The premiere of the second part of the film “The Devil Wears Prada” has sparked a wave of interest in movies about the work of journalists. In our selection, we present several already iconic films, from Michael Lange’s “The Intern” to Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch.
“Sleepless in Seattle”, 1999
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A true classic, this film is directed by Nora Ephron, who also gave the world “When Harry Met Sally” and began her own career in journalism. The plot unfolds as follows: an eight-year-old boy calls a radio station to find a new wife for his recently widowed father, Sam (Tom Hanks). Among the listeners is Annie Reed (Meg Ryan), a journalist for The Baltimore Sun, who is in an unhappy engagement. She writes a letter to Sam, but never dares to send it herself… at least, not alone. Her friend and editor takes the initiative. The rest, it seems, you can probably guess.
“The Intern”, 2000
“The Intern” tells the story of Jocelyn Bennett, an intern at a fictional New York fashion magazine called Skirt. Jocelyn is treated terribly at work and receives a low salary, but despite everything, she lives and breathes the magazine and adores fashion. At one point, a spy appears in the editorial office, who begins to pass on Skirt’s scoops and story ideas to a glossy competitor, Vogue. Skirt magazine finds itself in a difficult situation, some begin to suspect who the spy might be, Jocelyn tries to clear her name, and simultaneously falls in love with the publication’s art director.
The screenplay for the film was written by Caroline Doyle and Jill Kargman, both of whom worked at magazines like Mademoiselle, Harper’s Bazaar, and Interview, so the level of authenticity (and irony) in “The Intern” is impressive.
“Never Been Kissed”, 1999
An adult pretending to be a high school student to investigate “modern teenage culture” would be both disturbing and illegal in real life, but as a plot for a 1990s film, it works flawlessly. In “Never Been Kissed,” 25-year-old Chicago Sun-Times reporter Josie Geller, played by a youthful-looking Drew Barrymore, goes undercover back to her old high school, the very place where she was once ruthlessly bullied. And don’t worry: she doesn’t fall for a student, only, let’s say, for her teacher.
“Almost Famous”, 2000
This story deviates slightly from the glossy theme. In “Almost Famous,” the protagonist isn’t a stylish thirty-something journalist in a perfectly tailored jacket, but a teenager (the charmingly naive Patrick Fugit) who goes on tour with a rock band for Rolling Stone in the 1970s (yes, the term “rom-com” here is rather conditional). Yet, it’s impossible to ignore this film – it’s iconic. Primarily thanks to Penny Lane, played by Kate Hudson: her bohemian style has inspired entire generations, especially when it comes to the perfect autumn coat.
“The French Dispatch”
Wes Anderson’s film is set in the fictional French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé, in the offices of a publication created in the image and likeness of The New Yorker magazine. Its characters are stylish and eccentric journalists played by Elizabeth Moss, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson. It is known that while working on the script, the director was inspired by The New Yorker, a magazine he had been a passionate admirer of since his youth. Some characters and events in the film are borrowed from real articles in this magazine. For example, the character of the editor-in-chief, Arthur Howitzer Jr., played by Bill Murray, is inspired by The New Yorker co-founder Harold Ross.