Plot
Bridget Jones, now the mother of school-aged Billy and Mabel, prepares to go out for the first time in a long time. While Daniel Cleaver babysits her children, Bridget attends the celebration of life held for her late husband, Mark Darcy, who was killed four years earlier while on a humanitarian mission in Sudan. She spends the torturous evening accepting condolences and being pressured to start dating again.
Billy and Mabel are still awake when Bridget arrives home. Mabel observes a white owl that sits outside their window every night. Bridget reminisces about Mark singing to the children, and imagines seeing him do so. She then contemplates the often-contradictory advice and suggestions her friends and family offer.
Bridget recalls her father Colin's dying wish that she live life fully. Coupling this with Dr Rawlings's suggestion to return to work, Bridget is motivated to make a fresh start. After Miranda calls for suggestions on a live interview for her women's program, Bridget contacts Richard and again becomes a show producer.
Just as Bridget decides to re-enter the dating world, she meets 29-year-old park ranger Roxster, who pursues her on Tinder, and, after days of texting, they arrange a date. Bridget's friends offer advice before they go out. Bridget and Roxster's relationship evolves over the summer, with Mabel quickly labelling him as their "new daddy". Billy, still struggling to cope with his father's death, is less enthusiastic.
Bridget is invited to Billy's class to discuss her job as a television producer. To demonstrate, she chooses a girl to act as producer, while she assumes the role as the presenter and interviews science teacher Scott Walliker. A seemingly simple explanation about an insect's life cycle turns more serious as Bridget asks questions about whether all living creatures have souls.
At a birthday party for Bridget's colleague, Roxster makes a grand entrance. As they enjoy the evening, Roxster makes an offhand comment about wishing for a time machine. The next morning, Bridget awakens to find him gone. He subsequently ghosts her.
Daniel, hospitalised due to a heart scare, contacts Bridget, feeling she is the only person who might care about him. He reflects on how alone he is, mentioning how he has not seen his teenage son for over a decade. Bridget, who deeply misses her deceased father, encourages Daniel to see his son.
Roxster shows up at the studio to apologise to Bridget. He admits to having panicked, but declares that he is now ready to commit to her and the children. She then expresses the wish for a time machine so he could catch up, but she turns him down. That evening, after once again looking over her articles and memorabilia of Mark, she writes a heartfelt message to him. On Mark's birthday, Bridget, Billy and Mabel go to a park to release balloons with their messages to him attached.
On a school trip to the Lake District, Bridget chats with Scott. He says he always expected to have children, but it never happened. When Bridget leaves to soothe a child, Billy confides to Scott that he fears forgetting his father. Scott assures him that his father is a part of him, so will never be fully gone.
At the school winter holiday pageant, Billy sings "I'd Do Anything" as a tribute to his father. Bridget knows Mark would have been proud. She thanks Scott for helping her family heal, and invites him to join them and her friends at a pub afterwards. Arriving at the pub, Scott turns around to leave, but Bridget catches him outside. He confesses he is drawn to her, much like Newton's third law of being equal but opposite, before Bridget kisses him.
One year later, Bridget throws a New Year's Eve at her house for her family and friends, including Scott and Daniel, who has reunited with his 16-year-old son Enzo. After the party, as Bridget tucks the children into bed, they observe as the owl flies away, which Scott also witnesses downstairs. Scott helps Bridget unzip her dress, and they kiss.
