Opening in a week or two, The Intern is one of the best romantic comedies (rom-coms) in years. See it opening night.
The Intern (Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo) – Perfect. I don’t say that about many films, but as rom-coms go, The Intern is a perfect example of the genre defined by Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally. From writer/director Nancy Meyers, who helmed the rom-coms It’s Complicated, The Holiday, Something’s Gotta Give, What Women Want, and 1998’s The Parent Trap, The Intern has everything.
There are three romances – a platonic one between Jules (Oscar winner Hathaway) and her “senior” intern, Ben (Oscar winner De Niro); Jules and her husband, Matt (Anders Holm); and Ben and Fiona (Rene Russo). We have the too-cute-for-words kid, Paige (JoJo Kushner), Jules and Matt’s adorable daughter. We have a widower (Ben) being pursued by a smart-tongued, aggressive widow or divorcee (played by Linda Lavin). And we have the sloppy, nerdy “propeller heads” providing the plucky comedic relief.
Jules is the founder and CEO of a fashion website that has exceeded its five-year sales projections in less than a year. It is the definition of a modern workplace complete with ping-pong tables, a masseuse (Russo), open floor plan, and no employees over 35. The company has grown from 25 employees to over 200. And the venture capitalists are worried that Jules isn’t experienced enough to keep the company from imploding. They think she is vital but needs a CEO to bring some maturity to the game. Meanwhile, her #2 decides that the company could use some senior interns to keep the company diverse. That attracts Ben, the 70-year-old who used to be a senior corporate officer for Dex, overseeing sales, marketing and production of phone books. He is lonely but active and wants to keep busy. The internship is just what he needs.
And once Jules buys in, she finds out she needs Ben. He is a mature, happy voice of sanity in her hectic, on-the-edge world. Meanwhile, she is trying to balance work with home life, not very successfully. Her husband gave up a good job to be a stay-at-home dad, a job he seems perfect for. But Jules’ job is leaving them no together time. And while everything seems harmonious, things seem to be on the verge of disaster.
Since it’s a rom-com, we need tension. Meyers provides it, a little too conveniently. But this is fiction, not real life. As an audience, we are happy to go along. And we are ultimately satisfied.
A quick note on the acting: De Niro’s evolution to comedic actor has been remarkable. He plays the conservative, lonely Ben as stiff but wise with a touch of whimsy. It is a much more complicated role than it looks. He may not have been first choice for the role (Meyers supposedly wanted Jack Nicholson, her Something’s Gotta Give star). Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway, who apparently wasn’t first choice either (Reese Witherspoon was), is great as the obsessed, shy, and somewhat insecure Jules.
While the movie will probably appeal to women more than men, this is really a film for everyone. Don’t dare miss it.