I also hate how Andy changing her style and getting more interested in what she wears is pictured as a bad thing, especially by Nate. She is surrounded by fashion every day, her whole job is around it, so it's only natural that she gets somewhat interested in it. That does not mean she changed at all. Gaining new interests is a normal thing to do and does not change who one is.

I really disliked that they thought it was okay to risk her career for a mean-spirited joke. How many opportunities are there to get in to journalism in New York? Unless shed taken a dead end job in the full knowledge she'd never get anywhere, almost any entry level job in publishing or journalism in New York would have required long hours and no appreciation.

unpopular opinion: nate is more irritating than miranda

Omg thank God I wasn't the only one who was irritated by her toxic friends and insecure boyfriend .

Her bringing her friends awesome gifts only to be pranked immediately afterwards was the ultimate “Girl, get out of there” moment

Nate always came across as the high school boyfriend and the same for her friends. They look grown up, but their mentality is still teenage drama based. Like the birthday scene and the way her friend over reacted about a kiss on the cheek. It's something you would see in any teenage themed show.

Nate is the type of boyfriends whose egos are so fragile they're unmanned by their girlfriends' success. He is toxic and so are Andy's friends. They readily accept her gifts but refuse to support her, or even attempt to understand her perspective, instead they gaslight her into thinking she's at fault. They're adults yet they throw a fit when Andy misses a birthday party. They're the real villains of the movie.

The last thing that guy was was supportive

I thought that all of them taking expensive gifts and then risking her job by taking her phone was incredibly ungrateful, especially when she's clearly panicking

I'd understand Nate if that was her job for life, but it was supposed to be just a year. He could be concerned about her mental (and physical) health, but he's just an egoist crybaby.

Alternate ending I've just come up with: Andy quits working for Miranda but also ditches her friends AND dumps her boyfriend AND makes up with Emily AND gets her own column in her new job AND bumps into Miranda like 10 years later in an epilogue scene. That's the only ending I'm accepting. Thanks for coming to my TEDTalk.

Honestly, the movie would be perfect if it cut the scene of her apologizing to Nate out. Just cut from her walking away in Paris to her walking into her job interview at that small paper.

I hated the bar scene. Nate just takes her phone, see who's calling and after he sees her reaction, he starts passing it around! And he's always victimizing himself! The only thing I don't agree with the video is that Andy leaves bc she doesn't want to end up screwing people, like Miranda did with Nigel. I think that was the breaking point for her And regarding Miranda, she built an empire, and it's hard to keep it at the top, if she behaves like this it's because it's the way she found. We clearly can see how she is with Nigel, she doesn't mistreat him, because she knows how well he works (and we can also see this with Andy when she gets better at her job). And by this I'm not saying that's not a completely stressful environment

He was underestimating her ambitions, and overestimating his own selfish needs. And he's downright offensive when he accuses Andy of selling her dignity for dresses. He's a dirt bag.

I hated the ending, so he can get a better job and move out to change his life but when Andy does that they blame her.

Someone give Overkill Analysis an award. I really hated Nate not only because he hated how Andy changed but just wasn't supportive all around.

The flaw of the Devil Wears Prada is the demonization of female ambition and empowerment. Both Miranda and Andy are cautionary tales of this trope, and it’s really annoying and frustrating.

I haven't even watched this yet and I agree. If Andy were in med school of some kind, or just starting out a career in healthcare, with all the crazy hours they have to work, her friends would probably be more understanding. When you're an actual adult, you don't have time to spend 4 hours every day hanging out with friends. It's often about quality time, rather than quantity. I hated the part of the movie where she was finally succeeding at work, and they were whining about how they never see her anymore.

I used to date a chef. They work.... A LOT. Late nights, long hours, holiday and weekends. I can't imagine if my chef boyfriend criticized me for working too much, then turned around and went off to work his 12 hour shift on New Years or something.

So glad you also brought up that Andy didn’t have a choice going to Paris. She was going to get fired if she refused. It’s not a choice when the only other option is “lose your livelihood and all future prospects before your career has even really started.” I just thought it was a weak comparison to Miranda in the end. Like Miranda betrayed her longtime colleague Nigel after making a promise to him, despite already having an amazing entire career and tons of wealth to her name. Andy “betrayed” a coworker she barely knew, who treated her like shit, who she didn’t promise anything to, to avoid ruining her own budding career in an already extremely competitive field. Plus Miranda forced Andy to call Emily on the spot- “do it now” -which led to Emily getting hit by a car. So of course Emily’s going to be upset, but it’s literally all Miranda’s fault.

That scene where Andy's friends are passing around her phone and threatening to answer has always bothered me, especially the way it's framed. Just look at the expressions on their faces when Andy finally managed to get her phone back, as if she's being unreasonable and obsessive. She's starting to enjoy her job and takes it seriously... only for her friends to sneer and mock her dedication. Ugh.

I’m so glad someone else brought up nates choice of work. Like the food industry doesn’t expect the world of u too. And I don’t like how he sticks up for Emily about the Paris think. Seriously? He’s sticking up for the person who did her best to make Andy’s time at work miserable? The person who would have gladly THROWN Andy under that bus in order to take that trip? And yeah, her friends are the worst. I really hated her friend who flipped out on her for being kissed on the cheek. Ok, u have known me for 13 years but ur first reaction is that I’m having some sordid affair with this “fashion guy”? Don’t get me wrong it looks sus as heck, but I would have at least approached the subject with an open mind and no judgment at first. She ur friend for over a decade and u can’t even give her the benefit of the doubt for a minute? The worst people! Couldn’t even give her a year to try to make her dreams come true because they liked her when she didn’t look better than them. I suppose when nates high powered job takes off and he has no more time for Andy she’ll be expected to suck it up and deal with it instead of being selfish and demanding he quit.

I always thought the whole “missing the boyfriend’s birthday thing” was crazy. Like it’s a birthday, you aren’t a 5 year old kid anymore. It’s not like you can’t celebrate it some other time.

nate was acting as if andy enjoyed the stress and having to chose between his birthday and the event, he didn’t bother to try and understand what must have been like for her to be at the event and feel terrible about herself

There's hatred and then there's the insane rage I feel when Nate says "you look really pretty" in that backhanded mopey infuriating way. That would've been enough cause for a breakup in my eyes

Growing up is realizing Miranda actually did the most for Andy by teaching her the ins and outs of the fashion world and giving her a glowing reference and her friends and bf are the actual villains

infuriating, but also realistic. When you start succeeding, there will always be people that pull you down, because their egos are fragile. I like to image she dumped nate 6 months after the last scene.

FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT - the fact that he’s mad at her for missing his stupid birthday dinner bc she was AT THE MET GALA!!! OMG at least Harry Crane was happy for her

Before watching the analysis : Finally. I told my mom this. Nate couldnt support Andy without his own selfishness in the way. A high powered career mixed with fashion she definitely deserved better. She honestly settled with Nathan. It's like nothing she did to better herself was good enough and her reverting back to her old self was better for him. Gross.

Her friends are already successful people in fields they like, but they dump on her when she starts to exceed them.

So I'm gonna pretend Andy broke up with Nate, had a husband and daughter, started an online company and hired Robert De Niro as her intern. Now I'm at peace.

I hate that she comback with Nate

I mean, yes Andy did have a choice, it wasn’t a “either go to Paris or I’ll pull the trigger” scenario. But at the end of the day, you have to do what is right for you and your career. You have to take opportunities that will help you succeed in life. And doing so doesn’t make you a bad person. That being said, I found Nate and the others extremely irritating and I really don’t like how they painted Andy as this manipulative psychopathic diva either. I felt they could of given her more supportive friends.

Thank god I'm not the only one who is always bothered by how burnt that grilled cheese is😂

At least Andy and Miranda parted ways as having mutual respect for each other. Andy grew to respect Miranda and the various facets of her job and life, Miranda grew to respect Andy and her efforts as an intelligent and hard working assistant. Nate had no such growth, and Andy went crawling back. It gets me so mad

I think the Andy taking the Paris trip was directed like it was Andy's fault because she felt like it was. Andy has been punished for every good thing that's happened to her so far at this point and she's prepared for Paris to be just as punishing.

lmao one of the moments I really fell for my current partner was when I was watching this movie and he was sitting next to me finishing some work. When the birthday scene came up and Nate threw a fit, I hear this loud, "Such an a**hole!" I didn't realize my partner was even paying attention to it! Now whenever i bring it up, he gets mad because Andy got back with Nate at the end :'D

Self-care is watching The Devil Wears Prada and skipping the part where Andy and Nate get back together: in this edit, Andy has a new respect for what women have to go through to reach the top in a male dominated industry, and chooses her own happiness, single, clear headed, and wiser for the experience - without Nate. 😊😌

Andy is lucky af applying to an industry she wasn't aware of and still get hired

what miranda does in the movie, calling her outside work hours, is not that uncommon, and we have to comply to keep our jobs. anyone who works would understand that much. she needed the job, it was a good job, and they were pricks instead of understanding that, yeah, it was a hard job. most jobs are hard

I certainly felt a bit uneasy that the film did not make her friends and boyfriend villains when Andy started to adapt because that is exactly what you are supposed to do in every job.

the Paris trip threatened not only Andy’s current job, but her entire New York journalist dream when Miranda says that if Andy doesn’t take it, then she won’t consider her serious about her future in this or Any Other Publication. We never actually see Andy go back to her other friends at the end, and Nate is about to move to Boston, so they leave the door open for them to work out or not.

Maybe no one ever hires/wants him cooking in their restaurant because he's not a good chef and he only thinks he is and everyone in the friend group is really just being supportive SO HE WOULDN'T ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE IN-DEMAND!!! Wow. This movie is so subtle.

I like to think the ending hinted verrrry subtly that Nate might be closer to on the outs than we thought. How? With the clothes Andy was wearing. No, she wasn't wearing designer clothes anymore, but she wasn't wearing her old clothes either. Because THAT'S the real impression the job left on her: finally understanding the importance in putting some effort into your appearance, even if it's only for yourself.

My career is very demanding and I've had some tough bosses. I've had to learn to sacrifice with a happy heart because you don't get credit in my field if you sacrifice and struggle. I've worked holidays, weekends, nights. I've had jealous partners who sabotaged me and tried to make me feel bad about my career. They didn't last. In a career worth having, sometimes, you have to step it up and do the job the way the boss wants it done and be a support to your boss, a partner of sorts. This is what Andy learned. She learned the art of being a good support to her boss and she learned she was really capable and competent. Andy's friends and boyfriend saw that Andy was moving up faster than they were and it threatened them. When you look at how Nate dressed, his motivation, his life, it didn't change across the movie, and yet, Andy's did. The gap between the two widened across the film. If they had stayed together past the end of the movie, it would not have lasted because Andy's view of herself, her capability, and her power and ability to make her life happen had changed and Nate was left spinning his wheels while Andy was growing. Her friends and boyfriend are a reflection of who she was, not who she was becoming.

She deserved better EVERYONE! Even her father wasn't supportive of her. And the irony is that her bf wanted her to quit her job cuz he hated it and later he left for his job...

Nahh since the whole gifts with the phone thing I actually hated her friends

I really wish there was a scene in the movie where Andy just flat out asked Nate what he wanted her to do. Quit? Waste all the effort and time she put in? Because basically her only options are to quit or to suck it up and put in the time so that she can move on to something (hopefully) better. She’s only doing her job. Like they both know the situation sucks. She obviously would spend more time with him and her friends if she could. But Nate acts like it’s a personal attack on him, like she’s choosing her work over him and their friends. She made it clear from the beginning that this job is a stepping stone for her future career. Most adults understand that sometimes you have to work terrible jobs to get the experience you need to move forward in your career. If Nate had gotten a wonderful promotion and needed to work longer and crazier hours, Andy would’ve been bummed, yes, but she would’ve been happy for him and understood. She just happened to be the one who had a chance to progress first. At the end of the day, they both would have to make sacrifices to be successful in their jobs. Nate shouldn’t be surprised by this. He shouldn’t guilt trip her. If there’s a problem, they should talk about it, but he knew going in that she wanted to have a career. Anyway, Andy was going through hell, and it’s amazing she wasn’t having full blown panic attacks by the end of the movie. Especially with the horrible support system she had. She really deserved to have some friends who rooted for her and boosted her up when she felt like her job was drowning her. Or at the very least, some that didn’t always try to undermine and mock her. Anyway, great analysis! It’s nice to see so many people understand that her relationship with her boyfriend and friends really was not very healthy or rewarding for her. Everyone deserves to have friends who respect and care for them, and I hope everyone here can find those people. 😊♥️

also YES i love love love this rant. i still scoff in disbelief at her friends LITERALLY GOING "ooh ahh!!!!!" in excitement over the SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS worth of gifts she gives them then MINUTES LATER try to get her fired. gets my blood boiling every time

I remember that every time me and my brother watch that movie, we really hated Nate and Andy’s friend, we always thought they were the most toxic and jealous group of friends and boyfriend a person could have, like seriously, She should’ve ditch them and find a better group of people.

I didn't know many that dislike Nate just like me 😂 This makes me happy. Nate is such a whiny boyfriend. Andrea deserves waaay better.

"who says this during an interview????" FOR REAL. i just finished job hunting and i was watching this like GIRL i know we're supposed to feel sorry for her but that was legit a TERRIBLE interview lmao

This is a relevant example of a common life experience in your 20’s. Outgrowing relationships among a group of friends who are still figuring themselves out -and not adapting to changes.

I always wondered why I love this movie, specifically Andy's character. Then I realized it's because I relate so much to Andy. I used to be in a friend group like hers and now that the years have passed I can look back and see how toxic they were. Her friends and Nate treated her that way because growing up she was probably the awkward one who did alright in school but didn't have much life experience. They push her around because they see her as a child and feel they're better than her in some way to shore up their own insecurities. Deep down Andy knows she is more than capable of success but just has to tap into it and stop keeping herself small to fit in with bad-minded people. When her friends saw her standing up for herself and become her own person, they felt threatened. Without the silly and weak Andy around to make fun of and look down on, how were they gonna feel better about their own miserable lives?

I wish the movie gave Andy her own “cerulean sweater” dress down but it was her dressing down her boyfriend and friends

I agree that Andy's boyfriend and friends were judgmental and unsupportive. But Andy didn't quit for Nate or anybody else. She quit because she realized Miranda expected her to have the same principles and ethics which Andy doesn't agree with. Andy didn't make up with Nate as a girlfriend, but as a friend. Proof: she was going to pursue a new job in a different location from his. That she liked what he said about them being able to work something out despite the distance was for me more out of keeping the friendship more than resuming their romantic relationship. Andy walking alone and smiling at the end after that successful job interview shows that she's happy on her own and she knows what she wants.

Whilst I completely agree, I think the key thing to remember, is that, in the book; Andy *did* stay miserable and relatively unchanged at Runway, and it's been pointed out that the biggest difference between the novel and the movie, is that the main character in the motion picture has character development, whilst the same in the novel, stays pretty much one dimensional.

Nate is toxic masculinity itself

My husband was all for going to work early, coming home late until I got my first job as an attorney. That was now a problem and couldn’t be tolerated…by him. And sabotage? Heck, yeah.

Finally, somebody has said it out loud - THANK YOU! In my opinion, the last scene between Andy and Nate is an annoying letdown in an otherwise completely convincing coming-of-age-story. As a viewer, one wants to tell Andy to wake up fully, widen her gaze just this little bit more and realize that she is holding on to relationships that were always just as flawed as the one she had with her boss. Obviously, the people in that circle of "friends" usually thought of Andy as a kind of loser, somebody wih big dreams and aspirations but no real chance of making them come alive. She has outgrown them and that is why we as spectators feel that this last scene is so demeaning and useless. She is crawling back into a skin that has become too small in order to fit in and feel at home; I think we can all identify with this behaviour and that makes us cringe even more. After all, it is very much easier to distance yourself from an outsider such as your boss than from the people you believe to be your "family". But I also think it is comforting to imagine that Andy WILL open her eyes eventually and it is up to us as lovers of this film and its characters to write the following scenes ourselves, so to speak. Go for it, Andy! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, they are spot on. Very big THUMBS UP! :o)

It always rung odd to me that he chooses at the end to move for his dream. That kind of move is ambitious, requires sacrifice, and shows prioritizing his future. How does he not understand her biting the bullet to move her career forward? She is literally doing the same thing...

I never watch the scene when she apologises to Nate. In my world she kicks him and the friends to the curb......which is what I would have done in her place.

Very nice video! Love the SpongeBob ref and the overall great analysis!

The happily ever after would have been her in a new job with her new best friend, Nigel, and dumping Nate simultaneously.

I think it was a sacrifice the writers had to make to raise the stakes. I wondered why her friends were so clingy. At least Emily was upfront about being judgy.

Whoa ... You went to the detail of roasting Nate's grill cheese sandwich 😂😂😂

Nate is the worstttttttttt!!!!

These reasons were literally why I couldn’t watch this movie a 2nd time. I love the fashion aspect, but the friends and her boyfriend were so uncomfortably cruel.

Nate and those friends have this vibe of alternative/geeky friend group who seem to be really tolerant and open minded at first but deep down they are toxic because they associate success and luxury with coldness and lack of authenticity. They think they are better than others (and Andy) because they are not so concerned about the rat race but in fact they feel like failures. So Andy becomes a threat to their values and immature self image they created for themselves. In their superficiality they think that expensive dress and Andy's ambition change who she is at the core and don't understand that she didin't trade herself for those things but just chases her dreams. They are the weird kids who hated on popular kids but deep down they envied them in high school lol. Miranda lost her morality for success but at least she taught Andy how to put herself first.

Something I want to point out in agreement with this: some jobs just take a huge time commitment. My fiancé is about to leave for military service. I've known how important his career is to him for years now. Do I talk with him about making sure to make time for people, and trying to establish a healthy work/personal life balance? Of course. Do I whine at him for prioritizing his career, for doing things that put him in a good place, for spending time at work? Absolutely not. We've talked about what our careers mean to us, what sacrifices we're going to have to make (especially in the first few years when you're getting established), and what that's going to mean to us. Like I'm sorry, if he missed my birthday because something hugely important came up at work last minute? I'd be sad, sure, but I have friends, and there are other days in the week. We'll reschedule. Hell, I'm going to have more birthdays, too. It's temporary, I can deal. I mean, my fiancé is going to miss my birthday this year- he's going to be gone, we know this already. When you're an adult and you're trying to build a better life for yourself and your family, these things happen. Have a conversation about whether this is a temporary thing or whether it's going to become the norm, decide if you can handle it if it IS the norm, and move on. Not to mention, HOW MANY MOVIES have we gotten where the dutiful wife/girlfriend waits at home while a man gets this big character arc at work, in the military, whatever? And they might be frustrated when he misses things like birthdays, but he NEVER leaves his career over it- by the end of those films, the man simply learns to balance a bit better, if the "lonely wife at home" trope is even addressed in the resolution. But we get one career woman and all of a sudden her "lonely, neglected" (busy chef) boyfriend is the victim? Yeah I love this movie, but I hate her boyfriend and friends. She should have ditched them at the end.

The movie makes it seem that being ambitious is a bad thing. I understand that Andy was not interested in fashion, but like most People who have jobs. You learn & adapt. Plus she was starting to enjoy her job & was thriving. I was more surprised how her friends acted. The whole scene where they take her phone, was a dick move. That her boss. I am sure they have bosses too. They made her feel guilty & at the end she made her relationship priority.

Yessss, this!!! He acted like a spoilt man-child and I couldn’t believe she went back to him in the end! And that New Yorker sacrifice! 😭😭😭

I swear to God, if my friends did that phone thing to me, I would never speak to them again.

Someone should write a fanfic where Andy dumps Nate and those stupid friends and takes back all the gifts she gave them.

This reminds me of my friend whose impressive performance got her invited to a company dinner at an extremely expensive restaurant. It wasn’t a plus-one event and her husband was so pissed off about not getting to go that he had her order a FILET MIGNON as her course meal, discreetly wrap it up in a napkin, put it in her PURSE, and excuse herself to the restroom so that she could go out to the parking lot where he was waiting in his car to hand over to him. She didn’t see ANYTHING wrong with this because she was so focused on being a “good wife.” If my husband demanded this and I discovered that he wasn’t joking, I’d google divorce attorneys on the spot.

Thanks for voicing all this - it's always been something in the back of my mind and I couldn't quite articulate it. I think we all fell for his dark eyes.. but right on for all the friends.

I first saw this movie as a kid and just saw the movie in the shallow "Boss is mean and tried to change this good girl into a bad person but she eventually chooses to stand up for herself" view. When I rewatched the movie as an adult in a very VERY cut-throat and demanding career with a toxic environment, I found myself empathizing and learning from the Andy we see in the middle of the film. Trying to convince yourself that you're better than the people at your job and that it's not cool to integrate yourself and your mindset into the job will not do you any good. You'll hate your job and always be negative and angry which isn't at all healthy and you won't succeed at said job. Don't fight against the tide, learn to swim, then use the waves to propel you where you wanna go. The movie should have ended with Andy and Miranda exchanging looks. No reuniting with Nate and hopefully a scene of Andy blocking contact with her "friends" who are just as immature and insensitive. Those friends were only good for Andy when she was just as cynical as the rest of them but now that Andy has matured, she's outgrown them and deserves better

I honestly thought I was the only one that felt this way about this movie....thank you, thank you for posting this video! You are 100% right!!!!

I just rewatched this movie after years and seriously I was so shocked that she was the one who said sorry in the end, and how her boyfriend (and friends) didn't say sorry back to her as well after how they treated her. The only "somewhat" redeeming character was the friend who was invested to talk to her about her new interest in her job

Nigel's, "that happens when you start doing good at work" was the realest sentence I've heard.

I watched this movie and thought the same thing: Andy's friends knew FULL well her boss was a huge bitch and they still decided it would be funny at her expense when she didn't like it at all and expressed it

Every time I watch this movie I just get really really mad at how unsupportive her friends and family are, and I feel like most of the reason she walked away from such a good job and a great career is that her friends and boyfriend manipulated her into it. It makes me so mad

A sequel where Andy dumps Nate and goes back to work with Miranda and would finally have a supportive group of friends would be great.

Thank you for doing this analysis, you have described with the exact words what I have always thought. thanks again, it's like coming out of a psychological trauma. Hugs

As a chef myself Nate's attitude baffled me

Nate is the kind of guy who thinks he's feminist because he "likes girls who aren't like the other girls." But that's just a personal preference at best and its own form of sexism at worst. I headcanon that they parted ways amicably about six months after the movie ends, because while Andy's new job was certainly less demanding I doubt he was any more supportive.

the description i love it ‘ive waited 14 years to talk about how much nate sucks’ so true

Omg thank u for this. I I actually just rewatched this a few days ago and I absolutely 100% agree I think that they were supposed to be the antagonistics next to Miranda's and I feel like he's threatened by her success because it doesn't look like he's doing very well.

It frustrates me that the movie demonized Andy for things that weren't her fault. Having to work absurdly long hours and constantly be on call for your boss *is* bad but it's not the employee's fault! Her friends and boyfriend sucked, but that doesn't mean Miranda is the "real hero of the movie" like a lot of people think.

They want to potrait the friends and the boyfriend as a typical goody two shoes that do no wrong, but end up like bunch of jock bullies.

I have been waiting for a video like this one since I saw this movie! Thanks soooo much for saying every single thing on my mind! To me the ending is like you say, the worst. She is far from being someone to look up to and it's such a shame for the movie is fun to warch and is well made.

This video needed to be made. Thank you!

Yessss!!!! Thank you for this. He was the undercover ball n chain that kept her from bettering herself. Lily was the second worst. She was a hypocrite. But wait. Andy didn’t go back to Nate. They stayed friends. He went to Boston or something and she stayed in NY. through Miranda’s recommendation, Andy got a job at a small news paper. Exactly what she always wanted. When We see Miranda smile at the end, it was over how Andy had BETTERED herself but on Andy’s terms. Just like Miranda. She was proud of being part of that change.

Glad to know I'm not the only one who was annoyed by her group of friends. People evolve and grow as they go and good friends will stick around no matter what as long as they're decent human beings

👏👏👏 thank you! These are the EXACT problems that I had with the film!

Man are you on the mark, I pretty much was thinking bout this movie in the same vein. I must sub you!

He diminishes her job the whole movie but at the end he's like: I got a job at another state so change your plans and follow me on *my* journey hihi

WE SED WHAT WE SED. Thanks for the video!!

I always felt this way about devil wears prada and dynamics between her friends and nate. Thank you for doing this video!

I admit it's been years since I've seen this movie, but I never thought about that way. But now that I do, I can't unsee it. And I agree with your analysis!