Is the ‘single woman’ a complete person?
The Devil Wears Prada 2” has been described as Gen Z “woke,” from avoiding “guys” as a non-gender-neutral term to an HR-compliant Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). It also recognizes the death of publishing and the digital move to constant content creation. There’s commentary on layoffs, tech billionaires, and shrinking editorial budgets.
But ironically, it’s still not self-aware of the simple idea that being single is, well, just fine.
I don’t think anyone really walked into the sequel expecting cinematic greatness. “We all know the dangers of the sequel,” Colin Firth once said. “Lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place too often.” Though the callbacks were also comforting, especially for those of us who grew up galvanized by “The Devil Wears Prada” and went on to work in lifestyle media.
The first and second films open the same way, with Andy (Anne Hathaway) brushing her teeth. There’s the return of the cerulean sweater in the form of bright-blue runway carpets as well as a recontextualized jab at “florals for spring” in a fashion show scene. We repeatedly hear the famous line, “A million girls would kill for this job.” And, of course, Miranda drops her famous, dismissive “That’s all” conversation-ender. While consistent throughout is the sparky chemistry between Miranda, Andy, Emily (Emily Blunt), and Nigel (Stanley Tucci).
Andy’s return is especially refreshing. No longer an insecure assistant, she tells Nigel she “learned a thing or two” from her time at Runway, as she totes a designer jacket she’s thrifted for a bargain. Now a successful, award-winning newspaper journalist who’s traveled the world, she’s confident and entirely her own person.
But then the movie gives her a boyfriend, anyway. And a one-dimensional boyfriend at that.
Enter: A very forgettable man
While Andy is a successful, stylish, emotionally balanced woman in her 40s, she casually tells Emily, “I’m not married. Never found the right person. And my kids are at a doctor’s office on 85th,” to which Emily’s eyes widen. “They’re frozen eggs right now, but I like to think of them as my little ones, Siobhan and Ester.”
She delivers the line matter-of-factly, but the writers still insisted on giving her a relationship—and not a memorable one at that, to the affront of all single women everywhere.
His name is Peter, played by Patrick Brammall, who people mostly know from “Colin From Accounts” (which unfortunately isn’t such a standout role among a star-studded cast). Peter is a divorced Australian contractor who restores old buildings, and is very, very into Andy… And, as Miranda would say, “That’s all.”
But neither Peter nor Patrick is to blame, as he’s just written that way.
Another irony is that the internet spent years vilifying Nate (played by Adrian Grenier) from the first film, all because he seemed threatened by Andy becoming more ambitious and fashionable. But at least Nate felt like a real person with all his flaws, opinions, and insecurities.
In “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” Peter meets Andy as she tours an apartment. Then she accidentally insults the designer before realizing the designer is Peter himself. Dinner follows, and he shows enthusiastic interest in Andy’s work, a counterpoint to Nate, as Peter’s not threatened at all by her success. They also go to bed together. During this scene, my gal friend and I burst into laughter at their supposed lovemaking, which was painfully devoid of even a drop of chemistry.
At one point, Andy snaps at him over work stress, but he simply gives her space instead of escalating things. It’s all very pleasant and emotionally healthy but also rather thin.
Could it be because the movie isn’t that interested in romance at all?
An old-fashioned side story in a film trying to be modern
Everyone in the film is juggling something new now, be it careers, children, divorce, or the collapse of traditional media. Emily is divorced, balancing custody with kids, while doting unconvincingly over her billionaire boyfriend, played by Justin Theroux. Miranda has remarried. After her marriage troubles in the first film, she’s gotten lucky with her new match—the deeply kind, supportive husband played by Kenneth Branagh (Note: also pretty one-dimensional). This side story begs the question: Did Miranda really need a third husband? She seems like the strong type who’d be content on her own, especially with Runway being her biggest love.
As if some consolation, the film pushes these romances to the side. And the real emotional core stays with the complex relationships between Miranda, Andy, Emily, and Nigel, taking the movie further than the love stories.
Peter’s insertion into the plot was still jarring, though, like the writers had to give her a man “just in case.”
God forbid a woman be fulfilled, happy, and single
More and more stories now revolve around identity and community rather than romance.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” almost gets there. But the writing still reveals the writers’ disbelief that a fulfilled, happy, single woman can exist.
Andy’s life already appeared full, with work she cares about, long-lasting friendships, and a life built wholly on her own. So why is cinema still so afraid to let that be enough?
If Andy (and Emily and Miranda) were left single yet successful, could the sequel have been truly radical? It might have been, especially with all its comments on media collapse and tech oligarchy. And even with all its charming spectacle and great, glamorous fun, the underwhelming, unnecessary romances felt old-fashioned for a film otherwise very self-aware.
