Rating: 4/5
Retirement can be a scary prospect, but “The Intern” finds a funnier side of old age, embracing melodrama and flipping traditional gender roles at home and at work. Directed by Nancy Meyers, known for “The Parent Trap” (1998), “The Holiday” (2006), and “Something’s Gotta Give” (2003), Meyers promotes very feminist ideals, highlighting women in business and stay-at-home Dads, instead of the traditional, bread winning male figure. Starring Anne Hathaway as Jules Ostin, the CEO and founder of an online fashion company, with Robert DeNiro as Ben Whittaker, her new intern, the film examines Whittaker’s search for meaning after finding part of his life missing post-retirement. “
“The Intern” proposes a somewhat absurd idea: hiring seniors as interns at a young, online fashion store, yet the film owns its melodrama comedy as a way to challenge gender roles. Not only does the movie star a female CEO, but Ostin’s husband, played by Anders Holm, is a stay-at-home dad who gives up his career for his wife’s ambition. “The Intern” gives a fresh, comedic aspect to melodrama, flipping gender roles and using old age, interestingly, as a way to examine younger generations’ behavior.
Whittaker remains the central character for most of the movie, but Ostin and her employees serve to contrast Whittaker’s “out of date” methods. He fumbles with his Macbook, not knowing how to turn it on, uses an analog clock on his desk, and even brings a calculator his first day. While not out of practice, Whittaker is clearly out of date. The film clearly draws attention to his methods as “strange” for the modern workplace, but more importantly the movie praises Whittaker’s overall sense of calm. All of the younger employees exhibit a frenetic aura, rushing across the office or incessantly texting and emailing.
Meyers does take liberty with overdone mockery, such as Whittaker rehearsing “hello” into his bathroom mirror while blinking (Ostin can’t stand people who don’t blink), but these jokes serve as friendly humor rather than scathing critique. “The Intern” presents itself as a quasi-tragedy of young, millenials, but keeps a lighthearted, self-reflexive mood throughout, also treating its serious themes like marriage and parenthood honestly.
In addition to flipping gender roles, Meyers portrays Ostin as an incredibly hard- working, approaching overworked, female professional. While a chaotic pace of work appears unnecessary for some of the other employees, Ostin’s fast pace appears justified. She juggles work, her husband, and having a child; even in the car with Whittaker, Ostin simultaneously talks with her Mom, texts on a second phone, and later answers a Skype call from an emp floyee in the span of minutes.
Meyers also presents Ostin’s husband as a supportive male figure. He is a willing stay-at-home dad, taking their daughter to the park with other moms and even playing as Ariel with her unashamedly at the house. The film also hints at other mothers’ acceptance of Ostin as a working professional, shocked that the husband isn’t the breadwinner. Here, Meyers challenges gender norms in an open but delicate way, pointing to norms without over-shaming. Whittaker also respects Ostin in her work, both encouraging and supporting her in the decision to find a CEO for her company, undermining traditional male jealousy for females in power.
Despite serious challenges to family and gender norms, “The Intern” is filled with ridiculous moments. The office has their own masseuse, who practically seduces Whittaker on camera, forcing his friends to throw him a newspaper to cover a growing erection. Absurdity also breaks up serious moments, like Whittaker’s offering to have Ostin buried beside him and his wife after she admits her fear of dying alone.
The film is both melodramatic and self-reflective, pushing boundaries of naturalist acting or realism to challenge age and gender norms. Meyers’ approach is intriguing; although the viewer could write off “The Intern” as absurdist or exaggerated, her comedic while somber approach brings entertainment and humor to its themes that a serious, drama often fails to offer. “The Intern” doesn’t shame you if you feel biased toward the gender norms it challenges; instead, it uses Whittaker and Ostin as two outliers to the traditional model, presenting them as strong, but still flawed, alternatives to this model.
Catch Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway in “The Intern” at Tinseltown at various times daily, with student prices on Tuesday. Check back next week for the much-anticipated movie “Steve Jobs” about the Mac founder.