"The Devil Wears Prada" Breaks Illusion Of The Perfect Job

Christina Ko
11. Northwood High School

Sure "The Devil Wears Prada" was released quite a while ago but its message is one we can all keep in mind. Based on Lauren Weisberger's novel of the same name "The Devil Wears Prada" attempts to crack the fantasy surrounding the fashion industry by portraying it as a cutthroat industry. it shows that regardless of how glamorous an occupation is it is not worth sacrificing your health or your relationships.

Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) a recent college graduate lands "a job a million girls would kill for"-the second assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) the legendary editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine Runway the movie's equivalent of Vogue. However the prized job is far from ideal. Andy's tasks include finding "that piece of paper" Miranda had in her hand the previous morning and procuring the unpublished manuscript of the new Harry Potter book in four hours-impossible errands that are all overseen by Miranda's icy first assistant Emily (Emily Blunt). On top of it all Andy's family friends and boyfriend oblivious to the world of fashion fail to understand the importance of her job. Her only solace comes from Nigel (Stanley Tucci) Runway's art director who begrudgingly takes on the role of fairy godmother and transforms Andy from a drab granny-skirt-donning Midwesterner to a chic designer-clad New Yorker.

It is not because of Hathaway's performance however that the audience is convinced of the movie's message-rather it is Streep Blunt and Tucci's impeccable portrayals of their characters. Due to the commitment that being the most influential person in fashion requires Miranda is forced to compromise her familial and domestic life with her relationships continuously failing due to the time she spends working; Streep captures perfectly Miranda's passion for her work and her consequent sadness at her damaged personal life.

Blunt flawlessly conveys the fanatical devotion Emily has to her job; she starves herself only allowing herself a cube of cheese when she feels as though she is about to faint and her thoughts revolve solely around her job. Tucci plays a similar character and his skillful acting hints at the misery he is suppressing under his workaholism. However neither receives their due because someone else takes what they deserve for their own benefit.

"The Devil Wears Prada" effectively reveals the not-so-glamorous reality of seemingly "perfect" jobs and proves that regardless of its benefits a job is only a job and not the dominant force in a person's life.