Introduction
Every person has different dreams that they would like to fulfill. Whether they are realistic or not, these dreams are the ones that fuel a person’s drive to succeed in life. People would sacrifice time, effort, and money to attain their dreams. At times, to fulfill their dreams, people resort to drastic measures that would lead to losing almost everything in their lives, may it be friends, family, or loved ones. Perfect examples would be Alexander the Great, Nero, and Adolf Hitler, people who did everything, and even killed people, just to achieve their goals. The main character of “The Devil Wears Prada” is Andrea “Andy” Sachs portrayed by Anne Hathaway. Andy is the perfect example of a girl who had a dream, and did everything imaginable to achieve that dream, may it be legitimate or not.
Body
Initially, the movie “The Devil Wears Prada” is a movie set for grown-ups and others who are well versed in the fashion world. It is intended for people who knew what, or when, or who, or where, Prada is. Without knowing what Prada or any other high-class brands like Channel is, how can one possibly get what the story is really about. In knowing these internationally famed brands, viewers are now capable of mocking the main character, who knows nothing about fashion, let alone, knows of its existence. Andy is a Midwesterner who comes to New York City expecting to land her first job. She explains how she graduated from Northwestern and how she was the editor of the Daily Northwestern. Andy is thrilled to be in New York and plans to land a job in Journalism. Fate has it that Andy, an unfashionable wreck, takes her chances at a fashion magazine company, “Runway”.
The movie begins by showing the viewers how the ladies who work for the fashion magazine prepare for the day. We see how women would eat low-calorie food, drink coffee or skip breakfast to maintain their figures, whilst Andy eats a large bagel. We also see how most women would choose their outfits carefully making sure that every detail of their outfits is positively fashionable. Andy on the other hand chooses clothes that she deems to be smart, comfortable, and good enough for the first day on the job, which in reality is utterly unfashionable. Andy is a real girl who wanted nothing more but to find a job that would make ends meet and pay for the rent. She knows nothing about the fashion world and does not even read the magazine “Runway”, and this was very evident in the eyes of her co-workers, especially in the eyes of the editor-in-chief of the magazine Miranda Priestley, played by Meryl Streep. Andy did not fit in such a working environment. Miranda accepted Andy simply because she was looking for a fresh face, thinking that an ugly, fat, yet smart girl would do her good to have. Andy, on the other hand, aimed for this job simply because it was said that anybody who lasts at least one year as Miranda’s assistant will be eligible to have her pick of any journalism job.
In the beginning, Andy had no regard for her job, all she knows is that she has the job that many women would envy. The movie shows us how almost all women would die just to have a job in the fashion industry. Emily Blunt, Miranda’s first assistant (second place assistant would be Andy: there is a ranking between assistants) shows the viewers that indeed their job in the fashion industry is to die for. Emily shows us how she would neglect eating anything, going on the ultimate diet, and study everything that has to do with fashion, just to look fabulous on the job. She also shows us how she would condescend to Andy just to get ahead of her in everything.
Andy gradually changes as the movie progresses. Nigel the art director provides Andy with free clothes and accessories which gives way to her physical transformation. This physical transformation on the other hand transforms her soul. Andy ends up flirting with Christian(Simon Baker), a freelance writer, whilst with her boyfriend Nate(Adrian Grenier) which she ended up breaking up. Later on, she even ends up being in bed with Christian who was practically a stranger to her. Also, Andy ends up stepping on her friend and co-worker by going with Miranda to Paris instead of Emily who had been dreaming and vigorously been preparing for it for months. Andy neglects her friends and family just so she can continue to serve and please Miranda. Aside from all this, Andy started to become like every other girl in the magazine staff, doing everything in her capability to look physically good.
Conclusion
Andy changed a lot of things about her just so she can attain her goals. Everything which she loved was disregarded to gain the approval of her co-workers, the fashion world, and especially Miranda. She never considered the feelings of everyone else around her and she sacrificed everything that was once dear to her just so that she can continue to enjoy her job and climb the career ladder. Just like all other stories, it wasn’t too late for her to realize what was truly important, so she went back to the life she used to have: to her boyfriend, to her family, and to her simple goal which was to land a journalism job. In the end, she gave up the dream job that every girl had, and went back to her simple life which was not as glamorous but comfortable, smart, and good (morally), just like what her clothes used to be.
References
Ebert, Robert. “Robert Ebert.com MOVIE REVIEWS”. 2006. The Devil Wears Prada. Web.
Travers, Peter. “Rolling Stone”. 2006. The Devil Wears Prada. Web.
Sacksteder, John. “Internet Movie Data Base”. June 2006. The Devil Wears Prada. Plot Summary. Web.