Robert De Niro stars as Ben Whittaker, a 70-year old retired widower. Ben is happy with his life and tries to keep busy, but he's a bit bored and misses the feeling of purpose he got from working. He sees a sign for a "Senior Intern" program and decides to sign up. The company running the program is About the Fit, a fast-rising internet start-up selling clothes online that was founded and is run by Jules Ostin, played by Anne Hathaway. Jules is used to doing everything herself and isn't too thrilled when her second-in-command, Cameron, assigns Ben to be her intern.
In fact, at first, she just ignores him. But Ben quickly becomes popular among the company's very young staff - he's polite, friendly, and has a lot of experience in business. He finds plenty of ways to make himself useful, until Jules finally recognizes him and begins to let him help her. Jules needs help. Her company has grown lightning-fast, and she tries to do everything herself, so she is seriously overwhelmed and hardly sleeps. She is also trying to juggle her marriage to stay-at-home dad, Matt, and being a mom to her adorable little girl, Paige.
Besides De Niro and Hathaway, the movie has a fabulous supporting cast, too. Rene Russo and Linda Lavin both appear as potential love interests for Ben. Adam Devine - one of our favorites from Modern Family (where he plays the "manny" Andy) plays Jason, another employee at the company. Cameron is played beautifully by Andrew Rannelis, who I enjoyed briefly in last year's sitcom The New Normal. And JoJo Kushner is just achingly adorable as Jules' daughter. While De Niro is a bit low-key in this movie, Hathaway's character faces some serious problems and the actress does a great job with the wide range of emotions.
The Intern has the tone and feel of a typical romantic comedy, without the romance (at least not between the leading actors). It is light, enjoyable, and often very funny, with plenty of jokes comparing Ben's generation to the hipster youth he works with. There are some serious issues at play here, too, but the film never gets bogged down in them. Overall, it's a warm, fun journey that we both enjoyed.
Warner Brothers
Blu-ray Combo Pack available on January 19.
Currently available to buy on Amazon. It will be available on Demand through cable companies January 19, on Netflix January 26, and through Redbox February 16.
NOTE: I received a copy of the DVD from Warner Brothers for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed here are mine alone.
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