Netflix has done it again. A film celebrating its tenth anniversary this year has come out of nowhere to land the No. 2 slot on the most popular movies on Netflix last month.
The movie in question is The Intern, a 2015 comedy/drama starring Robert De Niro as Ben Whittaker, a man who comes out of retirement as a senior intern for a fashion company.
Anne Hathaway stars as Ben’s new boss, Above the Fit CEO Jules Ostin. Jules doesn’t quite know what to do with Ben, as he’s unlike anyone else in her employ.
The Intern‘s recent popularity isn’t a fluke — it’s still a winner, and it’s worth watching, especially now that the rom-com genre is on life support.
Robert De Niro Sheds His Tough Guy Persona
It seems like the vast majority of De Niro’s roles revolve around his ability to project an intimidating aura. Can you imagine De Niro’s characters from Cape Fear, Ronin or even Meet the Parents as warm and emotionally available men? Ben is the complete opposite of De Niro’s most famous roles. And De Niro plays him like everyone’s ideal grandfather.
Ben is a widower in The Intern, and going back to work isn’t just about curing his boredom. He’s looking for connections that add meaning to his life beyond the workplace. In other words, he’s putting himself out there despite the risk of ridicule or rejection. His new co-workers at Above the Fit actually come to appreciate him fairly quickly, because he offers friendship and advice, and he’s simply a pleasure to be around.
Anne Hathaway Finds Her Heart Without Romance
The Intern is largely based around the relationship that forms between Jules and Ben, but it’s not a romance. If there was ever a proper name for a friend-comedy, this would be it. Jules is very reluctant to engage with Ben on a personal level because that’s not normally how things are supposed to work in the business world.
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But because Jules ultimately accepts that Ben has a lot to offer as both an employee and a friend, she opens up. The film is her story just as much as it’s Ben’s, in part because most of the drama revolves around her personal life. Jules’ marriage to Matt (Anders Holm) is in trouble and she’s facing pressure to step aside and let someone else run her company. Ben stands by Jules’ side and helps her navigate those rocky waters, and in turn, she becomes the person she always wanted to be.
‘The Intern’ Is a Charming Workplace Fantasy
Not everyone has the happy workplace experience that Ben gets in The Intern. Writer and director Nancy Meyers knows that from the start, but she still paints a charming picture of a world where an older guy can bridge the generational divide to make new friends and find a new purpose in life.
Ben even finds a potential romantic partner in his new co-worker, Fiona Farwell (Rene Russo), in addition to his evolving friendship with Jules. With those kinds of connections, who wouldn’t want to work at this company? The Intern may not be an accurate reflection of reality, but it’s a world we’d like to live in.
The Intern is streaming on Netflix.
