In The Intern, Robert DeNiro portrays 70-year old widower/retired corporate exec Ben Whitaker who is lonely and not sure how to fill his days. He gets a "senior internship" with e-commerce fashion site About the Fit, whose young founder Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway) is a work hoarder who trusts few to be in her inner circle. The film's obvious intent is to shows that senior citizens offer value, but that's underselling the reasons why moviegoers may love this film:
1. The Intern is the movie equivalent of a purring cat.
Warner Bros.
Perhaps it's the ease of master actors Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway's performances, but the film just feels so comfortable. It's been a long time since audiences got a film like Sleepless in Seattle or Steel Magnolias -- remote control stoppers that allow us to warm ourselves in its familiarity, like a favorite sweater. The Intern soothes the soul, just like the soup, handkerchief and shoulder to cry on that Ben offers Jules (and the rest of the About the Fit staff) throughout the film.
2. The Intern is décor porn disguised as a comedy.
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If I could come back in the next life as a movie character, please make me a Nancy Meyers heroine. Her characters get gorg homes that are decorated to perfection -- think of Meryl Streep's well-gardened Santa Barbara spread in It's Complicated, Diane Keaton's Southampton paradise in Something's Gotta Give, and Cameron Diaz' impeccable California contemporary spin on a Mediterranean classic in The Holiday (or Kate Winslet's idyllic English cottage in The Holiday, for that matter). Meyers' characters aren't always rich, but they are never poor in taste. In The Intern, we get to drink in various New York abodes: Jules' hip and stylish Brooklyn brownstone, Ben's well-appointed traditional brownstone with a closet men will die for, and even Jules' mother's three-bedroom suburban home in the movie's most hilarious scene.
3. The Intern offers the best version of Anne Hathaway.
Warner Bros.
Many moviegoers favorite Anne Hathaway movie is The Devil Wears Prada. In it, she plays put-upon assistant Andy Sachs to a terror-ific boss. In The Intern, Hathaway once again plays a complicated worker bee in the fashion industry. However, the Louboutin is now on the other foot, as Hathaway's Jules Ostin is the difficult boss. Jules is no Miranda Priestly, but she seems a lot like Andy Sachs. And if you think about it, creating an online boutique that caters to the needs of real women is exactly what Andy would be doing nine years after leaving Runway Magazine. Jules also has an irrational fear of working closely with older, grey-haired people...which sounds like post-Priestly PTSD, if you ask me!
Personally, I enjoyed The Intern and thought this would be a great film to see with my husband, my parents, or friends. Leaving the theater, though, two of my guy friends had a different point of view, making me realize why The Intern may not be for you:
1. Hathahaters gonna hate.
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Somewhere around 2011, after the actress hosted the Oscars with James Franco, followed by her overexposure as Catwoman, a singing parrot and a tragic operatic character with a bad haircut, Hathaway became the actress haters love to hate. While I thought she was spot on as Jules, The Intern won't likely quell Hathaway's enemies, rather, it's the Haterade to wash down their bitter pill.