Movie Review - The Intern

The Intern *** (out of 5) (PG-13) Ever since her early hits writing light farces for Goldie Hawn (Private Benjamin, Protocol), Nancy Meyer’s screenplays and directing have aged suitably with her. More recent fare has been less zany, more sentimental, featuring older stars in age-appropriate vehicles that unfold at a leisurely pace. Her typical comedy runs about two hours, which is long for the genre. Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and others have extended their shelf life as leads in rom-coms thanks to films like Something’s Gotta Give, It’s Complicated and two Father of the Bride remakes.

This time it’s Robert DeNiro’s turn to stretch and shine. He plays a retired, widowed executive with too much in the tank for a life of leisure, especially without his beloved wife of over 40 years. He accepts an internship at a hip internet clothing vendor started by Anne Hathaway. Overwhelmed by her company’s rapid growth and the desire to juggle management with the needs of her family, Hathaway initially has no time for this geezer, but eventually discovers his value. DeNiro finds his new colleagues and environs invigorating in many ways, including the surprising utility of old-school life skills he brings to this new venture.

The characters and situations are certainly idealized, and some of the proceedings border on gooey, but that’s par for this course. Years ago, DeNiro’s role would have been played by a Clark Gable or William Holden, who clicked romantically with a lovely co-star despite age gaps akin to that between DeNiro and Hathaway. Mercifully, we’ve largely outgrown such May - December fantasies - perhaps because old white guys with big cigars aren’t calling all the shots any more. This one reflects the present with due deference to the better aspects of our yesterdays, in an amusing package. (9/25/15)