The Devil(?) Wears Prada

Today we begin what may become a semi-regular feature here - Aunt Judie's Guide to the Movies. I'll leave the formal reviews to the professionals. Here, you'll just get my take on what a movie says about life. And unlike other reviewers, I am going to assume you have already seen the movie (so don't read any more if you don't want to know what happens).

The Devil Wears Prada had a lot of funny moments. But I was left wondering what the huge deal was...I have certainly had worse bosses than Miranda Priestly! Maybe it's because I've had almost 30 years of working in offices, and Andy in the movie was just starting out. But here's what I've learned.

Having a boss who tells you what they want is a good thing. Yes Miranda was bossy and seemed unreasonable at times, but for the most part she told Andy what she expected. You would be surprised at how many bosses don't.

Everyone is motivated by something different. Andy didn't "get" Emily because they had different goals and priorities. Andy treated her job as an unwelcome necessity and a temporary situation until what she really wanted to do came along. Emily, on the other hand, treated her job as one step in the long road of a career. She didn't have to be so mean, but that came from fear.

You need to dress properly for your job. Actually, in the business world you are supposed to dress even better than is required for your job. That tells your bosses you are serious about your work and have respect for the company. But you don't have to break the bank. Andy was lucky...she appeared to get her expensive duds for free. (Where do I get a job like that?)

All (legal) work is valuable. I guess the message the movie was trying to send at the end was that writing for a newspaper was a more honorable or valuable pursuit than working in the fashion industry. That is elitist baloney. Treat every job as honorable and worthy of your best effort. If I had to have brain surgery, I would be as grateful to the surgeon for doing his job right as I was to the guy who mops the floor.

Business is business. Did it make Miranda a witch that she knew her job was on the line and used her influence to keep it? No, it means she was savvy and knew the business. Was it unfair to Nigel? Yes, but life is unfair. Get over it. He could have left anyway to start his own business. There are a lot of things I don't like about the business world, but until I am in a position to change them, I have to play by its rules. Which, by the way, Andy didn't. She walked out without notice and threw what I assume was the company's cell phone into a fountain...very unprofessional (I hope they docked her pay).

Finally, I cannot believe that in this day and age anybody in their right mind would think that a woman is fat because she wears a size six! Maybe the Miranda character does, but why couldn't the movie had shown Andy being herself and staying a healthy size six? No, she had to end up a four as if that's more virtuous than a six.

And speaking of virtue, why did they have to have Andy living with her boyfriend? And why did she sleep with someone she barely knew when her relationship hit a rough patch? And the guy she slept with was a work colleague! A definite no-no!

I love the work of Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci, and I basically liked the movie despite it's skewed view of the value and realities of working. For a more realistic view and tips on surviving and thriving in an office job, try reading this instead.