Because I cannot resist high fashion or a movie with my favorite actress, Meryl Streep, I gave The Devil Wears Prada a chance. I also read the book last summer. I found it to be very entertaining and true to life because I worked for many years in New York City for very demanding bosses, so I know the kind of stress the main character was feeling, as far as starting out young in a new career.

The synopsis:

The Devil Wears Prada

is an Academy Award nominated 2006 comedy-drama film, a loose screen adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel of the novel of the same name. It stars Anne Hathaway as Andrea “Andy” Sachs, a recent college graduate who comes to New York City and gets a job as a co-assistant to powerful and demanding fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep. Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci co-star.

Andrea “Andy” Sachs, an aspiring journalist fresh out of Northwestern University, lands the magazine job “a million girls would kill for”: junior personal assostamt to icy editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly, who dominates the fashion world from her perch atop Runway magazine. She puts up with the eccentric and humiliating requests of her boss because, she is told, if she lasts a year in the position she will get her pick of other jobs, perhaps even the journalistic position she truly craves.

At first, she fits in poorly among the gossipy fashionistas who make up the magazine staff. Her lack of style or fashion knowledge and fumbling with her job make her an object of scorn around the office. Senior assistant Emily Charlton, her coworker, is condescending to her. Gradually, though, with the help of art director Nigel, Andrea adjusts to the position and its many perks, including free designer clothing and other choice accessories. She begins to dress more stylishly and do her job competently, fulfilling a seemingly impossible request of Miranda’s to get two copies of an unpublished Harry Potter manuscript to her daughters.

She also comes to prize chance encounters with attractive young writer Christian Thompson, who helped her obtain the Potter manuscript and suggests he could help her with her career. At the same time, however, her relationship with her boyfriend Nate, a chef working his way up the career ladder, and other college friends suffers due to the increasing time she spends at Miranda’s beck and call.

Shortly afterwards, Andrea saves Miranda from social embarrassment at a charity benefit when the cold-stricken Emily falters in reminding Miranda who an approaching guest is. As a result, Miranda tells Andrea that she will accompany her to the fall fashion shows in Paris, rather than Emily who had been looking forward to the trip for months. Miranda warns Andrea that if she declines, it could adversely affect her future job prospects. Emily is hit by a car before Andrea can tell Emily the next morning, making her choice moot.

During a gallery exhibit of her friend Lilly’s photography, Andy again encounters Christian, who openly flirts with her, much to the shock and disgust of Lilly, who witnesses it all. After Lilly calls her out and walks away, Andy bumps into Nate, who, when she tells him she will be going to Paris, is angered that she refuses to admit that she’s become the girls she’s made fun of and that their relationship has taken a back seat. As a result, they break up in the middle of the street the night before she leaves for Paris.

In Paris, Nigel tells Andrea that he has gotten a job as creative director with rising fashion star James Holt, at Miranda’s recommendation, and will finally be in charge of his own life. She also finally succumbs to Christian’s charms, and sees her boss let down her guard for the first time as she worries about the effect an impending divorce will have on her twin daughters.

But in the morning, Andrea finds out about a plan to replace Miranda as Runway editor with Jacqueline Follet, editor of the magazine’s French edition, later that day. Despite the suffering she has endured at her boss’s behest, she attempts to warn Miranda but is seemingly rebuffed each time.

At a luncheon later that day, however, Miranda announces that it is Jacqueline instead of Nigel who will leave Runway for Holt. Later, when the two are being driven to a show, she explains to a still-stunned Andrea that she was grateful for the warning but already knew of the plot to replace her and sacrificed Nigel to keep her own job. Pleased by this display of loyalty, she tells Andrea she sees some of herself in her. Andrea, repulsed, said she could never do to anyone what Miranda did to Nigel, primarily as Nigel mentored Andrea. Miranda replies that she already did, stepping over Emily when she agreed to go to Paris. If she wants to get ahead in her career, that’s what she’ll have to be willing to do.

Andrea gets out of the limo at the next stop, going not into the show with Miranda but out into the street, where instead of answering yet another call from her boss she throws her cell phone into a nearbyfountain, leaving Miranda, Runway and fashion behind.

Later, back in New York, she meets Nate for breakfast. He has accepted an offer to work as a sous-chef in a popular Boston restaurant, and will be moving there shortly. Andrea is disappointed but her hope is rejuvenated when he says they could work something out, implying they will have a long-distance relationship in the future. At the film’s conclusion, she has finally been offered a job as a newspaper reporter, greatly helped by a fax from Miranda herself who told the editor that Andrea was her “biggest disappointment ever”, and if they didn’t hire her they would be idiots. Andrea calls Emily and offers her all of the clothes that she got in Paris, which Andrea insists that she doesn’t need anymore. Emily accepts and tells Andrea’s replacement she has some big shoes to fill. In the last shot, Andrea, dressed as she was at the beginning of the film but with a bit more style, sees Miranda get into her car across the street. They exchange looks and Miranda gives no indication of a greeting, but gives a soft smile once inside the car, before sternly telling her chauffeur to “go!”.

The Devil Wears Prada

deletereply 7jewel wrote on Jan 4, ’08 I’m looking forward to seeing this …thanks for the reminder

deletereply welshdoug wrote on Jan 4, ’08 speaking as a red-blooded male, there’s something really droolsome about Anne Hathaway **drools over keyboard**

deletereply redheadgirl4 wrote on Jan 4, ’08, edited on Jan 4, ’08 I think I liked the book better than the movie — maybe just because it had more entertaining details. But I enjoyed the movie too, in part because Meryl Streep was brilliantly cast in this role. I really think, as you say, that she is one of the greatest actresses of all time. I read that she stayed in character even when they were not shooting, to help her with the part, so she was rude to Hathaway and other cast members all through the shooting of the film — but only as part of keeping in the role. I think they all are friends now. I thought Anne Hathaway was also very well cast in her role, and matched the way I pictured Andy from the book. I think anybody who has ever worked for an insane boss, and that certainly includes me, can relate to this movie. Overall, an enjoyable movie, and thanks for the great review!

deletereply strongwilledwoman wrote on Jan 4, ’08 Being at the top is a lonely place. I broke all my nails climbing the ladder. Not really, as I was thrown into the position of CEO, thank goodness I was within retirement age, and did not have to stay in that position for more than a few years. People who aspire to reach that place are either crazy, have the ability to be heartless, or are so full of themselves that nothing else matters. I classify myself in the crazy category.

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Jan 4, ’08, edited on Jan 5, ’08 I have been at the bottom and worked myself up to the top, also, and it can be lonely at both the top and the bottom. At the bottom, you’re the new kid on the block, and at the top you’re the old watchdog on the block. It’s especially frustrating if your subordinates are the same age as you and are jealous because they feel that they should have gotten the promotion instead of you, even though you know you’ve worked the hardest.

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Jan 4, ’08 I look at fashion the same way I look at art, but I also look at the person inside.