Things Everyone Ignores In The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada is one movie that hit the nail on the head when it came to casting. Helmed by Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and, of course, the incredible Meryl Streep, the film is a crowd-pleasing delight, with witty dialogue and fully-formed characters. Stanley Tucci rounds out the film, which killed it at the box office and garnered a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Streep.
The plot of The Devil Wears Prada follows Andy, an aspiring journalist who lands a job at the prestigious Runway magazine. However, her job turns out to be a nightmare when she realizes she's working for Miranda Priestly, a notoriously ice-cold editor with no time for anything less than perfection. Andy works alongside Miranda's other assistant Emily, who lives and breathes fashion and who looks down on her co-worker. But with the help of the talented artist Nigel, Andy's able to navigate the shark pool that is Runway — and eventually save her relationship.
But plot and characters aside, there are a lot of strange things everyone just ignores in The Devil Wears Prada that might have you scratching your head. So without further ado, here they are!
Andy shouldn't have been hired as Miranda Priestly's assistant in The Devil Wears Prada
When Andy manages to land what many consider to be a dream job in The Devil Wears Prada, she's told over and over again that "a million girls would kill for this job!" That's because Miranda Priestly is a juggernaut in the fashion industry, and everyone knows and respects her for her keen eye and shrewd sense of style. So working for her would definitely launch your career in fashion journalism.
To that end, it's a little weird that Andy was the person that Priestly ends up hiring. For one, the competition for such a position would be insane, likely from candidates who would have tons of experience and an eye for fashion. But Andy has neither, as she's just finished J-school at Northwestern, and she doesn't even want to work in fashion. In fact, she spends a significant amount of time complaining about her job, as Priestly is not one to give compliments or cater to anyone's ego.
In the end, Andy proves herself to be skillful, but chances are there was a better person out there from the outset for the job.
Andy should have known she'd be super busy in The Devil Wears Prada
There's no question that Andy's job in The Devil Wears Prada is insanely demanding. She has to make sure that she fetches Miranda's coffee, meals, dry cleaning, and other odds and ends, often with very little notice. She also has to know who all of her boss' contacts are and share incoming communication efficiently. Eventually she's also placed in charge of bringing Miranda her book at the end of the day, working extremely long hours on the reg. Plus her cell phone literally never stops ringing. In short, the job is a grind.
But honestly, what does Andy expect working for an A-list publication to be like? It's no secret that working for a magazine like Runway would be non-stop, given the amount of money that's involved and the high-profile people affiliated with the publication. But instead of being grateful for the opportunity, she constantly complains about her duties.
Granted, her boss isn't one to be kind or to acknowledge a job well done. But, as intimidating as Miranda is, there's a lot of pressure on her, too. No wonder her assistants are always busy.
How is it possible that Andy doesn't know who Miranda Priestly is in The Devil Wears Prada?
Let's say you apply for a job at a magazine or a newspaper, and a prestigious one at that. Then you're lucky enough to get a phone interview, followed by a coveted in-person interview. Wouldn't you jump on the Internet and do as much research as you possibly could in order to prepare for it? Certainly you'd know who the editor-in-chief is and would familiarize yourself with the publication.
But that's exactly what Andy didn't do in The Devil Wears Prada. In fact, not only did she admit to never even cracking open an issue of Runway, but she also had no idea who she would be working for — or just how famous and well-respected she is. All Andy does it talk about how she wants to be a journalist, and boom, job offer.
That doesn't even take into consideration that Anna Wintour, the character that Miranda is based on, is extremely well-known both inside and outside of fashion circles as a well-respected journalist. How can you go to J-school and not know who she is?
How did Andy suddenly understand fashion after one session with Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada?
Arguably one of the best scenes in The Devil Wears Prada is the famous cerulean speech. After Andy gives a flippant laugh at a pair of belts, Miranda lays into her, taking her to task for thinking she was exempt from the fashion industry and the artistic labor that goes into it. The result is that Andy is once again sobered by Miranda's oh-so-chilly expertise.
It isn't long after that that Andy realizes she needs some serious fashion help, so she turns to Nigel for assistance. In a brief scene, he plies her with a host of designer clothing and accessories, giving Andy some of the tools she'll need to finally look fashionable — despite the fact that she's a size 6 and apparently that's just too big.
But sizing aside, the next time we see Andy, she's dressed to the nines, slaying so hard it makes Emily jealous. And for the rest of the movie, she's a total fashion plate. But how did just a few minutes with Nigel suddenly make her understand fashion and serve looks so effortlessly? We have questions.
The Devil Wears Prada's Nate is a totally self-centered boyfriend
What would you do if your partner suddenly landed a high-power job that would open all kinds of doors for them, even if it meant they were working constantly? One would think you'd be supportive, willing to make some sacrifices in order to help them develop professionally. Sure, it would suck if they missed your birthday, but you could swallow the loss just once.
Unfortunately, Andy's boyfriend Nate did nothing but complain to Andy about her job, imploring her to quit and griping whenever she had to work late. He also spent all of The Devil Wears Prada telling Andy that she's changed so much he doesn't recognize her. Dude, can you just let her have this? For one year?
Interestingly enough, screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna has defended Nate, and she doesn't understand why everyone hates him. "She's being a hypocrite, and he's right at the end," she explained in an interview with Teen Vogue. "She goes to apologize to him because he was right. She was selling herself out and going down the wrong path." Fair enough, but he did mope like a child on his birthday...
Andy's friends aren't exactly supportive in The Devil Wears Prada
In The Devil Wears Prada, Andy and boyfriend Nate's friends give her grief over her long hours and work demands. That's just a little hypocritical of them, as apparently none of them are happy with their career trajectories.
In one particularly cruel scene, Andy's friends and Nate play a game of keep-away with her cell phone while it's ringing, putting Andy's job in jeopardy. By the time she's able to answer the call, she's frantic, but her friends are simply aghast and dismissive that she would take her job so seriously. Guys, can't you understand the opportunity she has?
Additionally, the second Andy has designer accessories that Miranda doesn't want, they gleefully snatch them up. Clearly they have no problem enjoying the perks that come with Andy's demanding career, but they refuse to be supportive any other time. The movie's writer Aline Brosh McKenna doesn't understand why people are cranky about Andy's friends, but we think it's pretty obvious.
How could Andy and Nate afford their apartment in The Devil Wears Prada?
Let's face it: Living in New York City is not cheap, especially in Manhattan. It wasn't cheap in 2006 when The Devil Wears Prada was released, and it's only gotten more expensive ever since. And, of course, rent is one of the most significant costs New Yorkers have to contend with, rendering housing a major issue for many folks, according to an article in Curbed New York.
To that end, it's quite the mystery how Andy and Nate can afford their spacious digs in a nice part of town. Considering that Nate is a chef and Andy is a recent college graduate, there's just no way they could realistically afford to live in such a sweet apartment. That is, unless it's being funded by someone's parents, which very well could be the case. Andy's dad did hand an envelope with money to her when they were out for their oft-interrupted dinner together, so maybe that's what's going on. We're guessing that's how Andy's tuition at Northwestern got handled as well. Um, thanks, mom and dad!
Eating disorders are totally encouraged in The Devil Wears Prada
It's not exactly surprising that a movie about the fashion industry would address the fact that being thin is always in, as it's a field known for people in it having eating disorders, according to a study in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. In most cases, it's played for a laugh in The Devil Wears Prada and often successfully so. For example, Emily says at one point, "I'm on this new diet, it's very effective. Well, I don't eat anything, and, when feel like I'm about to faint, I eat a cube of cheese." And, of course, her line, "I'm just one stomach flu from my goal weight!" always gets a laugh.
While it can be funny, it's also a bit disturbing that this is the reality in The Devil Wears Prada. While Andy starts her job with a healthy body image and a normal appetite, she learns to rein it in quickly when Nigel throws her corn chowder away. Additionally, Miranda refers to Andy as the "smart, fat girl," when she's literally just a size 6. It's a little funny, but equally disturbing.
It's frustrating when Andy throws the steak away in The Devil Wears Prada
We get it. Working for someone like The Devil Wears Prada's Miranda really can be challenging. She's exceedingly demanding, never says thank you, and can often be extremely condescending. That was especially obvious in the scene in which Miranda charges Andy to fetch her a steak and have it on her desk in 15 minutes. But when she comes back, after Andy has gone to great lengths making sure lunch is ready for Miranda on time, Miranda asks her what it is — and says she doesn't want it. She then leaves for a lunch date and tells Andy if she can't comply with her most recent insane demand, she'd be fired.
All of this understandably makes Andy extremely frustrated, so much so that she tosses the entire tray of steak into the sink and smashes it. But girl, come on. That steak cost a lot of money, so why waste it like that? And toward the end of the film, Andy tosses her cell phone into a Parisian fountain in a symbolic gesture of freedom. Was all that waste really necessary too?
The Devil Wears Prada's Christian Thompson is kind of a creep
Although Nate is Andy's major love interest in The Devil Wears Prada, throughout the film, Andy is also charmed by a handsome and successful writer named Christian. It's clear that he's interested in Andy from the very beginning, something he is not shy about expressing at all. The two end up sleeping together in Paris while Andy and Nate are on a break, but Andy ends up walking out on him when she finds out he's in on a plan to replace Miranda at Runway.
But while plenty of folks have aligned themselves with #TeamChristian, he's far from Mr. Perfect, as he can be quite the creep. For example, when he sees Andy, he often makes some kind of comment that can be read as a come-on, not at all respecting that she's in a relationship. He also tells Andy that she "owes him" for favors, expecting romantic reciprocity. And when he and Andy are kissing in Paris, she tells him several times why she can't get physical with him (one reason being that she was intoxicated), something he ignores in his attempts to wear her down. Um, not cool!
Would Andy really have been able to get the Harry Potter books in The Devil Wears Prada?
One of the things that Christian helps Andy with in The Devil Wears Prada is getting unpublished copies of the seventh book in the Harry Potter series for Miranda's children. Because of his connection to the person who designs the cover art, he's able to assist Andy in this monumental task, which pleases Miranda greatly.
But just how realistic is it that any of this is even remotely possible? Consider the amount of security that was employed to protect the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, from being distributed before its scheduled release date. According to Reuters, Barnes & Noble stored the books in an undisclosed location in their warehouse and had security detail guarding the warehouse 24/7. And across the pond, trucks that were transporting copies of the book had satellite tracking systems, and pallets containing the books were alarmed. That's a lot of safeguarding!
Despite those efforts, a copy of the book did make it onto the internet four days before the release date, according to The Boston Globe. So maybe it's not that impossible after all.
Why would Nate put $8 worth of Jarlsberg in a sandwich in The Devil Wears Prada?
One thing that's especially nice about The Devil Wears Prada's Nate is that, since he's a chef, he can whip up some delicious concoctions at home. Even though he complains about the grocery store prices in New York City, he does come through when it's time to make dinner for Andy, which has to be nice after a long day of work.
But in one scene, where Nate is cooking a grilled cheese sandwich for Andy, he says something that sounds a lot like whining. After she refuses to eat it because of calorie concerns, an irritated Nate says, "Gimme that! There's like eight dollars worth of Jarlsberg in there." Well, for one, Nate, that sandwich looks a little bit burnt to be honest, especially since it came from a professional chef. Two, you can get 12 pounds of Jarlsberg cheese for $86.49 (years after the film was released, to boot), meaning one pound of it costs under eight dollars. That's a lot of cheese for just one sandwich!
No one crosses the street safely in The Devil Wears Prada
If you've ever been to New York City, especially Manhattan, you probably noticed that most folks ignore the "do not walk" signals when they aren't convenient. In fact, jaywalking is so common in New York that there's advice on how to do it properly, according to an article in Intelligencer.
But even that doesn't excuse the fact that people in The Devil Wears Prada seem to have no idea what they're doing when they cross the street. For one, Andy is frequently running around so maniacally that she doesn't look where she's going. She's too busy talking on her phone and running errands for Miranda that her street smarts go out the window. And it's even worse when Emily winds up getting hit by a car after running out into the street without looking. That, of course, lands her in the hospital, covered with scrapes and bruises. Yikes!