The Daily Gamecock

Review: Once again, the teacher becomes the student in 'The Intern'

<p>'The Intern' tells the story of a 70-year-old widower and retired businessman who gets an internship at an internet clothing company.</p>
'The Intern' tells the story of a 70-year-old widower and retired businessman who gets an internship at an internet clothing company.

"The Intern," starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway, was released in theaters Sept. 25.

Written and directed by Nancy Meyers, "The Intern" tells the story of Ben Whittaker (De Niro), a 70-year-old widower and retired businessman, who applies for an internship to Jules Ostin’s (Hathaway) successful Internet clothing startup.

It's easy to assume that this movie’s main premise addresses the difficulties a baby boomer faces in modern society and business; however, that's only part of the story. The actual premise of the movie changes frequently throughout the first 30 minutes of the film. Only by the end of the movie does it become clear that "The Intern" is not really about Whittaker. The movie is about Ostin.

The beginning of the film focuses heavily on Whittaker and his decision to apply for an internship at Ostin’s company, making stereotypically obvious jokes about the generation gap between Whittaker and the other employees. The movie pokes equal fun at both the older and younger generations, careful not to offend either of the age groups while still providing humorous reprieve from some of the more serious content of the film.

Ostin, in comparison to Whittaker, is initially portrayed as a strong, independent and uncompromising woman. Some of these characteristics, however, are torn down by the end of the film — they’re a wall hiding her true personality. In reality, Ostin is a caring and empathetic individual who finds herself assailed on all sides by both the sexism found in the modern business world and familial obligation. This is where Whittaker’s true role as her intern shines.

The film turns the idea of the internship on its head. The initial premise of the film revolves around Whittaker’s introduction to the fast-paced world of Internet startups as Ostin’s intern. However, the ultimate premise revolves around Ostin’s own apprenticeship to Whittaker. Instead of Ostin teaching Whittaker about business, Whittaker teaches her about her company and herself.

The film greatly suffers from its over-reliance on stereotypes and its unfocused premise. The humor is often unrelated to the plot and sometimes feels out of place or unnecessarily vulgar. That said, De Niro and Hathaway both give charming performances and the chemistry between them is positively delightful — every scene in which they interact is pure joy. The movie is funny despite the stereotypical humor, and the film does a good job of addressing real modern day concerns and putting the audience in a state of feel-good euphoria.

"The Intern" is worth watching if you’re looking for a light-hearted and feel-good movie with some minor emotional moments along the way. It doesn’t break any new ground, but it does what it sets out to do and is a fundamentally, if generically, pleasing film.


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