When I need a feel-good movie that always delivers, The Intern is my go-to. Starring Anne Hathaway as Jules Ostin and Robert De Niro as Ben Whittaker, it’s a perfect blend of heart, humor, and life lessons. Every time I watch it, I feel like I’m catching up with old friends, and the movie never fails to lift my spirits.
Just a quick recap, The story follows Jules, a driven CEO balancing the chaos of running a fast-growing startup, her personal life, and, well… her not-so-perfect marriage. Enter Ben, a retired 70-year-old who becomes her senior intern. What starts as a mentorship quickly turns into an unlikely friendship filled with mutual respect and understanding. Hathaway portrays Jules as a strong, yet vulnerable woman who’s trying to keep it all together—something I think we can all relate to on some level.
While the movie has its deep, heartfelt moments, it’s also packed with genuinely funny ones, like The Perfect Blend of Heart and Humor. One scene that always cracks me up is when Jules accidentally sends a super-personal email to her mom instead of her assistant. Panic mode: activated. Jules enlists Ben and three other interns—who are basically the funniest trio in the film—to help her break into her mom’s house and delete the email from her laptop. It’s absurd and hilarious all at once! Watching Ben, the steady and calm mentor, team up with the younger, more frantic interns is such a fun dynamic. The way they fumble their way through the “heist” makes it one of my favorite parts of the movie.
At its core, The Intern is really about the beautiful, unlikely friendship between Jules and Ben. He becomes her calm in the storm, offering her advice and a listening ear without judgment. The way Ben supports Jules, not just as an intern, but as a friend, is heartwarming. Their relationship is a refreshing take on mentorship—it’s not about someone swooping in to fix everything, but being there to listen and help you see the bigger picture.
One of the standout lines for me is from Ben of the movie, that stays with me:
“Someone may come in with more experience than you, but they’re never gonna know what you know. You should feel nothing but great about what you’ve done. And I hate to see you let anyone take that away from you.”
Ben Whittaker
“You’re never wrong for doing the right thing.. But I’m sure Mark Twain said that once before”
Ben Whittaker
I find this quote so empowering because it’s a reminder that no one else has walked your path or knows what you bring to the table. It’s easy to compare yourself to others, but Ben’s words hit home for me—your knowledge, your experience, and everything you’ve built is uniquely yours, and you shouldn’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.
If I’m ever in doubt about what to watch, The Intern is always my pick. It’s comforting, not only because of the heartwarming story but because it feels like a gentle reminder that even when life is chaotic, you can lean on the people around you. Plus, it’s packed with humor and great characters that you just want to root for. The blend of warmth, humor, and life lessons makes it the perfect escape for me.
