Who would have guessed that we are starting with the "Devil"? At least she's stylish!

Many of you reading know how much of a Swiftie I am. (Yes, I know, guilty as charged.) So it will surprise you to know that the first media piece I’m sharing on this blog is not, in fact, a well-crafted lyric or refrain by Taylor Swift but rather something entirely different, altogether. I’m starting off with a movie review (and recommendation).

This past weekend, I went to see the long-awaited sequel to the infamous “Devil Wears Prada.” The first film was iconic - I was in high school when it came out. The cinematography, music, and, of course, the fashion were all brilliant. As storylines go, it generated a lot of debate for years to come - a sign of a successful film, in my book, is to at least keep people talking. In the first film, we find Andy Sachs, Northwestern grad and budding journalist trying to forge her way into a cutthroat career, beginning at Runway - a fashion magazine. And she’s not exactly… stylish to begin with. She struggles to connect with many of her coworkers and refuses to be influenced by the seemingly superficial world of high fashion. She works hard, but can’t quite find her place in this foreign world until she steps out of her comfort zone and finally takes an interest in the very thing her organization is trying to promote.

The true pivot point of the movie is when she walks into Nigel Kipling’s office - the fashion director for Runway - after a particularly unpleasant dressing down from Miranda - the proverbial boss “Devil wear(ing) Prada.” She’s just finished crying, frustrated because she feels like she’s pushing herself to her limits in making the job work when Nigel gives her a reality check:

Andy, be serious. You are not trying. You are whining. …Don't you know that you are working at the place that published some of the greatest artists of the century? Halston, Lagerfeld, de la Renta. And what they did, what they created was greater than art because you live your life in it. Well, not you, obviously, but some people. You think this is just a magazine, hmm? This is not just a magazine. This is a shining beacon of hope for... oh, I don't know... let's say a young boy growing up in Rhode Island with six brothers, pretending to go to soccer practice when he was really going to sewing class and reading Runway under the covers at night with a flashlight. You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls. And what's worse, you don't care. Because this place, where so many people would die to work, you only deign to work. And you want to know why she doesn't kiss you on the forehead and give you a gold star on your homework at the end of the day. Wake up, sweetheart.

Seriously, one of the best monologues of the movie, next to Miranda’s “Cerulean Sweater” monologue. Nigel is pinpointing the reality that Andy really does not care about fashion nor does she have any desire to change that. She doesn’t have a reason to complain - this job is a stepping stone for her to something else and everyone at Runway knows it. If Andy has no respect for the fashion industry, then why would the elite fashion icons have any respect for her.

This scene makes me reflect on how difficult it is to relate to people - particularly people with whom we share little interest. Respect can’t be built in a world where we are unwilling to learn about the world that our neighbors live in - what’s important to them. It appears that Nigel is taking a moment to be vulnerable with Andy by hinting at why Runway was perhaps important to him as a boy - a place where he found belonging outside of the life that was expected for him. When Andy refuses to see the importance of an industry like fashion for a boy that wants to be a fashion designer, she has revealed that she doesn’t truly understand the perspectives of others, an arguably necessary part of being a good journalist.

How easy is it to complain about people or groups of people with whom we share seemingly little? How difficult is it to step out of our comfortable box and actually try to connect - to find similarities with those who are different from us? Are we so afraid of change and losing sense about who we are as individuals? It’s uncomfortable to change perspective - to get rid of what no longer works and to pick up something new. We are afraid of screwing up or insulting others. Or even losing that guiding sense of value and purpose we have as people. Relationships with others succeed when we share vulnerability, respect, and a desire to learn more about the world of people different from ourselves. That's a lesson that I think everyone should be able to learn - but especially Christians. We want to be welcoming to people (in theory), but we also get so frustrated when people don't feel like giving the church a chance. What have we actually done to meet people where they are? Are we trying... or are we just whining? Maybe that's a little harsh. But taking an invested interest in others requires more than a worship song composed in the last decade and a rainbow flag on the website homepage.

Movie: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Where to watch it: Disney+/Hulu subscription or available for purchase

In the words of Miranda Priestly: "That's all."

-PT