It’s the central question of Bridget Jones’s Baby: Who is the father? Is it Mark? Is it Jack? Is it the ghost of Hugh Jackman?
Well we’re here to tell you! At the end of the film, we see Bridget walking, happily holding her baby, as the father walks away…
……..who is…….
Wait—hold up one sec.
While a lot of people have concluded that Mark, aka Mr. Darcy, is indeed the father of Bridget Jones’s baby (for seemingly obvious reasons, I admit (and reasons that I’ll get to))…I have to ask, “Is that actually true?”
Here we have what I would be consider to be a case of logic vs. fandom. Based on the details the movie gives us, logic points to Jack being the father, while the fans want Mark to be the father (so it’s easy to see why the filmmakers twist the ending slightly).
(The themes of the film suggest a different way of looking at the classic “Who is the father?” concept—which I’ll cover in a separate article.)
Let’s consider both arguments.
The logical argument: Jack is the father
I know you guys don’t want to admit it, but it’s probably true: If we’re using logic, Jack is the father of Bridget’s baby. Here’s why:
1. Jack didn’t wear a condom (unless he was lying?), while Mark did. They were “ULTRA THIN” condoms, so I guess she could have not known that Jack was raw-dogging her? And even if the condoms were no good anymore, at least it’s SOMETHING blocking entry, as opposed to NOTHING? (This part of the movie, honestly, baffles me. But Jack says it’s true, so I’m going with it.)
2. The son’s name is William. This is not the name Mark wanted for his son (strangely, I believe it was Jack?). Why would this change? I mean, anything could have happened…off-screen. But what we saw was Mark wanted one name, and the baby was named another. Based on the information available, logic suggests it’s not Mark’s biological son.
3. Jack is holding the baby at the wedding. Here’s another case of “We only know what the movie is telling us.” The movie skips one year into the future at the end, so I guess anything could have happened in the meantime…but has Jack really become such a good friend of Bridget’s and Mark’s that they entrust the baby to HIM at the wedding? And not the mother? Father? Close friends? Have Mark and Jack become that good of friends? Would Bridget even entertain the thought of keeping Jack around after he’s proven to not be the biological father? Lots of questions, and there’s one easy answer: Jack is the father. That makes everything make sense.
4. Jack is better equipped to be the father. While Mark reads baby books and robotically repeats their lessons, Jack (who happens to be a billionaire, remember!) seems to be a natural with children and ready to live the life of a family man. He’s very in touch with Bridget’s body, needs, health. In a practical sense (from the filmmaker’s perspective), he’s a much better choice to raise a child over Mark (although that will come into question later).
The fan’s argument: Mark is the father
If you’re a fan of the series and you’ve been rooting for Mr. Darcy the whole time (secretly because you just can’t help yourself when it comes to Colin Firth), you’re probably on board with the theory that Mark is the father. And while I don’t think the case for him is as solid, there are good reasons to believe he’s the baby daddy:
1. “Come on…it’s Mr. Darcy!” OK, you make a fair point! The entire series has always had Bridget and Mark as the central romance, the destined couple, the complete opposites that are weirdly a perfect match. They’ve gotten together again and again and again, and now they’re ready to start a life together—how could it not be Mark’s son!?
2. Mark calls William (the baby) his “son.” At the wedding, Mark jokingly says to Jack (I’m paraphrasing here), “Give me back my son.” Now, perhaps Mark, who actually ends up marrying Bridget, is the boy’s everyday daddy figure and thinks of himself as “the father.” I think this is actually a likely scenario. Mark saying “my son,” to me, isn’t exactly definitive evidence. But many (including the filmmakers) might see that as a stretch, and give the “W” to Mark in this column.
3. Mark doesn’t hesitate when he kisses the baby. This, I think, could end up being the best argument for Mark being the father—if you’re into using the power of movie magic, that is! When Jack bends down to kiss the baby, there’s this beautiful moment where he hesitates for a split second. In this moment, you could argue that all of Jack’s seeming fatherly behavior was shattered when confronted with the reality of actually being a father. Mark, on the other hand, does not hesitate, and plants a big kiss on the baby before kissing Bridget. Could be the filmmakers signaling that Mark is destined to be the real father?
4. The Wikipedia page says so. Yeah, if you check out the Wikipedia page for Bridget Jones’s Baby, it states, “After the wedding Mark and Jack, now friends, head to the reception together, while Bridget carries her and Mark’s son, William.” You could see this as definitive proof—or, if you’re like me and you just remembered that anyone can make changes to Wikipedia, this could mean nothing. If the screenwriter herself wrote the Wikipedia page? Then I’d believe it.
So with both arguments in play (if you have more theories, please comment below!), what do you think? I think it’s more logical that Jack is the daddy, but also wouldn’t be surprised if the filmmakers secretly went with Mark. Based on the information given in the film, I don’t think there’s a definitive answer.
However, I think there’s a beauty to the film ending so ambiguously…because when you think about it, it’s up to you to decide who the father is!
Yes, YOU!!!! That’s pretty cool, right?
