Saagar Kote
About The Fit.Com is an innovative online clothing company that is a major part of the narrative of ‘The Intern,‘ a 2015 comedy-drama directed by Nancy Meyers. The movie centers on Ben Whitaker, an elderly widower grappling with loneliness after his wife’s passing. Seeking a fresh start and a way to stay active, he secures a senior intern position at the clothing company. Jules Ostin, the company’s driven young CEO, championed the senior intern program, believing it would inspire and impart valuable life skills to younger employees through the wisdom of experienced retirees seeking new opportunities. Crucial elements in the story are conveyed through the workings of the company around which the majority of the plot revolves.
About The Fit.Com is Vaguely Inspired By Reality
Though the company headed by Jules Ostin in the narrative looks very real, it is a semi-fictional creation of the writer, Nancy Meyers, vaguely inspired by the workings of real companies. About the Fit is a fashion company that has great ambitions driven by the CEO. The movie utilizes this company as a medium to explore themes such as age diversity within the workplace and the challenges associated with balancing professional aspirations with family life, especially for a female entrepreneur.
Anne Hathaway, who plays Jules Ostin in the film, consulted many female entrepreneurs, including Sophia Amoruso of Nasty Gal and Lauren Santo Domingo, founder of Moda Operandi, as revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She also consulted Taylor Tomasi Hill, a style and accessories director at Marie Claire and creative director at Moda Operandi, regarding the launch of Taylor’s floral arrangement company. This process helped her add authenticity to her performance. To better understand the complexities of the online business world, Nancy Meyers consulted thriving companies such as One Kings Lane and Gilt Groupe. Young women founded both of these companies, and Meyers’s work adds a layer of realism to the narrative.
Jules’s constant efforts to improve her business and website, along with her data analysis and Ben’s helpful suggestions, contribute to About The Fit’s enhanced website strategies at a certain point in the film. The dynamics between the two lead characters are very close to behavioral patterns in real-life workplaces. This demonstrates the director’s involvement in thorough groundwork, research, and discussions during the filmmaking process. In essence, the company featured in the movie is loosely based on reality, but it is exceptionally close to the workings of real-life companies, and also bases crucial plot elements around the challenges faced by women in leadership positions in the American corporate world.
Read More: Where Was The Intern Filmed?
