Extra Scoop
'Diary' DVD extras reveal few last laughs

By Jordan Riefe
Special to The Advertiser

Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones, a 30-something 'singleton' whose daily struggles with men, calories, alcohol, cigarettes and life on the London social scene are documented in her diary. Jones became an icon in Britain, cheered on by women of all ages. Advertiser library photo

A comedy chronicling romantic and professional tribulations of a London office girl.

Highly anticipated in Britain, "Jones" arrived on U.S. shores with a smaller splash than expected. While Zellweger, Firth and especially Hugh Grant are excellent, the film is only funny in fits and starts. Audiences liked it enough to make it a hit, but not a blockbuster.

Among the seven deleted scenes on the disc, clearly most were cut for reasons of pacing. A couple of funny moments were lost, but not enough to significantly alter the overall effect of the film. A 10-minute "making-of" is mostly promotional in nature, but is good for a few laughs. Commentary from director Sharon Maguire is lighthearted as she recalls the difficulties of casting Zellweger in the lead, as well as the challenges confronting her on her first feature film.

"SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS" (Disney) 1937
G
Voices of Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille LaVerne, Moroni Olsen

Animated version of the Grimm fairy tale about a young princess who, pursued by her evil stepmother, takes refuge with seven dwarfs in a forest.

The one that started it all, Disney's "Snow White" changed the course of animated film history forever, and now the mouse-house is paying tribute to the children's classic with a special two-disc set.

The first disc includes the fully restored film along with a 40-minute documentary narrated by Angela Lansbury about the early history of Disney and the origins of "Snow White." Commentary from Walt Disney is taken from old audio interviews and provides insight on the making of the film and its role in the studio's history. Film historian John Canemaker provides further insight on the production, animators and the importance of the film in animation history.

Also included on Disc 1 are an animated short, "Goddess of Spring," an interactive game, "Someday My Prince Will Come" performed by Barbra Streisand, a "Heigh Ho" sing-a-long and DVD-ROM features.

Disc 2 includes three deleted sequences from the film as well as an extended version of "Someday My Prince Will Come." A plethora of featurettes covers subjects such as background and layout animation, animation tests using different filters, voice talent for the characters, character designs and early concepts, a history of Disney since "Snow White" and the restoration for the DVD release.

Also included are storyboard-to-scene comparisons of four scenes as well as a gallery of conceptual art, photos and posters. Clips from the 1937 premiere accompany seven radio spots promoting the film, a recording session of "Silly Song" and a deleted song, "You're Never Too Old to Be Young."

Jordan Riefe is a Los Angeles-based writer and West Coast radio correspondent for Variety magazine.