Record-Breaking Bridget

Cinema audiences are at a 26-year high this year, and cinema chains are thanking Bridget Jones's Diary [BJD] for the blip in their figures. Figures released this week by the Cinema Advertising Association show that more than 3 million cinema tickets a week are being sold. April was a particularly strong month. The release of BJD mid-month boosted sales 40% higher than in March, while strong family fare like Spy Kids and Rugrats in Paris helped the final total. If this keeps up it'll mean a total figure of more than 148 million by the end of the year. The success of BJD seems set to continue. The film may have slid to the number two position in this week's UK box office charts - but its continuing popularity has helped BJD to beat its Working Title stablemate Notting Hill in the box office stakes. So far the film, which cost an estimated $26 million to make, has raked in