Some of the best reviewed books don't sell well. Her reviews seem to be quite favorable for what she writes. Gore Vidal would call them "novels of the consumer". Will Self has nothing good to say about the writing of either Helen Fielding or Nick Hornby. H. Fielding does not write literature; this chick will probably never win the Booker Prize. She writes books meant to entertain.

Will Self has nothing good to say about the writing of either Helen Fielding or Nick Hornby. To quote Jo from Fever Pitch, do we really care? ;-) I'm pleased to be entertained by Hornby or Fielding and a good or bad review isn't going to change my mind if the writer succeeds on that score. I know intellectuals have nothing to fear from me but I hope I'm never pretentious enough to only read "literature".

Good for you. I do know those whose motto is, "I have no idea what I like, but I know a lot about art."

Moon sent me this article from The Globe and Mail, a Canadian paper, about Bridget and Annette Bening's character in AB: 'Is there a conspiracy here? Probably, but it's so vast that it's more of a united front' HEATHER MALLICK Wednesday, March 8, 2000 I am a great fan of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones novels, the Diary and The Edge of Reason, mainly because they make me laugh. How many things can you say that about these days? But there is a school of thought that says her heroine is not a charmer but a scatterbrained fool and her ditz act is wearing thin as she nears 40. Would you have an apartment so messy, they say, that you would accidentally throw out your friend's cellphone with the garbage? And if so, would you ask your friend to call his phone, and then go out to the dumpsters and wait for one of them to ring? Would you do this wearing only a leather jacket over your bra and panties? Of course you wouldn't. Of course Jones would. Jones thinks Rudyard Kipling's If is a condensed self-help book. She's a chronically late, messy scrambler of a woman, who thinks the Smug Marrieds are laughing at Singletons like her. She yearns for a rescuer, a rich, patient, handsome, clever, kind human-rights lawyer named Mark Darcy. Mr. Darcy (yes, from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice) is a perfect man, with all of the male virtues (rationality, lovely body) and none of the vices (idleness, unrestricted lechery). He's highly unlikely to fall for a woman who is correct in thinking that she eats too much Cadbury's chocolate, smokes like a barbecue and drinks like a sponge. In real life, she'd be a bovine, smelly alcoholic, and be treated as same. But this isn't real life, it's the confessional novel of the female inadequate and it has a heavyweight literary history. For centuries now, Bridget Jones has been trying to make her way in a world made by and for men. Jones's diaries are descendants of Shamela, the parody Henry Fielding wrote in 1742 when he became immensely irritated by Samuel Richardson's Pamela, a pompous, best-selling narrative of a virtuous servant girl. Instead of diaries, Pamela and her alter ego, the conniving little hussy Shamela, used the device of letters to parents, in which they tell of fighting off lecherous employers and seeking true love. There were no careers for women then, and, strangely, not now either (Jones's job is pure idiocy.) There is only one route to success in the 1700s and the 2000s and that is to marry a Mark Darcy. Helen Fielding (no relation to Henry) ascribes the success of these novels to the notion that there is a little Bridget in all of us, a nice, well-intentioned female striving to be perfect and failing on a colossal scale. To feminists who think Jones is a moron, she rather smugly points out that somebody must be identifying with her because nobody bought her first "serious" novel about refugee camps. (I did. It was terrible.) Columnist Johanna Schneller wrote in this section last week about the tidal wave of female idiots clogging American movies. She was dead right. Is there a conspiracy here? Probably, but it's so vast that it's more of a united front. Writers and directors, whether male or female, present women as foolish, dismissable creatures partly because nobody objects and points out that few women (or girls, as they are now unconvincingly called) in real life behave like cartoon characters or indeed, Bridget Jones. Ms. Schneller mentioned the obsessive housewife character played by Annette Bening in American Beauty as the only one in the movie "who doesn't get a moment of grace." There is a scene in which her husband tries to seduce her on the couch, a scene that I think epitomizes the way men are taken seriously and women are laughed at. "Lester, you're going to spill beer on the couch." "So what," he says. "It's just a couch." "This is a $4,000 sofa upholstered in Italian silk. This is not 'just a couch.' " Seduction ends, permanently. Apparently audiences are united in their loathing of this woman, while the husband, who's trying to seduce his teenage daughter's best friend, wins their sympathy. I was left so aghast by this interpretation that I was silenced. I am a keen vacuumer and neatener myself and brought my beloved, butter-coloured couches to my marriage, so admittedly I am biased. But Bridget Jones lives in all of us? Bening's character is a virago? And some oaf who gobbles beer while ineptly pawing the mother of his children is a hero? So I committed heresy. I tossed my lifelong feminism in the bin and did what Jones, Pamela, Shamela and the writers and directors named by Ms. Schneller would do. I asked a man, specifically the Mark Darcy I'm married to and am not smug about because he's wise, nice and could easily discard me, as Bridget would say. He was livid at my description. He was entirely on the side of Bening and her chesterfield. Why is this man drinking beer at a moment like that anyway? Clearly, they're going to divorce, so why ruin the furniture? Their children will have to sit on something. And what do you mean about the teenage girl? (We have two of those.) How appalling. No, of course I'm not leaving you. And on in this vein. So who thinks the Bridget Jones version of women that echoes down the ages is a crock? Me, my estimable husband, Ms. Schneller and a school of thought. I love you dearly, Bridget, but pull yourself together. E-mail at hmallick@globeandmail.ca

Reminder!! Chat with Helen at bn.com starts at 7:00 pm ET Here's the link directly to the Auditorium. Questions can be submitted in advance. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/community/aud/uaud.asp?userid=4V3K48R6XI&srefer=#marker

Here's the transcript from the online chat last year. You'll see a few familiar names. ;-) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/community/archive/transcript.asp?userid=4V3K48R6XI&srefer=&eventId=1392

Ooops, the chat was in June '98 - nearly two years ago!

OK.. which one of you is Auntie Pasta? ;-)

OK.. which one of you is Auntie Pasta? ;-) I'm notta sayin....but it sure beats "Heavie Evie"( n' I wuz Lafn too!!) I copied some of the Q&A.Did you Karen?Want me to post what I copied?

Here are some of the CF or movie-related Q&As from the Barnes and Noble chat: Jude from Los Angeles: How do you feel about Renee Zelwegger being selected to play Bridget? Did you have any casting say? HF: I'm very upset that they didn't ask me. My acting career came to an abrupt halt at university when I was given a part in the review, then in rehearsal, one by one all my roles were taken away from me. Apart from that of Miss Guided, a mute Chamber Maid. I haven't been involved in the casting, but I've heard she's very funny and she's learning to speak English with an English accent. Auntie Pasta from USA: Did you have any input in the casting of the film. I think RZ as Bridget is brilliant! Who will be Mark Darcy? I pray it isn't Hugh Grant... HF: I pray it is Colin Firth of the BBC's Pride and Prejudice fame, but I don't know who it will be. Elisa from Pennsylvania: Has Colin Firth contacted you in regards to his many mentions in the new book? HF: The interview in the book was actually a real interview in Rome with me pretending to be Bridget and him assuming a Mr. Darcy-esque tone. And he was very amused by it afterwards. Benjamin from Atlanta: Do you know when the film will be released? How will they be able to use much of her writing in a diary on screen? HF: to last: which is not to suggest that I am in any way shallow. To this: I hope it will come out before Christmas and I hope that they will use lots of voice-over. Lesley from NYC: What are your fears about Bridget Jones' Diary being made into a movie? Are you working on the script too? How do you feel about Renee Zelwegger playing the part of Bridget? HF: Authors traditionally turn into monsters when their work has been made into film, so I decided a few months ago, the time had come to graciously retire and maybe just turn up glamorously on set one day in a pair of sun-glasses and a gold turban then throw a hissy fit and flounce off for a large martini. Lafn from Oklahoma: Will the film include the interview with Colin Firth in Rome? HF: No, because the film is of the first book. Karen from Chicago: Thought The Edge of Reason was even better than the first book and am amazed at how well you transformed the Telegraph columns into a story. How did you decide to use Persuasion, which worked brilliantly to add depth to Mark's character? If it was just whim, am glad you didn't go the Mansfield Park route. HF: I am very pleased that you liked the book so much and was thinking of asking you to repeat the question seven times over the Internet. I chose Persuasion because it was my second favorite JA book after Pride and Prejudice and also began with a P which added a pleasing air of continuity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I've put up the whole thing at: http://www.spring.net/karenr/general/hfchat.html

Thanks for the excerpts, Karen. Auntie Pasta? Was that you, Moon? ;-D *heeheehee* There you have it, Ms. Lafn. So I suppose there's no room for CF to play MD, be the Mr. Darcy in P&P whom BJ adores *and* do a cameo as himself. Oh, well.

Just read the whole interview. Eileen from NYC was not me--I was away from my computer yesterday (besides, am in Jersey). Sorry I missed it. I finished EOR last week. I did laugh all the way through but found it very predictable (BJ will get herself in trouble, MD will get her out). Liked the ending. Liked Geoffrey Alconbury's line: "Wheee! Off they go!" Didn't you want to smack him? On the whole, though I prefer the original BJD, EOR doesn't disappoint.

I went to the Chat at about 7:20 pm and asked whether she had spoken to CF about playing MD and if he would be interested in the role. I guess she decided not to answer it. And at this point, I am inclined to think that they will not go for him. I have a feeling they want someone who is better known in the US. :-( Did anyone get that feeling too? Do you believe she is in La Jolla? Yuk! Who is she mingling with? The martini set? Thanks for the link, Karen.

Thank you Karen and Evelyn. Am going to the Bucket now to read the whole thing. It looks like it was hilarious. I'm sorry I could not be there. (EileenG)So I suppose there's no room for CF to play MD, be the Mr. Darcy in P&P whom BJ adores *and* do a cameo as himself. Oh, well. As long as he plays Mark Darcy... and this still seems possible :-) BTW, I almost fell from my chair at HF's reply that the interview in Rome was real - sort of. Lucky woman!:-)

... asked whether she had spoken to CF about playing MD and if he would be interested in the role. I guess she decided not to answer it. I got tthe idea they were running out of questions...but I had one too that she didn't answer re: an audio that JE did of Cause Celeb Helen's first book. I have a feeling they want someone who is better known in the US. :-( Did anyone get that feeling too? I got the feeling she really doesn't like to answer anything much about that movie. Tip: Ask lots of questions under different names..I got 2 out of 3 answered. Not bad. Laura honey...I figured you could ask your own question;-)

(Moon) Do you believe she is in La Jolla? Yuk! Who is she mingling with? The martini set? She had a booksigning yesterday in San Diego. I need to find out if a friend of mine went; she was coming in from London yesterday and planned to go. I truly believe she has no input in the casting decisions and never did, which is usually the case with authors. If she has any influence, it will be via her friend Sharon, who is directing. Let's keep our fingers crossed that Sharon (aka Shaz) is also a P&P-loving, Colin Firth-as-Mr-Darcy fan as she is portrayed in the book. ;-)

HF: I pray it is Colin Firth of the BBC's Pride and Prejudice fame, but I don't know who it will be. I think this is very hopeful. With no prompting, she brought Colin's name into the conversation--his first mention in the interview, looks like. I agree that she probably has little input, if any, into the casting, but I'm sure she is very plugged into the process in terms of where things stand. If that's the case, then based on this interview, CF hasn't been ruled out. The thought of Renee and Colin is really growing on me; physically, it's almost like Carrie and Mr. Big on Sex In The City. Long-haired, vulnerable cute but not gorgeous blonde coupled with tall, dark and handsome guy several years her senior.

(Mari)With no prompting, she brought Colin's name into the conversation--his first mention in the interview, looks like. Hee, hee. You catch on fast....that was the plan;-)

You catch on fast....that was the plan;-) Wot? She has a secret plan? And you knew about it Evelyn? I hope this does not mean that we will have to set up petitions at all the CF sites for him to be considered as MD! ;-) Can we wait a little longer for the cast to be announced or do we have to wait for Miss Dolittle to finish her diction lessons first???!!!

I missed both chats:( Sorry, I didn't participate. But I did read the transcript. Karen, LOVED your question! She was bang on by asking you to repeat it 7 times over the Internet;)

I rang Working Title again. They said that shooting for BJD would run through May-June in various locations in London, with a view to an early 2001 release. Other casting is "currently being finalised".

Oh, I can't hold it in any longer! Postive report from last night's Fielding reading in L.A. Nothing absolutely definite on the casting news we've been waiting for, but let's just say it's looking good. Hope to have more to report later.

Ooooh, sounds like the casting will have to be announced shortly. Wonder if this will be a Friday Baz exclusive? And that shooting schedule will certainly accommodate doing Armadillo this summer!

but what about The Maid of Buttermere?

The Buttermere thing was never confirmed as being a "go." It seems like its still in the preproduction phase, if anything.

Oh well, it sounded so perfect for CF, more so I have to say than BJD, I still have my doubts especially as we now know it is based on the first book.

Hi ... attended last night's book reading/Q & A/book signing at Vroman's (Pasadena/L.A.), and it was a capacity crowd. Helen Fielding was charming and funny. She read 3 chapters from the book: hellacious haircut; cooking breakfast for Mark (but having none of the ingredients); and writing Christmas cards. I timidly asked her if they (Working Title/Universal/casting agents) would take into account her wishes in regarding who will play Mark Darcy. Her reply (paraphrasing) was that she wants Mark Darcy to be played by THE MR. DARCY of "Pride & Prejudice," Colin Firth. Sorry, can't remember if there was more to that answer as I was overcome by the excitement of actually asking a question. Maybe Jana or Winter can help me out on this. Most of the questions were ones that have already been answered in previous online Q & A's ... Renee Zelwiger ... HF suddenly appearing in turban on the set ... set in Notting Hill ... but, she wouldn't answer what her favorite color was. Well, have to get back to work ... Jana and Winter, it was wonderful seeing you guys again!!!

Thanks for your first-hand report, Marianne. Glad you got to reprise your HF book signing appearance, Winter and Jana!

Why doesn't HF come to Boston???? Did she really think we would run her out ala 1776?

Great report, Marianne. The flame is still burning :-)

Excellent report, Marianne! It was great to see you and winter again last night. We had a mini-Drool reunion over coffee. Oh yeah, the signing was fun too :-). Winter and I thought Marianne very brave to ask "the" question. Her plan was similar to yours, Evelyn - ask very innocently about the casting of Mark Darcy hoping for an unsolicited mention of you-know-who. We were not disappointed :-). My recollection of HF's answer matches yours Marianne, although I think after saying she wanted CF for the role she added something like "but nothing is confirmed". As Marianne said, we got a lot of the same soundbites from HF that we've heard or read before, but HF delivers them so spontaneously it would be hard to tell she's not making it up on the spot if you didn't have our team of researchers out in the world scouring for her every word. There were a couple of items that were new to me anyway (sorry if this is a repeat for you all). Regarding the name of the book, she said the idea was somewhat based on the reviews of BJD in Italy. She then said the bit we've heard before about the Italian review saying BJD was a "study in existential dispair" (something like that - I may not have quoted exactly right.) She then went on to say that she chose the name "The Edge of Reason" because it sounded Sartre-esque to her (I hadn't heard that bit before). She also said something new to me about the first book she wrote. I always thought it to be the one set in the refugee camp that she says no one bought. Last night though she said that was the first book she sold. Previously she had written a romance novel called "The Fires of Zanzibar" and submitted it to Mills & Boone (?) which from her description sounded to be something approaching the quality (or lack thereof) of Harelequin romance in the U.S. While HF thought her book to be quite good, she got a rejection letter from M&B saying her work was not up to the standards of the M&B reader. She said it was so depressing she didn't write again for six years. Sorry if this is a repeat for you, but it made me laugh! Bottom line, publicly at least HF did not give any firmer comment about CF playing MD than she had in past interviews. We didn't ask her about this again when we had our books signed because that would have made Marianne look like some kind of fanatic :-).

Thank you Jana and Marianne. Winter where are you? (Karen), sounds like the casting will have to be announced shortly. Wonder if this will be a Friday Baz exclusive? I think you might be right. I believe the ink is dry. Get the scoop, Baz!

Great going, Jana and Marianne. Helen must wonder if anyone cares about her new book, if all the questions tend toward the movie. Did anyone ask how her about progress on her new roof? Has she met the LA equivalent of Gary the builder? Doubt though he would be having tea with Helen. FYI, she has mentioned the Mills & Boon (definitely Harlequin-ish) before - not frequently, but she did in the Barnes & Noble chat. The title was never mentioned before this round of promotion if I'm not mistaken. Winter, hon, we want to hear about your *exchange* with Helen. ;-D

Here I am....heheheh... once again, I use my opportunity to meet HF as a way of getting into "the biz." ( 2 yrs ago I asked HF if I could play the convicted housemaid, once BJ started filming...) Basically, Marianne and Jana and I decided to wait until the very end, so we wouldn't feel the pressure to move along the conveyer belt of autograph seekers. After we gushed over 'Edge of Reason,' and after Marianne asked about Mark Darcy's religious background ('Probably Church of England'), I took the opportunity to ask Helen, "Would you happen to be in need of an assistant???" I gave her the story of how I dropped out of the PhD program (not really- just taking a hiatus) and am looking for work. Sister Jana was nice enough to back me up on my qualifications and HF actually looked slightly interested, if not amused! She asked for my #, and I dug into my wallet for my business card.... ...well, after fumbling around my bag, I was about to hand over my card when I realized IT WAS MY MANICURIST'S BUSINESS CARD!!! A Bridget moment if there ever was one... Anyway, I apologized and told her it was my manicurist's card, and then found the right one, and then I handed it over to her. Everyone was very good natured about it, I think. We left immediately after, because I didn't want to seem too anxious.

*snort* Too funny, Winter. Of all people, I'm sure Helen appreciated your BJesque moment!

Winter, how bold, how brash, how FUNNY!! Now, if only a few Dairy Milk wrappers and a pair of torn pantyhose had fallen out of your purse, she would've hired you on the spot!

Thanks Marianne, Jana and Winter....how gracious of HF to ask for your card, Winter.Great goin' girls. Wonder what the hold-up is on the confirmation of MD.

From FoF Leslie who is happy to share: After the session was over last evening, she went up to Helen for autographs and asked her privately, wouldn't it be a hoot if Colin Firth played Daniel. Helen replied, "Well, he's probably going to play Mark Darcy." So, a definite probably! ;-) Enjoyed everyone's reports--thanks.

A "definite probably" is better than a "definite possibly" but I'm still standing by with the smelling salts in case someone else whose initials are not CF is named as MD. Helen's a hoot. Too bad you didn't ask her to join you for coffee. ;-) Could have made a fab four.

Winter, I'm glad you decided to post about your little adventure with HF. I keep thinking about it and it has been making me smile all day - it truly was a moment right out of BJD! I keep imagining the somewhat stricken look on your face when you realized you were proffering your manicurist's business card, albeit in a very professional manner :-). I thought HF's response was funny too. She smiled and with a twinkle in her eye said "you're fired". She was definitely kidding though and I'm sure she'll remember you now!

I thought her comments about ELiza Dolittle sounded like she was a bit miffed. Article in Empire (15/03/2000): Bridget Jones Insulted Speaking for the first time since the announcement that Renee Zellweger had been chosen for the role of Bridget Jones, author Helen Fielding said she had given up her involvement in the film-making process. �I had some initial involvement with the script,� Fielding told a chat this week on People.com, �but authors traditionally turn into monsters when they turn their books into films so I thought I should gracefully retire a few months ago.� When asked about the eventual choice of actress, Fielding responded, �Well, I'm very insulted that nobody asked me. My acting career was previously blighted in this way when I was cast in the university review and one by one in rehearsal all my parts were taken away from me�I've never met Renee but I'm told she's very funny and learning to speak English with an English rather than Texas accent.� According to rumour, the casting for the part of Bridget had been held up for some months when Fielding couldn�t agree with the filmmakers on her leading lady. Kate Winslet � whom most people had thought would take on the role � eventually gave up waiting, deciding on the Therese Raquin movie instead.

Here's the link to the people.com chat with Helen on 3/13/00 - the same day that she did the bn.com one. Wonder if they were done simulataneously? ;-) http://people.aol.com/people/interactive/transcripts/f/hfielding.html

Great story, Winter! With it being a manicurist's card especially, it is too BJ. HF may even think it was a set-up! :-) A definite probably for CF as MD. Now just imagine if HF went away thinking: "Damn! I wasn't meant to mention that - if it gets into the press, I may be in trouble for leaking it too early."

Winter, I love your huffspa! (sp?) You do great everytime! Now what if she calls you for an interview on the day you are to leave for Bali? Will somebody please e-mail Baz with HFs latest CF as MD comment and ask him to get the scoop. We are most impatient!

(Moon)Winter, I love your huffspa! (sp?) You do great everytime! Chutzpah;) Yeah, that was very BJ-esque! Now if only she'd come to Boston (or Providence, for that matter!)

ugh! I did close tags!

And they thought they were rid of me after MLSF! Check this out, from Liz Smith's column today: Miramax has acquired two new choice projects: "Bridget Jones' Diary" to star Ren�e Zellweger, and "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," with Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz. It will be directed by John Madden of "Shakespeare in Love" fame. Harvey Weinstein's studio will meld with Universal, Working Title Films and Canal Plus on these projects.

*hee hee hee* digging out Miramax's telephone number! Wonder why Universal feels a need to partner with Miramax on this one? BJD isn't some $40 million production...or is it? ;-)

It must mean an increase in the budget. Remember the cast as I see it. Hugh Grant as Daniel, Elizabeth Hurley as Rebecca, HB-C as Shazz, etc. Colin will be the big bargain, so I bet he is in. :-) Now please let Baz know we want the scoop! Karen, you must have his direct line by now. ;-)

Not me! The Daily Mail is beyond my reach. Besides, we have several fantastic on-the-scene reporters who are already in line waiting for tomorrow Mail to be delivered to the news agent. ;-)

Laura's post on 127 reminded me - Saffron Burrows would be a good Rebecca, don't you think? If RZ is fairly tall, then Rebecca needs to tower over her. Who better than Saffron or maybe Charlize Theron? And both of them have Hollywood appeal for the boxoffice, although it is a small part for the first book. Since Hughie isn't even a consideration IMO - not wasting the grey cells - am going to have to give the Daniel casting some thought. Nobody really comes to mind. Names, need names!!

Daniel - Does it have to be a BIG name? *Throwing names in from God knows where* how about Rupert Graves (Room with a View,The Madness Of King George)? Too good looking perhaps.

Ooooh, yeah!! Rupert Graves would do very well.

So, Harvey's sticking his finger into the BJD pie? I can't work out if this is good or bad news. Have to say, overall, despite one or two (!) reservations about Harvey, it must be good news for the movie. Harvey's always on the look out for winners. And it should mean more promotion. All we need is that vital confimation re. CF! It has to be via Baz or Teletext (Ann, keep on the alert...you get all the scoops!). Hope he gets co-starring, not fourth billing! I'd love to make a few suggestions re the casting. Saffron Burrows would make a great Rebecca or MD's barrister girl friend. Alison Steadman for Bridget's Mum Ben Whitrow for Bridget's Dad Helena B-C for Shazzer Julia Sawalha or Holly Aid (Sarah's friend in FP)for Jude David Bamber for Richard Finch Kathy Burke for Perpetua (she can do "posh") ? Dreyfuss ( co-stars with Kathy Burke in a BBC2 series) Tom Charlotte Coleman (4 weddings) Patchouli Daniel...definitely American, Rhodes scholar type, a sort of younger Kevin Kline RZ is, I think, much better casting for Bridget than KW. KW is too young, and ,although I know you don't have to be an ax murderer in real life to play an ax murderer, she does come over in recent interviews as very happily Smug married. Needs a bit of angst. RZ is apparently very popular over here, with males under 25. And they are usually the main target audience for a successful movie. Ann, CF could still do "Maid of Buttermere" later on...sometimes projects take time to get off the ground. But BJD is high profile.

And Tom....? For Tom I think (I'm going to show my ignorance here as I'm not sure I've got the right name - but it's the guy who played Hugh in Tumbledown) Paul Rhys(?). Or for the quirky ( we know RC always has room for a quirky character) how about a Scots Tom in the shape of Alan Cumming?

Re Tom James Dreyfuss. inspired...even better!

(Bethan) Daniel...definitely American, Rhodes scholar type, a sort of younger Kevin Kline Am having a hard time with this one. Rhodes scholar type? What is that? A Bill Bradley or a Bill Clinton? Kevin Kline? He's definitely not a Rhodes scholar type (see above) and the clincher is he's married to the less-than-intellectually challenging Phoebe Cates. ;-)

$40 million production...or is it? ;-) { Isn't that CF's price to film the movie? :) Rupert Graves would be a wonderful Daniel or James Wilby. Sam West? Loved Charlotte Coleman as Patchouli is perfect! She has to have a lot of body piercing tho!

(Mari)And they thought they were rid of me after MLSF! Oh Mari...too funny. You must be on first name basis with most of the people in the NY office. And we know all the Miramax reps across the country. It's not all bad to get Harvey on board.But the producer line is getting crowded.Hope Colin's sticker-price (and pl. God it is he!)is more than SLOW.

if it is in The Daily Mail tomorrow, Aishling will be first to post it, so look out for Aishling in the morning. I am afraid I don't get out to the shops till midday. Fingers crossed, although I think it is a bit early to hear anything but what has he been doing for the last two months, I thought he said he wasn't taking a break!! If he got a move on he could do Maid of Buttermere now for say 6 weeks and then Bridget Jones til about end of June, all ready for Armadillo in the summer which could mean June, July or August. Yes that will do me! (and then please can we see them before I draw my old age pension!!)

he could do Maid of Buttermere now for say 6 weeks and then Bridget Jones til about end of June, all ready for Armadillo in the summer which could mean June, July or August. Yes that will do me! Poor Will:-(

Not at all: he could have some very interesting time in England. There's the Dome for a start...;-)

How about one of the Fiennes bros for Daniel (a bit of role reversal)? And a Hitchcock cameo by CF as CF....Bridget could bump into him in a video store and not recognise him! Final thought...does anyone think there's a resemblance between RZ with straight blonde bob and HF? "Rhodes scholar"...Well, if Daniel is played by an American actor, it gives the movie a good Anglo/American balance, and Daniel met MD at Cambridge University.

Poor Will well I hope he is visiting with him now and as Arami says he can always come over to sunny England for his school hols!

oops, sorry

Help Karen!

I think I have got it

one more time

...about tag fixing...please read: If you close a tag on a subsequent message, it WILL NOT APPEAR TO BE FIXED because the *BAD* message is still up on your monitor. To test whether you've chased away the bogeyman, leave the topic and then return so that NO messages appear. Then use the Redisplay box below and put in -1. That one "fixing" message should appear in a regular font. OK? :-)

Listen to Karen! What she says is true!

Arami says he can always come over to sunny England for his school hols! Sunny California vs. an Islington flat?.....Sans TV, beach front and a pool?

(Evelyn) You must be on first name basis with most of the people in the NY office. Well, I know what name they call me: Mud.;-) Evelyn, during the infamous "we only made 22 copies" phone call, I thought they were going to call Security on me.;-) Will have to adopt a different persona for BJD agitation activities--I dunno, maybe Mud Flaps. . . hee hee . . . I can't figure out the Miramax connection either. With Harve now involved, I suppose Rupert Everett will make an unbilled cameo as Tom.;-) Rupert Graves as Daniel works for me too, Tracy. I saw him in Closer on Broadway and afterwards he and Anna Friel were in the lobby collecting for Actors Equity for AIDS (as cast members do after all the NYC shows). Got up nice and close; he's awfully cute. Gave him a fat donation. Yeah, he'd be fine.;)

From TELETEXT: Fielding drops Bridget Jones movie Furious Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding will not be developing her book into a movie script in protest at not being consulted over casting. Texan star Renee Zellweger won the part of Bridget Jones against a number of English actresses such as Kate Winslet and Helena Bonham-Carter, described as "too cold". Fielding said acidly: "I'm told Zellweger's learning to speak with an English accent rather than Texan." 17/03/2000

From Teletext. Are these people on drugs? They've taken her remarks totally out of context. Same for those people at Empire that you quoted, Karen. The irony of "they didn't ask me and look at all my vast film experience" was totally lost on them. Oi. ******* Fielding drops Bridget Jones movie Furious Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding will not be developing her book into a movie script in protest at not being consulted over casting. Texan star Renee Zellweger won the part of Bridget Jones against a number of English actresses such as Kate Winslet and Helena Bonham-Carter, described as "too cold". Fielding said acidly: "I'm told Zellweger's learning to speak with an English accent rather than Texan."

I know, I felt the same way after reading the people.com chat. Her comments were taken totally out of context. "they didn't ask me" was about her own acting experience, and not about RZ for the role. However, the remark about Eliza Doolittle, which must have been from the Yahoo chat, struck me as a little !@#$%$ [figure that one out yourself] ;-)

Hey, who said anything about SUNNY England... I just mentioned the wondrous Dome. Besides huge, cold beaches and heated public pools. And don't forget he's upgraded to a house in Islington.

An American for Daniel? Ok, I've got one: Aaron Eckhart from that Neil LaBute piece of trash, "In the Company of Men." He has playing a pig down pat. I see he's also in Erin Brockovich, Any Given Sunday and yet to be released Nurse Betty (another piggy movie from aforementioned pig), which RZ is in too ....so maybe it's a no go. Oh well, pick any pig who has been in one of his movies...

Sorry ladies - no news regarding casting from Baz. He does say: It's bye Bridget, hi, Bali After doing yeoman work on the screen play for the forthcoming BJ movie, Richard Curtis has departed these shores with his family. They have set up camp on the beautiful island of Bali - complete with laptop. Plans to be on Bali for five mnths in a bid to 'completely get away from it all'. Continues with past projects. And adds that RC is often employed behind the scenes as a script doctor. He performed such surgery on BJ and ended up giving the script a major funny bone implant.

Ok, here's the explanation on Miramax's involvment in BJD: it's an accommodation--distribution rights in return for John Madden's services (who apparently was under contract to do his next film for Miramax). From News Unlimited: Screendaily reports that Miramax Films is in talks to handle the US distribution of Working Title Films' upcoming Bridget Jones' Diary. In return, John Madden would be released so that the Shakespeare in Love director can shoot Working Title's forthcoming Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Madden came on board the adaptation of Louis de Berniere's best-selling novel after illness forced Notting Hill director Roger Michell to drop out. Filming is due to begin in May; Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz will star.

Thanks, Aishling and Mari. That makes sense about Madden and I think it is his next three films. We have had all that info posted here about CCM. So do you think Miramax can handle the heavy burden of distributing 22 reels of this film? ;-)

think Miramax can handle the heavy burden of distributing 22 reels of this film? ;-) The very thought, Karen! This could ruin a girl's breakfast. ;-) Thanks, Aishling and Mari.

(Karen) An American for Daniel? Ok, I've got one: Aaron Eckhart from that Neil LaBute piece of trash, "In the Company of Men." He has playing a pig down pat. Yesss! Perfect, perfect, perfect. He nailed that creepy, manipulative pig character in ICOM. Newsweek was singing their praises about his performance in EB; said it was going to be his breakout role. (Bethan) So, Harvey's sticking his finger into the BJD pie? I can't work out if this is good or bad news. Have to say, overall, despite one or two (!) reservations about Harvey, it must be good news for the movie. Harvey's always on the look out for winners. And don't forget this is now the 'kindler and gentler' Harvey, nicotine patches and all. He's supposed to be a changed man. And it should mean more promotion. You're kidding, right? ;-D After MLSF I've learned never to presume anything about Miramax (or this business, for that matter).

(Karen) Oh well, pick any pig who has been in one of his movies... Th-oink you for these casting suggestions, Karen.;-) Actually, I think Aaron Eckhart is a terrific actor, and he'd do a great job. But if we're going for people in Neil LaBute flicks, I've got the definitive Daniel: Jason Patric. Gorgeous and so smarmy under the thinnest veneer of charm in Your Friends and Neighbors. But, I doubt that they'll hire an American for this part; I think the Yank quota on this film has already been exceeded by one.;-) RE: Miramax. This film will be fairly high profile; I think Miramax may bite for a full two dozen reels.;-) One more interesting tidbit from the Fielding L.A. appearance: their original choice for director was Amy Heckerling, who wrote and directed Clueless. HF is apparently a fan of that film and quoted some dialogue. Not sure if this was during the general Q&A or privately afterwards. Not clear why Heckerling couldn't do it; must have been those dreaded "prior commitments.;-)

Wouldn't see Your Friends and Neighbors (even if someone held a gun to my head), but I do like Jason Patric, especially at a drive-thru carwash. ;-D However, he has dark hair and we'd need a better contrast to Mark, whose hair would have to be darker a la Mr. D. Doubt the part would go to an American.

Thanks Aishling and Mari . Pure conjecture: I wonder if after Harvey got into the act RZ came on board (by audition, of course ;-) ). He likes Anglo-American casting.

Wouldn't this be wonderful if this were the turning point for both JE & CF, with Harvey investing in TRT and now BJD, if only they could both be sure fire hits (always assuming that CF will indeed play MD).

All the news services are carrying BJD stuff it seems. According to today's Hollywood Reporter, filming starts Monday, May 1. Just 6 weeks away--we have to hear something soon. Aishling, we're counting on you and Baz!;-) And I could be wrong, but I get the impression that Miramax is not going to have much input on this film's production; they've only picked up distribution rights, and only for the U.S. I'm thinking that Working Title still has that carte blanche agreement with Universal, and that WT is still calling all the shots from a production standpoint, as they should.

While Miramax won't have much to do with production, we will see a much higher profile film in the making. They are v. good at placing news items. The HR item is evidence of that. RZ being cast as Bridget didn't make it into THR. Hey, if Miramax could promote CHR into getting 7 AA noms, then it can do anything.

(Ann)....were the turning point for both JE & CF, with Harvey investing in TRT and now BJD, if only they could both be sure fire hits.. I know BJD will be a hit, but I have no illusions of JE being cast as Annie in TRT when it is filmed by Miramax. Or SD. They are unknown in the US and are not bankable for a Stoppard production. Having two stage hits this year in London, being nominated for a BAFTA and going to Broadway are pretty high accolades for an actress who has been away from the West End for seven years.

(Evelyn) but I have no illusions of JE being cast as Annie in TRT when it is filmed by Miramax. Or SD. They are unknown in the US and are not bankable for a Stoppard production. It all depends on how well-known they become from the Broadway run and from how they will do for themselves. Even Judi Dench went on TV show. And look at Alan Cumming, which comes from his run in Cabaret, not Circle of Friends! ;-)

Actually Evelyn, I was referring to the Broadway run of TRT which Miramax is involved in, had forgotten about the film rights. OT In the papers TRT has been advertised as "must close next week, must close Sat and finally must close tomorrow", a sort of coduntdown. Incidentally the last week was a complete sell-out which isn't bad for a 700+seater, so they have everything going for them.(sorry I guess this should be on Odds & Ends but it sort of followed on.) Anyway back to topic, is anyone game enough to telephone Colin's agent, I did hear a while aback that he had many irons in the fire and things should have been clearer by the end of February, and it is now nearly the end of March.

(Karen) And look at Alan Cumming, which comes from his run in Cabaret, not Circle of Friends! ;-) Shucks, all this time I thought it was Spice World that did it for him... ;-P

is anyone game enough to telephone Colin's agent, I did hear a while aback that he had many irons in the fire and things should have been clearer by the end of February, and it is now nearly the end of March. I can tell you it would be a waste of time. I have sent an e-amil to Baz demanding the scoop on the casting but especially, CF as MD. No word yet but as Mari said, six weeks away for filming to start, they have their cast. I am still having a problem as HF with RZ learning that English diction and I do not like her voice either. I would have preferred KW.

Yes, HF did say that Amy Heckerling was her first choice, but that she eventually had other commitments ... (probably the long wait for the script). The two scenes she mentioned were when Cher is feeling down about her life and walking along Rodeo Drive and then spots a pair of shoes in the window and wonders if it came in her size; and the other is when she says she needs to be in a calm and peaceful place, next scene she is in the mall.

Can I ask a stupid question? Who is Baz?

(Laura)Who is Baz? Baz Bambigoyne is a columnist in The Daily Mail. His column focuses on British stage and screen stars and their projects, and sadly only appears on Fridays. We brazenly send Aishling out at the crack dawn every Friday to report any news of CF, BJ or JE. BTW he is out best media source for the three. ~~~~~~~~~~ I have sent an e-amil to Baz demanding the scoop on the casting but especially, CF as MD Demanding...ouch! I have tried to ask him too; once he came through. I have also requested from the Editor of The Daily Mail that they publish Baz's column on line. Never an answer...so far no results.

No word yet but as Mari said, six weeks away for filming to start, they have their cast. Agreed. They'll be working on costume fittings etc soon. But I'm sure that CF's agent will still have "no idea"! First week of May could be a busy one for Colin, as MLSF also opens. He could have an excellent publicity tie-in ....starring as Darcy again and a lead role in a new movie. Fingers crossed for some good PR. No hiding of one's light under a bushel ! :-)

(Karen) While Miramax won't have much to do with production, we will see a much higher profile film in the making. They are v. good at placing news items. Good point. That's precisely their strength--nobody promotes better than Miramax *when they want to.* And when they *don't* want to . . .oh, I'm not even gonna go there. :-( Speaking of Miramax and promotion, there's a full page ad for TRT in the new Entertainment Weekly. Will post more on 127. (Bethan) First week of May could be a busy one for Colin, as MLSF also opens. He could have an excellent publicity tie-in ....starring as Darcy again and a lead role in a new movie. I was thinking that too, Bethan, plus Cannes is mid-May and RV will hopefully be on the docket there.

From The Express: AUTHOR QUITS AS AMERICAN IS PICKED TO PLAY MOVIE BRIDGET 17-Mar-2000 ATTEMPTS to make a film of Bridget Jones's Diary - the best-selling musings of a neurotic thirtysomething - are becoming as convoluted as the fictional heroine's own life. In the latest twist to the saga, author Helen Fielding has withdrawn her co-operation from the film makers. The news comes after it was announced that an American actress is to play the quintessentially English Bridget, a career woman with a comically dysfunctional personal life. Ms Fielding has revealed that she is upset that she was not allowed a full say in which actress will bring her creation to life. "I'm very insulted that nobody asked me," she said. "My acting career was previously blighted in this way when I was cast in the university review and one by one in rehearsal all my parts were taken away from me." The film makers, Working Title, have chosen the relatively low-profile actress Renee Zellweger for the part in the GBP5million romantic comedy. Ms Zellweger, who appeared in the Tom Cruise film Jerry Maguire, is best known in America as the girlfriend of comic Jim Carrey. Ms Fielding, a former journalist who has now moved to Los Angeles, said: "I've never met Renee but I'm told she's very funny and learning to speak English with an English rather than Texas accent. "I had some initial involvement with the script but authors traditionally turn into monsters when they turn their books into films so I thought I should gracefully retire a few months ago." Although Ms Zellweger's star is rising in America, she is a far cry from the big name actresses who had originally been pencilled in for the part - including Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter. The role was first suggested to Ms Bonham Carter in 1998 at a meeting with Ms Fielding in America. Kate Winslet then expressed interest but apparently got fed up waiting for Ms Fielding to make up her mind and instead signed up for the lead in a period drama, a version of Emile Zola's novel Therese Raquin. Ms Fielding has said in the past she would rather an unknown played the part of her hard-drinking, chain-smoking heroine. Having a big-name star, however, would have made the film much more saleable internationally. The book has sold well in America and even Japan but that does not necessarily guarantee success for the movie. Ms Fielding, 41, wrote the first draft of the screenplay for the movie but production stalled amid rumours that casting was held up because she and the film makers had fallen out about who should star in it. There have also been suggestions that rather like Joanna Lumley's character Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous - which was toned down in an American remake of the sit-com - US audiences will not be able to take the character in an undiluted form. In the Diary, which began life as a column in The Independent newspaper, Bridget never gets her man and is fond of the odd bottle or two of Chardonnay. In terms of contemporary Hollywood thinking these traits are the kiss of death for a heroine and it seems unlikely that Ms Zellweger's Bridget Jones will be quite the one familiar to fans of the Diary. The book and its sequel, The Edge of Reason, have made the author more than GBP1.5million and have struck a chord with hundreds of thousands of women who relate to the chaotic life of Bridget and her worries about her weight, appearance and love life.A spokesman for Working Title Films said: "As far as we know, Helen Fielding is completely behind the project and the casting."

This is how "news" is made and why "no comment" is the best reply!! How ridiulous....HF makes a joke, and it's taken literally. The bad thing is that is bad promo for the movie, even before it starts... Having a big-name star, however, would have made the film much more saleable internationally. The book has sold well in America and even Japan but that does not necessarily guarantee success for the movie. Films need a good buzz from day one. The Express is a tabloid so hopefully this is not a story that's going to run and run.