Movie romances that as we speak’s woke viewers would by no means settle for – from Bridget Jones to Pretty Woman
Valentine’s Day next month will see the latest much anticipated release from the Bridget Jones franchise, Mad About The Boy – with Renee Zellweger once again reprising her most famous acting role.
Speaking ahead of the film’s release, the Hollywood star has been reflecting on the film series that has spanned decades, including some of the relationships that cinema goers couldn’t get enough of at the time – but might think differently about now.
Zellweger, 55, has discussed her character Bridget’s work affair with Hugh Grant, admitting ‘HR would have something to say about it’ in 2025.
Speaking to Vogue, the actress, 55, discussed with co-star Hugh Grant, 64, whether time had not looked favourably on the way their on-screen relationship played out.
During the chat, Hugh asked: ‘Do you think the original film looks dated now? For instance, our romance, do you think people would think that’s very inappropriate. He’s her boss and he’s exploiting his powerful position. Where do you stand on that?’
Renee responded: ‘Well, I’m sure HR would have some stern rules down at the publishing house these days, don’t you think?’
He then followed up by asking: If you were giving advice to Bridget now, at that age, and her boss started sending those messages, would you say you must report him?’
Would Daniel get Cleavered? Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant as Bridget Jones and Daniel Cleaver in The Edge Of Reason in 2004; the characters’ romance begins when Cleaver seduces Bridget at work, something Renee Zellweger says would require a HR intervention if it happened now
24 years after the first Bridget Jones film aired, today’s directors might be a little more jittery about one of cinema’s best-loved love triangles
Zellweger, who’s now played Bridget in four films, told co-star Hugh Grant that their on-screen work romance wouldn’t be deemed appropriate now
The actress replied suggesting there would need to be an intervention, saying: ‘I’m sure there would’ve been the meeting, right? Everyone would’ve had to get together and talk about how you engage with people.’
The Hollywood A-listers aren’t the only stars to have appeared in blockbusters that, decades on, at best don’t sit quite right with modern cinema audiences and, at worst, would definitely not be made in our more sensitive times.
Here, FEMAIL looks at some of the characters and relationships we fell in love with on the big screen – but would likely be cancelled if the film was made in 2025…
TOM HANKS’ 1988 COMEDY BIG: IMPLIED LOVE SCENE BETWEEN 13-YEAR-OLD JOSH AND GROWN UP GIRLFRIEND SUSAN
Perkins said in 2021 that she doesn’t think the implied love scene between her and Hanks would be made today, saying: ‘We don’t see them having sex but he does take my shirt off’
Tom Hanks and Elizabeth Perkins starred in the classic comedy Big’, which was released in 1988.
The plot sees 13-year-old Josh Baskin wake up the day after wishing he could be ‘big’ to find himself mysteriously in the body of an adult.
In the film, he grapples with a grown up life, including dating his girlfriend Susan, a fully grown adult.
Perkins, who played Susan, said back in 2021 that she doesn’t think the implied love scene between her and Hanks in Big would be made today.
‘We don’t see them having sex but he does take my shirt off,’ Perkins told Page Six about her adult character sharing an intimate moment with a 13-year-old boy trapped in an adult’s body.
Perkins said the romance – effectively between a teenager and a grown woman – was not considered at all at the time as risque
Big went on to establish Tom Hanks as a major box-office draw, grossing over $150M, and earned the star his first Academy Award nomination
‘Actually, I take my shirt off and he touches my breast, then we cut to the elevator door opening and he’s got a big smile on his face.
‘We never say, “Oh they slept together,” but they definitely fooled around,’ she added.
She said whether or not the scene was appropriate ‘was not even a consideration of ours at the time. It was not even something we broached or discussed on any level. Different times.’
The actress admitted she doesn’t think it would fly today, which she’s ‘totally on board with’, saying: ‘They wouldn’t have shown that at all. I think we’re in a different time.’
PRETTY WOMAN’S PROBLEMATIC PLOT: YOUNG SEX WORKER AT BECK-AND-CALL OF RICH MAN
The 1990 hit, which saw a prostitute (played by Julia Roberts) rescued by a billionaire (Richard Gere, pictured left with Julia) before the pair fall in love, has long been criticised for its portrayal of women – both in the film and the musical theatre adaptation
Julia starred as prostitute Vivian Ward in the beloved 1990 flick Pretty Woman – but it’s been labelled problematic by many since it was a smash
The plot centres around the whims of rich older man Edward Lewis, who pays Vivian to be his sexual companion for a week
The 1990 box office hit, which saw a young prostitute Vivian Ward (played by Julia Roberts) rescued by an older billionaire Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) before the pair fall in love has long since been criticised for its portrayal of women.
Despite bringing in more than £350million at the box office and turning Julia Roberts into an instant Hollywood star, the film would be unlikely to get the green light to be made now.
Essentially, the plot sees Vivian spend a week fulfilling the sexual desires of ultra wealthy Edward, to make him look and feel good.
When a musical theatre version of the film was launched in London in 2020, there were protests over the show’s content, and the fact an all-male team was behind it.
When a theatre version of the show hit London and Broadway, there were protests over a plot that some said glossed over ‘trafficking and abuse’
Co-founder of the Women’s Equality Party, Sandi Toksvig told The Sunday Times in February that year: ‘I wonder if the all-male creative team that produced Pretty Woman have had much experience of being prostituted?
‘If not that may explain why their dance moves leap so nimbly over the links with trafficking and abuse. Better representation of women on screen and stage doesn’t just mean picking things with “women” in the title.’
In 2007, Daryl Hannah, who turned down the lead role before it was given to Julia said: ‘They sold it as a romantic fairytale when in fact it’s a story about a prostitute who becomes a lady by being kept by a rich and powerful man.’
She added: ‘I think that film is degrading for the whole of womankind.’
2001: SHALLOW HAL’S FAT-SHAMING ROMANCE
Gwyneth Paltrow wore a fat suit to portray obese Rosemary Shanahan in the 2001 romantic comedy Shallow Hal – the film has been criticised for fat-shaming in the years since
Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black at the premiere of the film in 2001; Paltrow has since said it was her least favourite role to play during her acting career
Gwyneth Paltrow starred alongside Jack Black in the 2001 rom-com Shallow Hal, in which she plays obese woman Rosemary Shanahan who is seen as a more slimmer version of herself by Black’s character Hal Larson after he is hypnotized.
Paltrow wore a fat suit throughout the film to play Hal’s 300-pound love interest and the film sparked controversy for its fatphobic premise.
Paltrow has called it her least favorite film. She said that she found it ‘disturbing’ how terribly she was treated when heavier.
The character of Jack only sees Rosemary as a slim person – after he’s been hypnotised
Not her fave: Paltrow said she was treated differently while wearing a fat suit to play Rosemary
The star has admitted in the past that she was left feeling ‘humiliated’ when she walked through a hotel wearing the outfit while filming, saying ‘no one would make eye contact’ with her.
The award winning star said: ‘The first day I tried [the fat suit] on, I was in the Tribeca Grand and I walked through the lobby.
‘It was so sad; it was so disturbing. No one would make eye contact with me because I was obese.
‘I was wearing this black shirt with big snowmen on it.
‘For some reason, the clothes they make for women that are overweight are horrible. I felt humiliated because people were really dismissive.’
WHEN CROCODILE DUNDEE CHATS UP TRANS WOMAN AT THE BAR
The 1986 cult comedy classic saw Paul Hogan, right, star as Mick ‘Crocodile’ Dundee, with Linda Kozlowski playing Sue Charlton, the reporter who fell for the Aussie crocodile poacher
The 80s film starred Paul Hogan as croc poacher Mick Dundee and Linda Kozlowski as New York reporter Sue Charlton, who persuades Dundee to head back to New York with her.
The movie’s tagline at the time was ‘From the Outback of Australia to urban jungle of New York, there’s no wilderness he can’t tame!’
When broadcasters have aired the film in more recent times though, there’s some key scenes that have been cut to ensure modern audiences aren’t offended.
And a fight scene that sees Mick Dundee ask his driver Gus: ‘You sure you’re not Pitjantjatjara tribe?’ after he helps him overcome an attacker has been dropped – Pitjantjatjara are aboriginal people who live in central Australia
The bar scene featuring Mick Dundee and Gwendoline, who is transgender, doesn’t feature in the 2024 edit
LOVE ACTUALLY’S 2003 ‘STALKER’ SCENE
Character Mark played by Andrew Lincoln turns up unannounced at her London house and held up a series of signs saying how much he loves her – while her boyfriend Peter sat upstairs
Audiences were besotted by Andrew Lincoln’s character Mark in Richard Curtis’ 203 favourite.
In the film, Mark is deeply in love with Juliet (Keira Knightley), who is married to his best friend Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor).
After spending most of his scenes pining after her and watching the video he filmed of her wedding on repeat, he lets her know about his feelings by arriving at her martial home and holding up a series of cards professing his love.
Lines from his silent monologue include: ‘To me, you are perfect, and my wasted heart will love you until you look like this,’ at which point he shows a picture of a skeleton.
The actress, 39, starred as Juliet in the movie where one memorable scene sees her new husband’s best friend declare his love for her while masquerading as a group of carol singers
Back in 2018 Keira admitted that she has only seen Love Actually once since its theatrical release in 2003 and doesn’t actually remember who her character ends up with
Clearly touched by his outpouring of unrequited love, Juliet plants a brief, innocent kiss on Mark before heading back to see her husband.
Lincoln himself has long since suggested that the film was in dangerous territory, admitting Mark had some ‘stalker’ tendencies.
He revealed that he’d even questioned the film’s director Richard Curtis, telling him: ‘That was my question to [director] Richard Curtis, “Do you not think we’re sort of borderline stalker territory here?”‘
He added:’And [Richard] said, “No, no. Not with you playing it, darling. You’ll be alright.”‘
Juliet (Keira Knightley) with Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor), her husband and Mark’s best friend in the 2003 movie. Right, in 2024, Keira branded the scene ‘creepy and sweet’
And Keira Knightley also branded the iconic declaration of love sign scene ‘creepy and sweet’
Reflecting on the moment during an episode of The Graham Norton in November 20204, she said how she’d recently had the scene recreated, saying: ‘I was stuck in traffic for ages recently and a car full of builders next to me started holding up the signs like in the movie. It was creepy and sweet at the same time, much like it was in the film!’
It’s not the film’s only controversy. Natalie, played by Martine McCutcheon, works for the Prime Minister, portrayed by Hugh Grant.
And Martine McCutcheon’s character, Natalie, finds herself frequently on the end of ‘fat-shaming’ in the movie – she’s referred to as ‘plumpy’, ‘the chubby girl’ and having ‘huge thighs’ in the 2003 film
After he falls in love with her, she is moved to a different department in No 10 but characters repeatedly poke fun at her figure.
One viewer said after watching a re-run of the movie last month: ‘I’m baffled by [the film’s] popularity. The fat-shaming of Martine McCutcheon’s character.’
Another added: ‘Some examples of how they refer to the character played by Martine McCutcheon – ‘plumpy’, ‘the chubby girl’, ‘sizeable a***’, and ‘huge thighs’ – it’s cringy and terrible.’
Another hit out at Mr Curtis, saying: ‘I turned off at the bit where Hugh Grant’s assistant says, ‘I think there is a pretty sizeable a*** there – huge thighs.’
