Warner Brother Picture’s The Intern came out a few weeks ago. With big name actors Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway as the stars, the expectations for this one were sky high. What follows in this article is a review of the movie that contains major spoilers (you’ve been warned).
The Intern was marketed as a comedy and the trailers surrounding its release were full of funny clips showing people poking fun at the prospect of an older man being an intern, De Niro questioning the practices of younger generations (like un-tucked shirts), and Hathaway being an in-charge businesswoman. But, the opening scene hits you with the tragic news of Benjamin’s (De Niro) wife’s death. The rest of the movie follows in the same fashion between cheating husbands and tear filled conversations. Essetially, this movie should have been called a drama, or a dramedy at best.
With the misleading genre aside, as a whole this movie was a feel-good story that made you stop and think about what really matters in life. Benjamin’s character contradicts the stereotype of older people living a life of luxury thanks to retirement. Even though he was financially secure and lived in a nice Brooklyn apartment, Ben was bored and lonely. So, upon seeing an advertisement for a senior internship program, he decided that working for About the Fit, a successful e-commerce fashion company, would keep him busy. He became an intern, and eventually a dear friend, to Jules Ostin (Hathaway), CEO of About the Fit.
Hathaway’s character was seemingly intended to be a strong female lead, but Jules Ostin fell flat of a #girlboss in my opinion. She may have been the CEO of a major online company and the breadwinner for her family, but Jules was very dependent on men all throughout the movie. Her assistant, her husband, and her intern were all very strong male influences in her life who she would not have been able to live without.
This theory was put to the test when Jules catches her husband, Matt (Anders Holm), cheating and she inevitably takes him back. Leading up to her decision, both Matt and Jules placed blame on Jules herself for her husband’s infidelity (seriously?!). Jules pitied Matt because she felt that she may have emasculated him by causing him to be a stay-at-home dad. True to form, society has successfully demonized the working woman by painting her as the b*tch that dares stray from the status quo.
In a sad attempt to acknowledge this stereotype, the film depicted other mothers comically judging and belittling Jules’s lifestyle. The producers tried to imply that these women were being irrational but instead of nodding to the stereotype at all they could have just redefined the rules and let Jules be a happy boss lady.
Despite the perpetuation of a stereotype, this film had its better moments. The casting was magnificent—De Niro and Hathaway never disappoint! But appearances by Pitch Perfect’s Adam DeVine and up-and-coming actress Christina Scherer really added to the film’s comedic value.
The premise of this film was endearing. Seeing Ben form relationships with younger people, learn to use social media, and embark on a new romance was heartwarming and the theater was filled with many “aaaaaw”s. But even though he was the intern, Ben had some valuable lessons of his own to share. He reminded the younger generation that chivalry is not dead, technology doesn’t replace kindness, and you should never compromise your own worth.
If you don’t think I divulged too much already, you should definitely go see The Intern in theaters. You can watch the trailer below.