- Title: The Devil Wears Prada
- IMDb: link
Adapting Lauren Weisberger best-selling novel, 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada stars Anne Hathaway as recent college graduate desperate for employment who takes a job as the second assistant to the unreasonable and demanding editor of a fashion magazine (Meryl Streep). While initially overwhelmed in a world she knows nothing about (and openly scoffs), she eventually finds her footing, although her friends begin to fear she’s lost her soul.
The fish-out-of-water dramedy was a success with both audiences and critics, although the fashion industry was split on its representation which was seen in some circles as shallow and cliché. Much of the praise would go to Streep’s performance of Miranda Priestly which would earn her a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. The dynamic between Hathaway and Streep is the backbone of the film ending with Andy earning the respect of her boss, even if she refuses to outwardly acknowledge it.
The film also casts Stanley Tucci as her reliable right hand Nigel, who is given the essential role to teach Andy to belong, and Emily Blunt as Miranda’s first assistant Emily who Andy eventually usurps. Of less interest is Andy’s private life, her relationship to her boyfriend (Adrian Grenier), or her quick fling with an influential journalist (Simon Baker) who can offer her a real job. Pretty much everything outside of Runway can be fast-forwarded through without missing a single beat of its main plotline.
The twelfth biggest movie of the year, the film also continued to have success on DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming. The success of the female-led film also opened more doors for Hathaway allowing her to shake the Princess Diaries mold and sink her teeth into juicier roles. While somewhat overshadowed by her co-stars in terms of screentime, Emily Blunt’s performance also stole several scenes earning her recognition as well. 20 years later, all four stars would return for the film’s sequel.
