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Most people look forward to retirement—to having the freedom to do whatever we want to do whenever we want to do it. But in The Intern, the latest film from writer/director Nancy Meyers, one retiree realizes that retirement isn’t nearly as much fun as advertised—so he decides to head back to work.
The Intern stars Robert De Niro as Ben, a 70-year-old widower who’s bored with retirement. Eager to try something new and exciting, he applies for a senior internship at a successful Internet clothing company. When he gets the position, he’s assigned to work for Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway), the company’s high-energy, hands-on founder and CEO. At first, Jules is reluctant to accept Ben’s help, but she soon finds that he’s more than just an elderly errand boy—and she begins relying on him for advice, support, and friendship.
Sometimes wildly wacky, sometimes honest and heartfelt, this workplace dramedy is typical Nancy Meyers fare. Instead of firmly planting itself in one genre, it prefers to go with the flow, following the ups and downs—along with the laughter and tears—of real life. For that reason, it sometimes feels uneven, with the pace slowing down for dramatic moments before speeding back up again for comic ones. And its changing moods may leave viewers feeling somewhat off-balance.
Along the way, though, De Niro easily maintains whatever tone is thrown his way. Whether he’s giving his young boss a much-needed pep talk or racing out with the office misfits on a comic caper, he does so with endless pleasantness and charm. Hathaway, too, fares quite well as the smart, capable, yet highly vulnerable boss. And, together, the two make a likable duo.
But The Intern is more than just a light-hearted adventure through corporate America. Through the slurred speech of a drunken female CEO, Meyers makes interesting observations about the roles of men and women in today’s society. She plays with gender and age in clever ways. And she offers a look inside the life of a wife, mother, and successful businesswoman who’s struggling to maintain the perfect balance. In doing so, though, she tends to get a bit too personal, making the film longer than necessary in an attempt to explore Jules’s tenuous home life. She still could have gotten her point across without spending quite so much time with the character’s family—and it would have made the film tighter and more concise.
The Intern is neither outrageously funny nor deep and heavy, but it’s a light and sweet story with a likable cast. It’s long and leisurely—and a little bit rambly—but it’s still a worthwhile choice for a movie night with Mom and Dad.
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