The Intern (2015) Review – The Warmth of Simply Being There
Sometimes, simply being there becomes the most meaningful form of support.
π₯ Film Overview
Title: The Intern
Director: Nancy Meyers
Release: September 25, 2015 (USA)
Runtime: 121 minutes (2 hours 1 minute)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Screenplay: Nancy Meyers
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, Waverly Films
Music: Theodore Shapiro
Box Office: $194.6 million worldwide (Budget: $35 million)
Rating: IMDb 7.1 / Rotten Tomatoes Critics 60%, Audience 73%
Cast: Robert De Niro (Ben Whittaker), Anne Hathaway (Jules Ostin), Rene Russo (Fiona), Anders Holm (Matt), Andrew Rannells (Cameron), Adam DeVine (Jason)
π Plot Summary
Ben Whittaker is 70 years old. He's a widower. He's retired. And he's bored.
After decades working as an executive, Ben finds himself with nothing but time—and no idea what to do with it. He tries yoga, Mandarin lessons, traveling. Nothing fills the void his wife's death left behind. Then he sees an ad: a Brooklyn fashion startup called About The Fit is looking for senior interns.
Ben applies and gets the job.
His boss is Jules Ostin, the company's 30-something founder and CEO. She built About The Fit from nothing into a thriving business with 220 employees. She works constantly, barely sleeps, and manages everything herself. The last thing she wants is an intern she has to supervise—especially a 70-year-old man from a generation that knew nothing about e-commerce.
But Ben doesn't need managing. He arrives early, stays late, dresses impeccably in a three-piece suit, and carries a leather briefcase. He observes. He listens. He offers help without being asked. Gradually, the young employees around him—and eventually Jules herself—begin to lean on him.
Not because he fixes their problems. But because he shows up. He's steady. He cares. And in a workplace moving at lightning speed, Ben's calm, patient presence becomes something everyone desperately needs.
As Jules faces mounting pressure from investors to hire an experienced CEO to replace her, Ben becomes her unexpected confidant—someone who believes in her when she's struggling to believe in herself.
The film unfolds gently, resisting manufactured drama. It's a story about mentorship, about finding purpose after loss, and about the quiet power of simply being there for someone.
πΈ Key Themes
Presence as the Greatest Gift
Ben doesn't arrive with solutions. He doesn't know how to code, navigate social media, or understand startup culture. What he offers is something rarer: presence.
He listens without interrupting. He asks thoughtful questions. He remembers details about people's lives. When Jules is overwhelmed, he doesn't tell her how to fix things—he just stays close, ready to help however he can.
The film suggests that solving problems isn't always what people need most. Sometimes they need someone who won't leave, who believes in them, who reminds them they're not alone.
Finding Purpose After Loss
Ben's arc isn't about recapturing youth or proving he's still relevant. It's about discovering that life can still hold meaning after the chapter you thought would last forever ends.
His wife is gone. His career is over. But he refuses to let that be the end of his story. By showing up at About The Fit every day, Ben finds what retirement couldn't give him: connection, usefulness, a reason to care.
Generational Wisdom Without Condescension
What makes The Intern work is that Ben never lectures. He doesn't tell millennials they're doing it wrong or complain that "things were better in my day." He simply models a different way of being: thoughtful, patient, present.
Nancy Meyers avoids making this a story about generational conflict. Instead, it's about mutual respect, about what different generations can offer each other when ego steps aside.
The Complexity of Having It All
Jules embodies the modern working woman's dilemma: brilliant, driven, successful—and exhausted. She loves her company but barely sees her daughter. Her marriage is strained. Investors doubt her.
The film doesn't offer easy answers. It acknowledges the impossible expectations placed on women who dare to lead. And it trusts Jules—and the audience—to navigate that complexity without judgment.
π¬ What Makes This Film Special
Nancy Meyers' Signature Touch
Writer-director Nancy Meyers is known for creating warm, aspirational worlds (Something's Gotta Give, It's Complicated, The Holiday). The Intern continues that tradition—beautiful interiors, well-dressed characters, workplaces that feel both real and idealized.
But beneath the glossy surface, Meyers explores something deeper: loneliness in a hyper-connected world, the struggle to find meaning after loss, and the quiet heroism of choosing to care.
Robert De Niro's Gentle Performance
De Niro, one of cinema's most intense actors, plays Ben with remarkable restraint. There's no scenery-chewing, no attention-grabbing theatrics. Just a man who listens, observes, and offers help without ego.
Director Quentin Tarantino called it "one of the best performances" of 2015, stating that De Niro deserved Oscar consideration. The role showcases a different kind of strength—patience, humility, emotional intelligence.
Anne Hathaway's Grounded Portrayal
Hathaway's Jules could have been a caricature: the frantic female CEO who needs a man to save her. Instead, Hathaway plays her as fully human—competent, driven, flawed, exhausted, trying her best in an impossible situation.
The film allows Jules to be ambitious without punishing her for it, to struggle without being weak, to accept help without losing her agency.
π Where to Watch (2025)
Streaming: Netflix (select regions), Peacock Premium, HBO Max, Tubi (free with ads)
Rent/Buy: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Google Play, YouTube
Physical Media: Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Note: Availability varies by region and changes frequently. Check your local streaming services for current options. The Intern became one of 2015's surprise hits, earning $194.6 million worldwide, and has inspired remakes in Bollywood and Japan.
π Final Thoughts
The Intern isn't a perfect film. Critics called it predictable, overly polished, and lacking edge. They're not entirely wrong.
But the film's fans—and there are many—don't watch it for surprise twists or dark complexity. They watch it because it makes them feel better. Because it reminds them that goodness still exists. Because it suggests that even in a world moving too fast, there's still room for patience, decency, and showing up for people who need you.
Nancy Meyers has said that getting this kind of film made in Hollywood has become nearly impossible. Studios want franchises, spectacle, guaranteed returns. A gentle comedy-drama about a 70-year-old intern doesn't fit the formula.
Which makes The Intern feel even more valuable. It's a film uninterested in cynicism or edge. It believes in the quiet heroism of being kind, of listening, of staying when it would be easier to leave.
For anyone feeling lost after a major life change, for anyone wondering if they still have something to offer, for anyone who's ever needed someone to just be there—The Intern offers gentle reassurance.
π Personal Reflection
When things are hard, there are moments when someone's presence—even without solutions—becomes a source of strength.
Like stepping outside on a cold winter day with a small hand warmer tucked in your pocket. Your whole attention gravitates toward that tiny source of warmth, and suddenly, the cold doesn't feel so unbearable.
Ben in The Intern feels like that kind of presence. Watching him, I find myself softening, wanting to lean into that steadiness.
And after the film ends, a question lingers:
Have I ever been that person for someone?
κ·Έμ κ³μ μμ΄μ£Όλ κ²λ§μΌλ‘λ, λκ΅°κ°μκ² λ°λ»ν¨μ΄ λ μ μμκΉ.
(A reflection in my native Korean—because some truths about quiet presence feel truer in the language of your heart.)
The Intern doesn't ask us to do anything extraordinary. It simply reminds us that showing up—with patience, kindness, and genuine care—might be the most extraordinary thing we can offer.
π¬ Join the Conversation
Have you ever had someone in your life who was like Ben—someone whose presence made everything feel more manageable? Or have you been that person for someone else? What does it mean to truly show up for another person? Share your thoughts below.
π¬ More from Cinematic Sanctuaries
If The Intern resonated with your need for gentleness and presence, explore:
- Under the Tuscan Sun – Rebuilding yourself in a new place after loss
- Eat Pray Love – A woman's journey across three countries to rediscover herself
- Julie & Julia – Finding purpose through creativity and daily ritual
- Kiki's Delivery Service – Building a life in a new city while learning to trust yourself
- The Holiday – Finding yourself through space and unexpected kindness
Each film in our collection reminds us that healing comes in many forms—through family we choose, bonds we create, and the quiet courage to keep searching for home.
π€ About the Author
Young Lee has spent years quietly collecting and sharing films that offer comfort rather than answers—stories that value slow moments, ordinary lives, and unseen effort. As an everyday viewer, they believe cinema can remind us that slowness still has meaning in a fast-moving world.
Read more articles from this author on Cinematic Sanctuaries.
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