Since the early 1980s, Nancy Meyers has been shaping the face of female-led comedies, with films like Baby Boom and Private Benjamin among her first projects as a screenwriter. By the time her directorial career really took off in the 2000s, Meyers had evolved her specialty to delving into the complex romantic lives of people of a certain age (Something’s Gotta Give, It’s Complicated). With The Intern, the writer/director finds the cross-section between these two eras of her storytelling career, with charming if uninspired results that should provide something for older and younger moviegoers alike.
In the film, Robert De Niro plays 70-year-old widower and retiree Ben Whitaker, who is selected to work as a senior intern at a hip fashion e-commerce site owned and operated by Anne Hathaway’s Jules Ostin. Before long, the pair begins a friendship that could wind up having life-changing effects on both of their personal and professional lives.
Buoyed by the performances of its Oscar-winning stars, The Intern consists largely of predictable story beats and an overly episodic structure that makes its two-hour runtime feel more elongated than it should. However, in spite of its flaws, the film makes for a fun watch, and its arsenal of strong supporting players — which includes Rene Russo, Andrew Rannells, Adam DeVine and Christina Scherer — certainly help De Niro and Hathaway elevate the material along the way.
Though both De Niro and Hathaway shine, the latter’s character ultimately undergoes the most significant growth over the course of the film. Rather than devolving into a cartoonish riff on The Devil Wears Prada, Hathaway paints Jules as a conflicted, good-hearted woman whose dreams and obligations are continually at odds. Meanwhile, De Niro brings perhaps his most endearing performance in years, self-awarely playing against the tough-guy persona he’s developed in films like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and many others.
Through De Niro’s character, the film actually makes some interesting points about the changing times. In addition to some fun fish-out-of-water gags, The Intern injects some smart commentary in its own humorous take on just how much the technology age has expanded the generational gap. In a film that relies a bit too much on established tropes of the genre, the moments that tackle this particular theme are among the most insightful and impactful.
While The Intern does not break any new creative ground, the film’s two leads are charming and convincing in their respective roles. It’s the type of light, inoffensive comedy that has largely faded away in recent years, now coming across as a welcome change of pace from the crassness perpetuated by modern comedies (even though its perspective feels outdated at times). The Intern might not be for everyone, but fans of mild comedy with a fair helping of heart — as well as longtime fans of Meyers’ work — should walk out of the theater with smiles on their faces.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
The Intern stars Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Anders Holm, JoJo Kushner, Andrew Rannells, Adam DeVine, Zack Pearlman, Jason Orley and Christina Scherer. It is directed by Nancy Meyers.Follow Robert Yaniz Jr. on Twitter @CrookedTable! Click here for more Crooked Table reviews!