I re-watched The Devil Wears Prada today, and I've come to the conclusion that the only person who needs to be disciplined is Andy. I read the book a long time ago, and I can't remember if Andy is any better in that, but in the film? God. This is my rant about how much I hate her character. Feel free to leave before I get started, because I have been thinking about this so much I'm absurdly frustrated over this fictional character, so this is going to be a heated and long rant.
OK, now, how do I even start?
First of all, as Miranda's assistant, even though all the things Miranda demands of her is unfair and terrible, and I would never last more than a few minutes under a boss like that, it's part of her job. She knew, coming in, that the job would be hard. That she was out of her comfort zone. But she took it, promised she would do well, and then has the nerve to think that she should be treated better? Nigel is right. She doesn't want the job. And every time she repeats, "I didn't have a choice," I want to smack her over the head and yell, "Yes, you did! You could have quit! Walked away! Auto-verse is right there. Go there, if you hate Miranda so much! It's not like you didn't have alternatives. You chose Runway, so shut your mouth and get to work! If you can't swim, sink, or swim away!" I used to like her character, except then I watched this film as an older person, and God how much I hate Andy.
I mean, leaving in the middle of the busiest week without so much as a word, walking away and literally tossing company property into a fountain? Not to mention literally, and I mean literally, walking out right before an event. Honestly, I don't care what Miranda says that freaks her out (and in the end, what freaked her out was a freaking complement!), she should've at least had the professionalism to stay until the end of the day, and then, like any normal human being, turned in her resignation. This? The way she quit? If Miranda had blacklisted her, I wouldn't have blamed her. This is unprofessional to the Tee, and to think Miranda gave her a good recommendation letter!
This isn't even the first time she was unprofessional. After Emily told her, repeatedly, to not go upstairs (even if her instructions were slightly unclear about the flowers and the closet), why, why, why did she go up those stairs? Why, why, why did she not turn and attempt to leave the minute she heard Miranda coming? I get the twins were there. But the twins are not her employers, and in the workplace, Emily is her superior, and rather than listen to a superior, she listened to two girls who have nothing to do with her work. Honestly, if I were her, I would've placed the dry cleaning where the twins told me, and then left the book on the table in the foyer. That shouldn't even be hard to deduce. Did Emily say you should enter the living room? No. Did Emily say Miranda is very private? Yes. So what would any normal person with half a brain do? Go as little in the house as possible! And if you place the Book somewhere wrong, what is Miranda going to do besides be mean and tell you where to place it correctly next time? Is she going to fire you? I doubt that, especially since even after Andy went upstairs Miranda didn't attempt to fire her outright. So what in the world was Andy thinking??
And the way she judges Miranda instantly for throwing Nigel's chance away is infuriating. It was Miranda or Nigel at that point. What did Andy expect? When it was Emily and Andy, she chose herself, didn't she? So where is this judgement coming from? And why does she think anyone would do any differently? At that point, it's about survival, and I doubt Miranda and Nigel are close enough for her to consider giving up her career so that he could have a potentially, and here I emphasize potentially, better job.
I don't know how much of what I dislike about Andy comes from Anne Hathaway's performance, but I will say that this isn't her best performance. Not even close. Her Andy seems constantly unready at first, arrogant because of her moral superiority to the whims of what she clearing sees as nothing more than clothing. And she keeps trying to look innocent, the way Hathaway plays her. She's not. I hate to break it to anyone, but Andy is not innocent. Sure, she has basic manners in a cutthroat industry, but that doesn't mean she's innocent of being a part of the industry that has pushed people to kill themself in the past. I'm trying to imagine me, as a boss, working on a project that is my life's work, my life's passion, and having an assistant that obviously couldn't care less. It is already making me mad.
Not that Miranda is perfect. But the message of this film, on the surface, is that Andy was right to leave the toxic work environment Miranda created, and that she was right to go back to a boyfriend who literally could not accept the fact that her career was taking off. The film paints Andy as a good guy, and that irks me to no end. Miranda, Emily, Nigel, nobody, actually, in the film, is a saint. But Andy, being painted as the sensible and responsible one? No. I refuse. And since we're all applauding her for leaving a toxic workplace, why don't we now talk about how she refused to leave an obviously not great relationship? Nate congratulates her. Congratulates her. For leaving a job he knew would get her to her dreams after a single year. What kind of partner wants your dreams to fail? AND SHE GOES BACK TO HIM??
And her friends? Don't even get me started. They all knew how important her job is to her, and instead, after getting goodies that she brought them, tries to steal her phone and knowingly made her life harder (knowing that Miranda doesn't like to be kept waiting).
OK, deep breath.
Now that I'm done ranting about Andy, my fan fiction overloaded brain has to say:
Mirandy is so extremely gay. I don't even care. The way that Miranda looks over Andy, whether that was the first time in the cerulean sweater or the last time right before the James Holt party, her eyes very subtly skimming Andy. And the Channel boots, where Miranda literally turned around to look at her. Miranda literally calls her "fetching." Or the way that Nate says, and I quote, "The person whose calls you're always taking? That's the relationship you're in." Or the way that Andy obviously appreciates Miranda's appearances at the events? And the way she leaves Christian Thompson in a towel, a towel, for God's sake, to go and warn Miranda? They are gay. I don't care. I hate Miranda and Andy (with a particular vehemence), but I still ship them. I'm not sorry.
Now that I've gotten everything out of my system, I feel better.
Happy Sunday!!
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