GUEST COLUMN: A Look Back at “The Devil Wears Prada”
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A Look Back at The Devil Wears Prada
by Kevin Faber
The Devil Wears Prada is one of the most iconic romantic comedies of the early twenty-first century. Meryl Streep's performance alone is enough to keep audiences coming. But why is this? To learn more, here is a review of this hilarious and heartwarming movie.
Plot
The Devil Wears Prada's plot has numerous similarities to that of your classic mean girl flick. However, this one stands out by taking place in a professional setting, thereby raising the stakes exponentially. The story centers around Andy Stachs, a young college graduate who wants to work in journalism. She ends up taking a job as a junior assistant to Miranda Priestly, the foremost name in fashion journalism. While this would be a dream job for anyone in the apparel industry, Andy finds the entire field to be shallow and needless. This attitude doesn't last for long. Eventually, Andy learns to appreciate the industry and becomes stylish herself. After a while, she surpasses the job performance of Emily, Miranda's senior assistant. Unfortunately, this results in a lack of interest in her personal life, causing a breakup with her boyfriend. Of course, after a series of betrayals, Andy realizes how terrible Miranda is and quits. She finds a new journalism job, gets her boyfriend back and acts like herself again. However, she never forgets what she learned about the fashion industry. This plot has a lot of elements that are sure to interest viewers. It's a mix of Cinderella, Mean Girls and The Karate Kid. While there are certainly obvious and, arguably, over-used plot points, this classic story of growth and redemption rarely fails to entertain.
Themes
There are several themes in The Devil Wears Prada. However, the one that stands out the most is staying true to yourself. Throughout the movie, Andy begins to turn into another person. This new Andy is rude, careless and selfish. So, while Andy gains a lot of success with this new personality, it's clear that she won't be happy for long. However, there is another underlying theme that's significantly less commendable. Like many other romantic comedies made in that decade, the film seems to have a slight hatred of successful women. Is it as bad as movies like The Proposal and Miss Congeniality? Certainly not. However, it's clear that Andy's success in the fashion industry is looked down upon. In fact, while Andy's boyfriend should be breaking up with her because of lacking attention, he ends up focusing on her new interest in fashion. Fortunately, there are other feminist themes that make up for this shortcoming. For instance, the relevance of the fashion industry is given a spotlight. Andy slowly learns how influential and important fashion can be, despite seeing it as a frivolous hobby in the beginning. Since the industry is generally seen as a female-oriented field, this is an important statement to make. While Andy does end up leaving fashion, she doesn't lose her respect for the industry as a whole.
Characters
The characters in The Devil Wears Prada are probably the most entertaining aspect of the film. First, the audience is introduced to Andy Sachs. Andy is the type of character that's easy to root for. She's smart, determined and down-to-earth, which is a harsh contrast to the almost alien employees at Runway. When she begins to succeed, the audience can't help but feel some satisfaction. Because of this, it's also easy to empathize with her once she becomes meaner. Not to mention that she's played by the always-spectacular Anne Hathaway. There's also Nigel, the art director at Runway. This character manages to avoid a good amount of gay stereotypes, which is highly impressive for the time. He feels like an overly-confident yet believable person. Emily Charlton, played by Emily Blunt, could have been used as a one-dimensional villain. However, she becomes an understandable and overworked woman who just really needs a nap. Finally, there's Miranda. Miranda Priestly is an icon. While she's pretty one-note, every scene with her is endlessly entertaining.
While The Devil Wears Prada does have its issues, the film is endlessly watchable and heartwarming. If you have the time, be sure to check this one out.
