Film Review: The Devil Wears Prada

In the film, The Devil Wears Prada (David Frankel), Andy Sax, played by the famous Anne Hathaway, is a recent college graduate. She moves to New York City with dreams to become a journalist. Andy lands an interview with Runway Magazine to potentially be the Editor in Chief, Miranda Priestly’s (Meryl Streep), new assistant. She learns that if she holds the position for a year she can be promoted, make great connections, and work in a position she truly enjoys. With her lack of style and fashion sense, Andy surprisingly lands the job and works hard to keep Miranda satisfied at all times. Written by Lauren Weisberger, the intent of the movie is for young adults to relate to Andy and her new life outside of college. There are issues that arise with her friends and family and she experiences a new city for the first time. All common things that happen in life post-graduation, the film encourages you to keep pushing through like Andy did and everything will work out in the end.

Andy’s first several days on the new job are rather stressful, they are complete chaos as she is experiencing the new world of fashion. Emily, Miranda’s other assistant, trains Andy on how things run making sure Andy is fully aware that she must do whatever Miranda says without stepping on her toes. Tasks for Andy include making sure Miranda’s coffee and breakfast is waiting for her each morning, making sure dinners with her husbands are still on, and other crazy things that must be done as fast as possible. After failing to get Miranda a flight home during an awful storm, Miranda expresses to Andy how disappointed and incompetent she is.

Andy quickly learns it is rather hard to ever please Miranda Priestly. She then goes to her work friend Nigel and he helps turn herself around by giving her a new style and makeover to impress Miranda. Miranda seems impressed with her Andy’s new look but then Andy is presented with the daunting task of delivering the important Paris fashion show book to Miranda’s swank apartment in New York City. Andy fails by taking the book upstairs to Miranda instead of placing it specifically on a table downstairs and leaving. After infuriating Miranda, Andy is left with a challenge. Miranda asks her to get copies of the new unpublished Harry Potter book for her twin daughters and if she cannot do that, she may not return to work. After calling everyone in town she finally has the idea to call a famous writer, Christian, whom she met a cocktail party one night. He follows through, is able to get the copies for her, and Miranda is delighted.

Upon delivering the Paris fashion week book to Miranda’s place once again, Miranda calls her in to tell her she will be replacing Emily at the famous fashion event. While making the call to Emily the next day to tell her the news, Emily is struck by a car and hospitalized. Andy takes a visit to the hospital and tells Emily that Miranda wants her to go to Paris Fashion Week instead, leaving Emily completely disappointed.

Andy’s personal life begins to take a turn when she misses her boyfriend, Nate’s, birthday party to go to a last minute event for Miranda. He is quite understanding throughout the first half of the movie but eventually questions if Andy is overcommitted and is picking her boss over her friends and family too much. Andy realizes she is changing but cannot help but to continue pleasing Miranda because as she says, for great opportunities in the future. After getting in an argument with Nate about how much Andy has changed since her new job, Andy decides that they should take a break from their relationship. In the middle of their fight, Andy gets a call from Miranda, Nate comments and says “the person whose calls you always take, that’s the relationship you are in.” and walks away.

Then, Andy and Miranda head to Paris to attend the famous event. Just upon arrival, Andy runs into the writer, Christian, who got her the Harry Potter book and says she owes him and asks her on a date. Before heading out Miranda informs Andy of her and her husband’s divorce then gets right back to business. Christian and Andy spend the night together starting with a candlelit dinner and ending with a kiss. After spending the night with Christian, he tells Andy that Miranda is going to be replaced and Andy leaves exasperated. She rushes to tell Miranda before it is announced publicly but Miranda seems to have already known. Miranda tells Andy that she reminds her of herself and that she can “see beyond what people want and need.” Miranda continues to tell Andy that she betrayed Emily and that she had the choice to come to Paris or not, that Andy “just wanted to get ahead.” Andy is shocked by this statement and realizes she may actually be turning into Miranda, a person she never wants to be. Andy then walks away, leaving Miranda and the fashion industry behind.

After returning from Paris, Andy meets with Alec to apologize. She then has a job interview with The New York Mirror to be a journalist. Miranda left a good letter of recommendation saying that if they do not hire Andy they are idiots. The film ends with you to assume what happens next, Andy getting her dream job as a journalist in New York City?

The Devil Wears Prada has always been one of my favorite films. It empowers women and does a great job of showing what life could really be like after graduation. You could be working in a new city in a job you do not quite like in order to get to where you eventually want to be. The writer did a great job at depicting Miranda’s character as the boss from hell, or the devil that wears Prada. But, I think the movie drags on a little too much with Andy doing all of the annoying tasks for Miranda. I think they should have gone into a little more about Andy’s life after working for Runway. Do Nate and Andy get back together? Does she take the job at The New York Mirror? If so, does she love it? All questions that I wish would have been answered.

There were many lessons in this film for entrepreneurs. Working for Miranda was very hard work. It required dedication, persistence, resilience, and serious passion. These are all traits entrepreneurs need to exemplify in order to be successful. Starting your own venture will have its hiccups and will not come easy. You need to be able to be resilient to change if things do not go how you expected. You need to continue to have passion in what you are doing and not give up. Towards the end of the movie Miranda tells Andy that she can “see beyond what people want and need.” This is what entrepreneurs need to do to be successful.

When starting your own business it a good idea to solve a migraine problem. Offering customers or clients something they really need in order to improve their life is key. One of the most cited characteristics of the entrepreneurial mindset is an internal locus of control. Andy believed in herself and worked hard. She knew that landing her dream job of being a journalist would not happen by fate. Things got hard but she fought through making an everlasting impression on Miranda. Another characteristic is the drive to achieve, Andy learned from her mistakes and was driven to achieve Miranda’s tasks. Though, at times she got carried away and let work interferer with her personal life. Having that drive yet staying grounded is important.

Now and after graduation, I will take the lessons learned of this movie and be consistent with including them in my own life. Work hard, be brave, and do not forget about your friends and family. This movie is inspirational and encourages me to go out a get what I want. If I achieve my goals and own my own business later in life, I will make sure I am not the crazy boss like Miranda Priestly. I will treat my employees like they are human and praise them when they do something good. Being your best entrepreneurial self is most important.