. Its mostly negative reception gives a clear indication of why Zellweger may have been fed up with the way the industry treats women and bars rom-coms. however, New in town Has enough charm to make it worth revisiting.
7
Miss Potter (2006)
Like Beatrix Potter
- Director
-
Chris Noonan
- Release date
-
December 3, 2006
- runtime
-
98 minutes
Ewan McGregor plays another of Zellweger’s love interests, Norman Warne, after their first collaboration in Down with love A few years before. Although Miss Potter is much more subdued and traditionally romantic than Down with loveThe passion that the couple demonstrated in the more subversive comedy is true in this sweeping biographical drama. Zellweger plays Beatrix Potter, the author of the Peter Rabbit Books, as the story tracks her early career and rise to fame and fortune. Her relationship with Norman Warne is one of the inspirations for her best work.
There was a twinge of grief over Miss PotterBecause neither Beatrix nor Norman can express the extent of their love as long as they want. The social pressures and expectations, together with the disapproval of Beatrix’s parents, put in the way of her happiness throughout the story. However, at the end of the film, Beatrix has learned to be independent and that she has the power to decide her future, providing a positive moral to a bitter affair.
6
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
Like Bridget Jones
After the success of Bridget Jones’s Diary And the happy ending that Bridget and Mark got, it wasn’t an important enough reason or conflict for the sequel to exist or recreate the cultural moment of the first film.
The second version of the US Bridget Jones Franchise may be the weakest, But it’s still a strong romantic comedy on its own. After the success of Bridget Jones’s Diary And the happy ending that Bridget and Mark got, it wasn’t an important enough reason or conflict for the sequel to exist or recreate the cultural moment of the first film. This results in a series of convoluted misunderstandings that all feel invented for the sake of keeping Bridget and Mark apart.
generally, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Was better received by audiences than critics, however That hasn’t stopped Zellweger’s performance from being consistently highlighted as one of the best parts of the project. The unlikely chemistry she and Colin Firth establish in the first installment is good, but it makes it all too easy to grow frustrated when Bridget and Mark can’t seem to make things work. Fortunately, it was popular enough to warrant a third film years later.
5
The Whole Wide World (1996)
Like Novaline Price Ellis
Loosely based on the true story of the ill-fated romance between writer Robert E. Howard and teacher Novaline Price Ellis, The whole wide world tackles subjects about the intersection of art and love. The film shows how creatives sacrifice so much and dedicate themselves to their work. One of the main conflicts in the US The whole wide world is Robert’s inability to commit to a serious relationship with Novaline And how much she has to sacrifice to be with him.
Set in Texas in the 1930s, The whole wide world Uses its styling and aesthetic to its advantage, transporting the viewer to an age past when pulp novels were at the height of their popularity. Zellweger proves she can be believable at any time, and it’s easy to sympathize with the frustrated Novaline. While their love story does not end happily and happily ever after, It’s still a steering piece that foreshadows some of Zellweger’s more serious and dramatic roles.
4
Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016)
Like Bridget Jones
The third film in the Bridget Jones franchise, Bridget Jones’s Baby star Renee Zellweger returns to her role as Bridget Jones, who after finding out she is unexpectedly pregnant, must decide which of her two last flings the baby’s father is and attempt To decide who she wants to help raise the child when it is born. Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Jim Broadbent and Emma Thompson also star.
- Director
-
Sharon Maguire
- Release date
-
September 16, 2016
- Figure
-
Renée Zellweger, Ben Wilbund, Gemma Jones, Shirley Henderson, Colin Firth, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Dempsey, Sally Phillips
- runtime
-
123 minutes
- studio(s)
-
Universal Pictures, Studio Channel
Bridget Jones’s Baby Wears their silliness well and allows the audience to let loose and enjoy every moment of Bridget and Mark’s convoluted love story.
Over ten years after the first sequel, Bridget Jones’s Baby was released to mostly warm critical reception As a fun-filled and harmless addition to these Bridget Jones Franchise. Bridget Jones’s Baby makes a strong case for its existence, as critics and fans are concerned that there is no real need for the third movie in the wake of so many failed remakes during the 2010s. however, Bridget Jones’s Baby Wears their silliness well and allows the audience to let loose and enjoy every moment of Bridget and Mark’s convoluted love story.
Updates for Bridget Jones: Mad about the boy have piqued audience interest, and it will be interesting to see where Zellweger takes the franchise for its fourth installment. After the success of Bridget Jones’s BabyIt’s no wonder there’s more in store for Bridget, and Zellweger was more than up to the challenge of playing Bridget as she ages. Bridget Jones’s Baby is an example of how women’s stories must be told in all phases of their lives and that Bridget will remain a paragon of every woman as she navigates growing old.
3
Down With Love (2003)
Like Barbara Novak
Down with Love is a romantic comedy directed by Peyton Reed, starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. Set in the early 1960s, the film follows the story of feminist author Barbara Novak, who advocated for women’s independence from men, and clashed with chauvinist journalist Katcher Block. Their professional rivalry leads to a series of comedic and romantic entanglements, capturing the essence of the period with a modern twist.
- Director
-
Peyton Reed
- Release date
-
May 16, 2003
- runtime
-
101 minutes
The stylized and comprehensive Down with love is undoubtedly one of Zellweger’s most underrated rom-coms. It sees her team up with McGregor for the first time before their reunion in Miss Porter Three years later. Before the modern rom-com came into being, the sex comedies of the 1950s and 1960s were all the rage, and Down with love is a satirical take on these types of stories. Down with love Features an all-star cast of explosive leads, with Sarah Paulson, Rachel Dratch and David Hyde Pierce all featured.
In this story, Zellweger gets to subvert and redefine the romance tropes she helped create in some of her most popular movies. Both Zellweger and McGregor have proven their talents in the musical genre with Chicago And Moulin RougeWhat influenced their cost, viz Down with love Featured original music and dance numbers. Despite its middling critical reception, Down with love became a beloved cult classic, and was well ahead of its time in its interrogation of feminist themes In rom-coms.
2
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Like Dorothy Boyd
High-flying sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) has a crisis of conscience, and writes a heartfelt company-wide memo resulting in the swift termination of his services. Scrabbling to keep his athlete clients, Jerry starts his own management company, with the only colleague going with him – single mother Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger). Retaining only one client, football player Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), Jerry and Dorothy begin to fall in love when their new business venture struggles.
- Director
-
Cameron Crowe
- Release date
-
December 13, 1996
- runtime
-
139 minutes
The speech Jerry gives proclaiming his love is an iconic scene in cinema.
The best Jerry Maguire Quotes are some of the best in any onscreen love story, even though the film deals heavily with sports and business. in his heart, Jerry Maguire is a romantic film. In one of his turns in a non-action movie, Tom Cruise plays the titular Jerry, a sports agent who teams up with Zellweger’s Dorothy To start their own agency that prioritizes agent-client relationships. However, it’s hard for the couple to keep things professional as Jerry steps up to help Dorothy raise her son and show how much he cares for her.
Jerry Maguire is considered a classic romance movie of the 1990s, and Zellweger’s continued success in the romance genre can be attributed to the exposure that Jerry Maguire gave her. Cruz is the star of the movie, with Zellweger in the secondary role of romantic interest, but she is still a character with desires and a drive to succeed, Just like Jerry is. Additionally, it is deeply romantic and touching to see the lengths Jerry goes to win over Dorothy. The speech Jerry gives proclaiming his love is an iconic scene in cinema.
Related
1
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Like Bridget Jones
Based on the novel by Helen Fielding, the rom-com Bridget Jones’s Diary revolves around a 32-year-old single woman who keeps a diary of her life and romantic encounters. The 2001 movie was a massive commercial and critical success starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant.
- Director
-
Sharon Maguire
- Release date
-
April 13, 2001
- runtime
-
97 minutes
- studio(s)
-
Universal images
The first Bridget Jones The movie not only introduced Zellweger’s most defining character to the world, but it also became a cultural touchstone in the rom-com genre. Bridget Jones’s Diary Has been the subject of heated debate for years, as it was an entirely new romance movie when it was released. Bridget was an imperfect heroine, and her love interests were not the dashing heroes of the latter days; They were just as messy as you. However, over twenty years later, Bridget Jones’s Diary Has age than its competition.
Although the sequels aren’t quite as strong, their reason for existing is clear: people can’t get enough of Bridget and her misadventures. Renee Zellweger was faced with harsh criticism and invasive co However, the enduring popularity of Bridget Jones’s Diary Proves that the best types of rom-coms are the ones that portray realistic and hilarious versions of their characters.