The Intern is a 2015 comedy-drama starring Robert De Niro as Ben Whittaker, a 70-year-old retired widower who becomes a senior intern at a fast-growing fashion e-commerce startup run by Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway). It's directed by Nancy Meyers, who has a gift for making movies that feel like a warm hug while still tackling real workplace and life issues.
The plot is straightforward: Ben applies for a "senior intern" program, gets placed as Jules's personal intern, and slowly wins over the skeptical young CEO and her entire company with his old-school wisdom, impeccable work ethic, and genuine kindness. Along the way, the movie explores themes of ageism, work-life balance, marriage strain, and what it means to find purpose at any age.
Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive content and brief strong language.
Here's the thing: The Intern got mixed reviews from critics when it came out, with some calling it predictable or overly sentimental. And yeah, it's not going to blow your mind with plot twists. But you know what? Sometimes predictable is exactly what you need, and this movie does something really valuable that's surprisingly rare in mainstream cinema—it models healthy workplace relationships and mutual respect across generations.
The relationship between Ben and Jules never becomes romantic (thank god), never turns patronizing, and never falls into the tired "OK Boomer vs. entitled millennial" trap. Instead, it shows two competent people learning from each other. Ben doesn't swoop in to "save" Jules or her company with his superior wisdom. Jules doesn't dismiss Ben as out-of-touch. They just... respect each other and collaborate. Wild concept, right?
For tweens and teens who are starting to think about careers, internships, and what they want from work life, this is genuinely useful modeling. The movie shows:
- Professional communication without being stuffy
- Mentorship that goes both ways (Ben learns about tech, Jules learns about delegation)
- Work-life balance struggles that are real and messy
- Female leadership portrayed as competent and complex
- Kindness as a strength, not weakness
The PG-13 rating is pretty soft. There's minimal language (a few instances of "shit" and "ass"), no violence, and no sexual content beyond some mild flirtation and references to Jules's marriage troubles. One character has a messy affair that's discussed but not shown. There's brief drinking (characters have wine at dinner, champagne at celebrations—normal adult stuff).
The real content to discuss isn't about safety—it's about themes. This movie opens up great conversations about:
- What makes a good boss or coworker? Watch how Ben handles conflict (spoiler: with grace and directness)
- Gender in the workplace - Jules faces pressure to hire a male CEO because investors don't trust her. This is a real thing worth discussing.
- Marriage and career balance - Jules and her husband struggle when both are ambitious. Good fodder for talking about partnership expectations.
- Ageism works both ways - Ben faces assumptions about being "too old" while also making assumptions about young people.
Runtime is 2 hours 1 minute, which feels breezy because the pacing is good and there's genuine warmth throughout.
Ages 10-12: Totally fine content-wise, though some of the workplace dynamics and marriage subplot might be less interesting to this age. They'll get the friendship story and enjoy the fashion startup setting. Good for kids who are curious about "what adults do at work."
Ages 13-15: Sweet spot. Teens this age are starting to think about future careers, internships, and what kind of work environment they want. The movie's themes about finding purpose and treating people with respect land really well here.
Ages 16+: Still enjoyable and valuable, especially for teens about to enter the workforce or considering gap years, career paths, etc. The professional communication modeling is genuinely useful.
Family viewing: This is an excellent family movie night choice if you have middle schoolers or high schoolers. Everyone can watch together without awkwardness, and it sparks actual conversation afterward.
Let's be honest—this isn't going to compete with The Hunger Games or Spider-Man for pure teen appeal. But it has surprising strengths:
The fashion/tech startup setting is genuinely interesting. Watching the company grow, seeing the warehouse operations, understanding the business challenges—it's like a gentle introduction to entrepreneurship without being preachy.
Robert De Niro is incredibly charming. Even teens who don't know his tough-guy roles will appreciate his warmth and humor here.
It's funny without being stupid. The comedy comes from character and situation, not from cheap jokes or cringe humor.
It feels aspirational. The movie presents a workplace where people actually like each other and solve problems together. In an era of hustle culture and toxic workplace stories, that's kind of revolutionary.
The Intern isn't going to win awards for originality, but it's a genuinely heartwarming movie that models healthy professional relationships and mutual respect in a way that's rare in mainstream cinema. For tweens and teens starting to think about careers, work culture, and what they want from their professional lives, it's actually valuable viewing.
Watch if: You want a feel-good family movie that's appropriate for middle schoolers and up, you're looking for conversation starters about careers and respect, or you just want something genuinely pleasant to watch together.
Skip if: Your teens only watch high-action or high-drama content and will roll their eyes at anything "wholesome." (Though honestly, they might surprise you—the workplace setting and business storyline can hook even skeptical viewers.)
Perfect for: A weekend family movie night, career exploration discussions, or just when you need something that won't make you worry about what your kids are absorbing.
It's streaming on various platforms (availability changes, so check your services), and honestly? It's worth the watch. Sometimes the most radical thing a movie can do is show people being kind and competent to each other. Revolutionary.