The Devil Wears Prada, one of the most timeless chick flicks of the millennial generation, reveals the world behind fashion publications. The story is centered on Andy (Anne Hathaway), a recent college graduate who moves to New York to pursue a career in journalism. Instead, she finds herself working as an assistant for Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the ruthless editor-in-chief of Runway Magazine. Though the film excels in the areas of cast, scenery and, of course, costume, fans and critics have scrutinized the final message of the film for years. Seeing the movie as a 21-year-old about to enter the workforce instead of a 12-year-old girl brings a different lens to the viewing experience. In light of the 10th anniversary of its release, it’s time to look back at some of the notes that The Devil Wears Prada may have missed.
From the start, Andy commits several interview faux pas that would never be tolerated in the real world. She clearly did not prepare and made several comments that would be the kiss of death in any real-life situation. This includes admitting that she has never read the magazine that she is trying to work for and confessing that she would not fit in with the office environment. Miraculously, there was something that Miranda saw within her that persuaded her to hire Andy, but this is probably not the best example of how to interview for a future opportunity.
Andy’s friends and boyfriend are anything but supportive of her career. Her boyfriend Nate and two childhood friends constantly rip on her having to work all the time. The reality is that she is a recent college grad trying to make it in the real world, and in the process, she has to bust her butt for a year to get where to she wants to go. Her friends seem to be in the same situation, but they are able to attend more dinners and social events. Surely they should understand how difficult it is to launch a career. Although many would consider working around the clock harsh, it’s the situation she signed up for and therefore has to deal with. Tough? Yes. But it’s also a reality for many upcoming graduates. Though they all had their own jobs with work hours, they couldn’t understand Andy’s because it had little boundaries. And yet, they were all perfectly fine with accepting the gifts she brought them from the fashion closet.
At the end of the film (spoiler alert), Andy decides that the life without boundaries is not what she wants for herself. She quits by throwing her phone and main connection to her boss into a fountain in Paris. She earned this trip at the expense of her coworker when she proved to be a better assistant, but the guilt of beating out Emily ate at her. It doesn’t take much more than spending five minutes in a New York City subway station at 8 a.m. on a work day to understand that trying to make it in the real world (especially in NYC journalism) is dog eat dog. Rather than stick it out for a couple more months, Andy decided to give it all up at once, painting the world of fashion journalism as evil and unforgiving.
There is nothing wrong with what most of the characters chose to devote their lives to. The film reflected the real-life demands of fashion journalism. Fortunately for Andy, things work out – she scores a new job for a publication company after receiving an unexpectedly glowing recommendation from Miranda. This film gave us a Hollywood ending with drama and resolution, but Andy would have been a better role model if she stuck it out and followed through with her original dream.