Around the Island

Movie of the Week: Robert De Niro as ‘The Intern’

COURTESY PHOTO
COURTESY PHOTO

Our film this week is “The Intern” starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway. Released in 2015, it just became available to us. I hope you will find it as charming as I did.

Robert De Niro plays Ben Whittaker, a 70-year-old recent widower, who has tried many things to keep from going nuts as a single man. He has learned to use a computer and spots an ad for a senior citizen internship at an online fashion site. The office is located in the same building where he had worked for 40 years. He submits his video application.

Anne Hathaway plays the ambitious founder Jules Ostin, a married mother with a house husband. The company is growing faster than expected and she puts in long hours. Ben is assigned to be her intern. Jules, new to business, never trusts anyone else’s opinion. She does it all, alone and lonely at the top.

The generation gap yawns wide. Ben does not understand how the younger generation communicates only by digital devices. One of the young men and fellow interns has a tiff with his girl. He asks Ben’s advice. He claims he has tried to mend it with four e-mails, over 20 text messages. She has not responded. Ben’s advice, send flowers and go over to her desk and hug her.

This sweet film shows the worth of experience, patience and wisdom in our digital world. We seniors are not dead yet.

Join Maggie and me at the Senior Activity Center on Wednesday, March 23 at 2:30 p.m. We will have free snacks, soft comfy chairs and sunny smiles to welcome you.

This film runs just two hours.