The Devil Wears Prada
Synopsis: A smart but sensible new graduate lands a job as an assistant to Miranda Priestly, the demanding editor-in-chief of a high fashion magazine.
Warning: This movie review contains spoilers.
With Friends Like These …
Can we talk about how Andy has terrible friends? Your friend hooks you up with gratis like a Jetsons cordless phone and a Marc Jacobs bag that you practically tongue down on sight. Then, you thank said friend by playing Keep Away with her phone when her boss, from the job that is the reason for the FREE stuff, calls. When she rightly calls you an A-hole, you look surprised about all that justified animosity. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!
… Or a BFF Like This
When your busy friend, who is getting her butt kicked as the personal gopher, takes the time to attend your art exhibit, you thank her by making a scene. Sure, she was flirting with some random guy while having a boyfriend, but that is not a crime. Was she making out with this guy in the middle of your art exhibit? Did she physically mount? Oh, she didn’t? Then, what is your problem?! Your friend is taking her job seriously because she wants a decent recommendation when moving on to her next endeavor. It’s called being a freaking professional! You don’t recognize the Andy you’ve know for the last 16 years? That’s because she’s in the real world now. Maybe you should join her.
… Or a Beau Like Him
Don’t think I forgot about you, Nate! Your girlfriend is busy doing her job. Something came up at the last-minute, so she wasn’t able to make your birthday party. Get over it! How do you even have time to celebrate your birthday anyway?! You are a chef in New York City. Restaurants are always open and chefs hardly get time off, so how are you even around to notice how busy Andy is? Actually uou should be even busier than she is.
Who Needs Enemies?
My goodness, Doug is the best friend Andy has, and he is just some random dude they made up for the movie. Andy’s friends are the worst! If you don’t believe me, then let Dear Prudy show you the way. Truer words have never been spoken. I would have much rather seen the book version of Lily in The Devil Wears Prada adaptation. She may have had a problem with alcohol, partied too much, and flunked out of grad school, but at least she wasn’t a condescending witch who made Andy feel bad about her job.
It’s Faux Fiction
Wow! The only part of The Devil Wears Prada this adaptation kept was the book title. Okay, they did keep some of the characters, like Andy, Miranda, and Emily, because you wouldn’t have a movie without them. But, my goodness! They changed Alex’s name to Nate. Lily was a completely different person, and random friend Doug was added to the friend group. Was he supposed to be a re-imagination of Lily’s ex-boyfriend?
Ugh…what in the world did they do to Miranda Priestly?! While Meryl Streep is a wonderful actress, this Miranda is not Miranda. Miranda Priestly is in a very loving marriage with a husband who understands and respects the demands of her job. Why present a fresh take of a powerful woman in a successful marriage? No, it’s much easier to go with the tired cliché of the power-hungry man-eater who can’t keep a husband. She always put her career first, and he can’t deal with an ambition wife. It would have been interesting to present the woman who is the boss from hell, but she actually has it all: a successful career and a wonderful home life with a devoted husband and loving children. Now that is a woman worth hating!
Overall Opinion
As a lover of fashion, The Devil Wears Prada used to be one of my favorite movies. Then I watched it again after reading the book. The movie will always delight my inner fashionista because, even 10 years later, the wardrobe is still classic. However, after reading The Devil Wears Prada, I am disappointed with Miranda being turned into a conniving backstabber in order to make her a villain. It was unnecessary. The book provided plenty of source material to get that point across without turning to tired clichés. Even the way Andy quits is better in the book. Rating: Burnt Popcorn