The Devil Wears Prada (film)

Infobox Film
name = The Devil Wears Prada


caption = Promotional poster for "The Devil Wears Prada"
director = David Frankel
producer = Wendy Finerman
writer = Lauren Weisberger (novel)
Aline Brosh McKenna
(screenplay)
starring = Meryl Streep
Anne Hathaway
Emily Blunt
Stanley Tucci
music = Theodore Shapiro
cinematography = Florian Ballhaus
editing = Mark Livolsi
distributor = 20th Century Fox
released = flagicon|USAflagicon|MEXFlagicon|Canada June 30, 2006
flagicon|Jamaica July 30
flagicon|Hong Kong September 14
flagicon|AUSSeptember 28
Flagicon|UKflagicon|South Africa October 5-6
flagicon|NZL October 19
runtime = 106 minutes
language = English
budget = US$35,000,000 [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=devilwearsprada.htm The Devil Wears Prada] at boxofficemojo.com, retrieved September 15, 2006.]
gross = US$326,308,924 [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=devilwearsprada.htm The Devil Wears Prada] at boxofficemojo.com, retrieved September 15, 2006.]
imdb_id = 0458352
amg_id = A336015
website = http://www.devilwearsprada.com

"The Devil Wears Prada" is a 2006 comedy-drama film, a loose screen adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel of the same name. It stars Anne Hathaway as Andrea "Andy" Sachs, a recent college graduate who goes to New York City and gets a job as a co-assistant to powerful and demanding fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep. Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci co-star in support of the two leads, as catty co-assistant Emily Charlton, and critical yet supportive Art Director Nigel, respectively. Adrian Grenier, Simon Baker and Tracie Thoms play key supporting roles. Wendy Finerman produced and David Frankel directed; the film was distributed by 20th Century Fox.

Streep's performance drew rave reviews from critics and later earned her many award nominations, including her record-setting 14th Oscar bid, as well as a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Blunt also drew favorable notice and nominations, as did many of those involved in the film's production. While critical reaction to the film as a whole was more measured, it was well received by the public becoming a surprise summer box-office hit following its June 30 North American release. The commercial success and critical praise for Streep's performance continued in foreign markets, with the film leading the international box office for most of October. The U.S. DVD release likewise was the top rental during December. Ultimately, it would gross over $300 million, mostly from its international run, and finish in 2006's top 20 both in the U.S. and overseas. It is also the highest-grossing film in Streep's and Hathaway's careers. A television series is being developed.

Although the movie is set in the fashion world, most designers and other fashion notables avoided appearing as themselves for fear of displeasing U.S. "Vogue" editor Anna Wintour, who is widely believed to have been the inspiration for Priestly. Many designers did, however, allow their clothes and accessories to be used in the film, making it the most expensively-costumed film in history. Wintour later overcame her initial skepticism,Walters, Barbara; December 12, 2006; [http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2716887&page=3 Anna Wintour: Always in Vogue] ; "The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2006"; retrieved from abcnews.go.com December 18, 2006.] saying she liked the film and Streep in particular.

Plot

Andrea "Andy" Sachs, an aspiring journalist fresh out of Northwestern University, lands the magazine job "a million girls would kill for": junior personal assistant to icy editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly, who dominates the fashion world from her perch atop "Runway" magazine. She puts up with the eccentric and humiliating requests of her boss because, she is told, if she lasts a year in the position she will get her pick of other jobs, perhaps even the journalistic position she truly craves.

At first, she fits in poorly among the gossipy who make up the magazine staff. Her lack of style or fashion knowledge and fumbling with her job make her an object of scorn around the office. Senior assistant Emily (a name Miranda also uses to refer to Andy) Charlton, her coworker, is condescending to her. Gradually, though, with the help of art director Nigel, Andrea adjusts to the position and its many perks, including free designer clothing and other choice accessories. She begins to dress more stylishly and do her job competently, fulfilling a seemingly impossible request of Miranda's to get two copies of an unpublished "Harry Potter" manuscript to her daughters.

She also comes to prize chance encounters with attractive young writer Christian Thompson, who helped her obtain the "Potter" manuscript and suggests he could help her with her career. At the same time, however, her relationship with her boyfriend Nate, a chef working his way up the career ladder, and other college friends suffers due to the increasing time she spends at Miranda's beck and call.

Shortly afterwards, Andrea saves Miranda from social embarrassment at a charity benefit when the cold-stricken Emily falters in reminding Miranda who an approaching guest is. As a result, Miranda tells Andrea that she will accompany her to the fall fashion shows in Paris, rather than Emily who had been looking forward to the trip for months. Miranda warns Andrea that if she declines, it could adversely affect her future job prospects. Emily is hit by a car before Andrea can tell Emily the next morning, making her choice moot.

During a gallery exhibit of her friend Lilly's photography, Andy again encounters Christian, who openly flirts with her, much to the shock and disgust of Lilly, who witnesses it all. After Lilly calls her out and walks away, Andy bumps into Nate, who, when she tells him she will be going to Paris, is angered that she refuses to admit that she's become the girls she's made fun of and that their relationship has taken a back seat. As a result, they break up in the middle of the street the night before she leaves for Paris.

In Paris, Nigel tells Andrea that he has got a job as creative director with rising fashion star James Holt, at Miranda's recommendation, and will finally be in charge of his own life. She also finally succumbs to Christian's charms, and sees her boss let down her guard for the first time as she worries about the effect an impending divorce will have on her twin daughters. In the morning, Andrea finds out about a plan to replace Miranda as "Runway" editor with Jacqueline Follet, editor of the magazine's French edition, later that day. Despite the suffering she has endured at her boss's behest, she attempts to warn Miranda but is seemingly rebuffed each time.

At a luncheon later that day, however, Miranda announces that it is Jacqueline instead of Nigel who will leave "Runway" for Holt. Later, when the two are being driven to a show, she explains to a still-stunned Andrea that she was grateful for the warning but already knew of the plot to replace her and sacrificed Nigel to keep her own job. Pleased by this display of loyalty, she tells Andrea she sees some of herself in her. Andrea, repulsed, said she could never do to anyone what Miranda did to Nigel, primarily as Nigel mentored Andrea. Miranda replies that she already did, stepping over Emily when she agreed to go to Paris. If she wants to get ahead in her career, that's what she'll have to be willing to do.

Andrea gets out of the limo at the next stop, going not into the show with Miranda but out into the street, where instead of answering yet another call from her boss she throws her cell phone into the fountain of the Place de la Concorde, leaving Miranda, "Runway" and fashion behind.

Later, back in New York, she meets Nate for breakfast. He has accepted an offer to work as a sous-chef in a popular Boston restaurant, and will be moving there shortly. Andrea is disappointed but her hope is rejuvenated when he says they could work something out, implying they will have a long-distance relationship in the future. At the film's conclusion, she has finally been offered a job as a newspaper reporter, greatly helped by a fax from Miranda herself who told the editor that Andrea was her "biggest disappointment ever," and if they didn't hire her they would be idiots. Andrea calls Emily and offers her all of the clothes that she got in Paris, which Andrea insists that she doesn't need anymore. Emily accepts and tells Andrea's replacement she has some big shoes to fill. In the last shot, Andrea, dressed as she was at the beginning of the film but with a bit more style, sees Miranda getting into her car across the street. They exchange looks and Miranda gives no indication of a greeting, but gives a soft smile once inside the car, before sternly telling her chauffeur to "go."

Differences between film and novel

While the basic plot elements of Weisberger's novel remain in place, many changes were made to the specifics. Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna created an entirely different crisis at the end of the story, and this required changes to many of the characters.

Plot

In the novel, Andrea is forced into confronting Miranda at the climax when, back in New York, Lily is involved in a car accident, which leaves her comatose. Andrea's friends and family challenge her via phone calls to stand up for herself.Weisberger, Lauren; "The Devil Wears Prada", Broadway Books, New York, 2003, ISBN 0767914767 330-342.] The conspiracy to remove Miranda as "Runway" editor, and everything associated with it, was written entirely for the film. Andrea ends her time with Miranda by telling her, very publicly, "Fuck you, Miranda. "Fuck you"." "Ibid.", 342.]

To set up the climax, details along the way were changed or added. Irv Ravitz, head of Elias-Clark, was given a far bigger part in the movie. The scene where Andrea succeeds where the sick Emily faltered at the benefit was adapted from a similar scene in the novel which did not involve Emily. Her inability to go to Paris in the novel is due to a bout of mononucleosis."Ibid.", 277-78.] McKenna and Frankel decided to have her suffer the car accident instead of Lily to let Andrea out of a moral dilemma that could have made her less sympathetic in viewers' eyes.

Afterwards, the novel's Andrea sells her leftover clothing to a second-hand shop for $38,000 and finances her writer's life for the next year."Ibid.", 359.] She, too, eventually returns to publishing when she sells a short story to "Seventeen", and then returns to Elias-Clark to discuss freelance writing assignments with another of the company's magazines, "The Buzz"."Ibid.", 360-61.]

Characters

All the major characters were revised at least slightly from their counterparts in the novel. Andrea was made a graduate of Northwestern instead of Brown, and from Ohio rather than Connecticut."Ibid.", 10.] Her career aspirations were changed from simply wanting to write for "The New Yorker""Ibid.", 11] to newspaper journalism. Miranda's failing marriage was added, and overall her character is more sympathetic. Emily in the novel is kinder to Andrea and lives in just as much fear of Miranda, sometimes engaging in passive-aggressive behavior toward her. Nate is named Alex and teaches elementary school through Teach for America in the Bronx, rather than cooking, and does not live with Andrea.

Lily underwent the most significant change. Her role in the novel is far larger: she has been Andrea's best friend since eighth grade and the two went through college together."Ibid.", 83.] Instead of running an art gallery, she is a graduate student in Russian literature at Columbia University."Ibid.", 58.] Stressed from her studies, she starts to pick up men in bars and develops a drinking problem, which leads to her car accident and the climactic confrontation between Andrea and Miranda.

She, Andrea, Alex/Nate and Miranda are all depicted as having come from Jewish backgrounds."Ibid.", 38.] The film makes no reference to any character's ethnicity.

Among the minor characters, James Holt and Jacqueline Follet, who figure prominently in the film's resolution, were created for it and do not exist in the novel. Likewise, several gay male "Runway" staffers were combined into the film's Nigel, very different from the original in the book modeled on André Leon Talley. Miranda's nanny Cara and the Elias-Clark security guard Eduardo were also eliminated. Only Christian is similar to his text counterpart (and his name was changed as well."Ibid.", 118.] )

Production

Director David Frankel and producer Wendy Finerman had originally read "The Devil Wears Prada" in book proposal form.Grove, Martin A. "The Hollywood Reporter". " [http://web.archive.org/web/20060708134342/http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/hollywood/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002763479 Oscar-Worthy 'Devil Wears Prada' Most Enjoyable Film in Long Time: 'The Hollywood Reporter'] ." June 28, 2006; retrieved July 4, 2008] It would be Frankel's second theatrical feature. He, cinematographer Florian Ballhaus and costume designer Patricia Field, drew heavily on their experience in making "Sex and the City".

Preproduction

Four screenwriters worked on the property before Aline Brosh McKenna, who was able to relate her own youthful experiences to the story,Callaghan, Dylan; " [http://www.wga.org/subpage.aspx?id=2064 Clothes Encounters] "; Writers Guild of America, West; retrieved from wga.org December 19, 2006.] produced a draft that struck the right balance for Finerman and Frankel, rearranging the plot significantly and focusing the story on the conflict between Andrea and Miranda.cite video | people = Finerman, Wendy | title = "Trip to the Big Screen" on The Devil Wears Prada | medium = DVD | publisher = 20th Century Fox | location = USA | date = 2006 ] She also toned down Miranda's meanness at the request of Finerman and Frankel, only to restore it at Streep's request. Hathaway, the only actress considered for the lead, took the part to work with Streep, but also due to some personal aspects.Whitty, Stephen; July 29, 2007; "Growing up in public"; "The Star-Ledger", Section 4, page 2. "I wanted to illustrate how dangerous it was to not make your own choices ... I had been doing that for far too long"] Blunt, whom Finerman desired for her sense of humor, denied rumors she lost weight at the filmmakers' requestCelebrity Stink; July 11, 2006; " [http://www.cinemablend.com/celebrity/Devil-Wears-Prada-Forced-Emily-Blunt-To-Emaciate-Herself-533.html Devil Wears Prada Forced Emily Blunt To Emaciate Herself] "; retrieved from cinemablend.com January 18, 2007.] [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1808577445/bio Emily Blunt biography] ; retrieved from Yahoo! Movies January 18, 2007.] ) She insisted on playing the character as British.Davies, Hugh; September 9, 2006; " [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/08/wvenice08.xml Meryl Streep plays the Devil her own way] "; "The Daily Telegraph"; retrieved January 10, 2007.] Gisele Bündchen agreed to be in the movie only if she didn't play a model.Frankel, David (2006). Commentary track on "The Devil Wears Prada" [DVD] . USA: 20th Century Fox.]

Tucci was one of the last actors cast. Supposedly, the filmmakers had auditioned Simon Doonan, the creative director at Barney's and E!'s Robert Verdi, both openly gay men highly visible as media fashion commentators, for the part. Verdi would later claim there was no intention to actually hire him and the producers had just used him and Doonan to give whoever they ultimately did cast some filmed research to use in playing a gay character (he would end up with a walk-on part as a fashion journalist in Paris). Tucci claims he was unaware of this: "All I know is that someone called me and I realized this was a great part." He based the character on various people he was acquainted with, insisting on the glasses he ultimately wore.Lamphier, Jason; " [http://www.out.com/detail.asp?id=18884 Playing Devil's Advocate] "; "Out"; retrieved January 9, 2007.] Sunjata had originally read for Tucci's part, rather unenthusiastically since he had just finished playing a similar character, but then read the Holt part and asked if he could audition for it. Baker auditioned by sending a video of himself, wearing the same self-designed green jacket he has on when he and Andrea meet for the first time.

Weisberger is widely believed to have based Miranda on Anna Wintour, the powerful editor of "Vogue". Wintour reportedly warned major fashion designers who had been invited to make cameo appearances as themselves in the film that they would be banished from the magazine's pages if they did so.cite web|url=http://www.radarmagazine.com/fresh-intelligence/2005/11/09/index.php#report_004079|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060506172615/http://www.radarmagazine.com/fresh-intelligence/2005/11/09/index.php|archivedate=2006-05-06|title=The Devil You Know, On Line One|accessdate=2006-07-01|work=Fresh Intelligence|date=2005-11-09] "Vogue" and other major women's and fashion magazines have avoided reviewing or even mentioning the book in their pages. Wintour's spokespeople deny the claim, but costume designer Patricia Field says many designers told her they did not want to risk Wintour's wrath.Whitworth, Melissa; June 9, 2006; " [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2006/09/06/efpatricia06.xml The Devil has all the best costumes] "; "The Daily Telegraph"; retrieved January 10, 2007.]

Only Valentino, who had designed the black gown Streep wears in the museum benefit scene, chose to make an appearance. Coincidentally, he was in New York during production and Finerman dared Field, an acquaintance, to ask him personally. Much to her surprise, he accepted.Field, Patricia. (2006). "Getting Valentino" on "The Devil Wears Prada" [DVD] . USA: 20th Century Fox.] Other cameos of note include Heidi Klum as herself and Weisberger as the twins' nanny.Finerman, Wendy. (2006). Commentary track on "The Devil Wears Prada" [DVD] . USA: 20th Century Fox.] Streep's daughter's film debut as a barista at Starbucks was cut.Frankel, David and Livolsi, Mark; commentary on deleted scenes on "The Devil Wears Prada" [DVD] . USA: 20th Century Fox.]

hooting

Principal photography took place over 57 days in New York and Paris between October and December 2005.Frankel, David (2006). Commentary track on "The Devil Wears Prada" [DVD] . USA: 20th Century Fox.] The film's budget was $35 million.

Acting

Streep made a conscious decision not to play the part as a direct impression of Wintour,January 31, 2007; [http://web.archive.org/web/20070830012928/http://www.who.com/who/magazine/article/0,19636,7401070219-1583696,00.html Exclusive Interview: Meryl Streep] ; "Who"; retrieved July 4, 2008. "I wanted the freedom to make this person up"] right down to not using an accent and making the character American rather than English ("I felt it was too restricting"). "I think she wanted people not to confuse the character of Miranda Priestly with Anna Wintour at all," said Frankel. "And that's why early on in the process she decided on a very different look for her and a different approach to the character.". The "that's all,"Weisberger, "The Devil Wears Prada", 80.] "please bore someone else ...""Ibid.", 204.] catch phrases; her coat-tossing on Andrea's desk"Ibid.", 201.] and discarded steak lunch"Ibid.", 150-51.] are retained from the novel. Streep prepared by reading a book by Wintour protegé Liz Tilberis and the memos of legendary "Vogue" editor Diana Vreeland. She lost enough weight during shooting that the clothes had to be taken in.

Hathaway prepared for the part by volunteering for a week as an assistant at an auction house; Frankel said she was "terrified" before starting her first scene with Streep. The older actress began her working relationship with Hathaway by saying first "I think you're perfect for the role and I'm so happy we're going to be working on this together" then warning her that was the last nice thing she would say.Hill, Amelia; October 8, 2006; " [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/focus/story/0,,1890311,00.html The secret of success? Kindness] "; "The Observer"; retrieved January 10, 2007.] Streep applied this philosophy to everyone else on set as well, keeping her distance from the cast and crewmembers unless it was necessary to discuss something with her.

She also suggested the editorial meeting scene, which doesn't advance the plot but shows Miranda at work without Andrea present.McKenna, Aline Brosh (2006). Commentary track on "The Devil Wears Prada" [DVD] . USA: 20th Century Fox.] It was also her idea that Miranda not wear makeup in the scene where she opens up to Andrea and worries about the effect on her daughters of her divorce becoming public knowledge.

Cinematography

Ballhaus, at Finerman and Frankel's suggestion, composed as many shots as possible, whether interiors or exteriors, to at least partially take in busy New York street scenes in the background, to convey the excitement of working in a glamorous industry in New York. He also used a handheld camera during some of the busier meeting scenes in Miranda's office, to better convey the flow of action, and slow motion for Andrea's entrance into the office following her makeover. A few process shots were necessary, mainly to put exterior views behind windows on sets and in the Mercedes where Miranda and Andrea are having their climactic conversation.

Costuming

Frankel, who had worked with Patricia Field, before on his feature-film debut, "Miami Rhapsody" as well as "Sex and the City", knew that what the cast wore would be of utmost importance in a movie set in the fashion industry. "My approach was to hire her and then leave the room," he joked later.cite video | people = Frankel, David | title = "NYC and Fashion" "on" The Devil Wears Prada | medium = DVD | publisher = 20th Century Fox | location = USA | date = 2006 ]

While none appeared onscreen, designers were very helpful to Field. Her $100,000 budget for the film's costumes was supplemented by help from friends from throughout the industry. Ultimately, she believes, $1 million worth of clothing was used in the film, making it the most expensively costumed movie in cinema history. The single priciest item was a $100,000 Fred Leighton necklace on Streep. Hathaway's most expensive item was a Yigal Azrouël angora coat, valued at $2,005June 25, 2006; " [http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,1806322,00.html Meet the acid queen of New York fashion] "; "The Observer"; retrieved January 10, 2007.]

Chanel asked to dress Hathaway for the film, and Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein helped Field as well. Although Field avoids making Streep look like Wintour, she dresses her in generous helpings of Prada (By Field's own estimate, 40% of the shoes on Streep's feet are Prada). Field added that much of the audience would not be familiar with Wintour's look and that "Meryl looks nothing like Anna, so even if I wanted to copy Anna, I couldn't." But, like Wintour and her "Vogue" predecessor Diana Vreeland, the two realized that Miranda needed a signature look, which was provided primarily by the white wig and forelock she wore as well as the clothes the two spent much time poring over look-books for.Fields said she avoided prevailing fashion trends for Miranda during production in favor of a more timeless look based on Donna Karan archives and pieces by Michael Vollbracht for Bill Blass,French, Serena; June 21, 2006; "The $1 Million Wardrobe"; "The New York Post", 41-43] a look she describes as "rich-lady clothes." She didn't want people to easily recognize what Miranda was wearing.Field, Patricia (2006). Commentary track on "The Devil Wears Prada" [DVD] . USA: 20th Century Fox.] She contrasted Andrea and Emily by giving the former a "textbook" sense of style, without much risk-taking, that would suggest clothing a fashion magazine would have on hand for shoots. Much of her high-fashion wardrobe is, indeed, Chanel, with some Calvin Klein thrown in for good measure. Blunt, on the other hand was "so on the edge she's almost falling off."cite video | people = Field, Patricia | title = "NYC and Fashion" on The Devil Wears Prada | medium = DVD | publisher = 20th Century Fox | location = USA | date = 2006 ] For her, Field chose pieces by Vivienne Westwood and Rick Owens, to suggest a taste for funkier, more "underground" clothing. After the film's release, some of the looks Field chose became popular, to the filmmakers' amusement.

Tucci praised Field's skill in putting ensembles together that were not only stylish but helped him develop his character:

She just sort of sits there with her cigarette and her hair, and she would pull stuff — these very disparate elements — and put them together into this ensemble, and you'd go, "Come on, Pat, you can't wear that with that." She'd say, "Eh, just try it on." So you'd put it on, and not only did it work, but it works on so many different levels — and it allows you to figure out who the guy is. Those outfits achieve exactly what I was trying to achieve. There's flamboyance, there's real risk-taking, but when I walk into the room, it's not flashy. It's actually very subtle. You look at it and you go, "That shirt, that tie, that jacket, that vest? What?" But it works.

He found one Dries van Noten tie he wore during the film to his liking and kept it.

Production design

After touring some offices of real fashion magazines, Jess Gonchor gave the "Runway" offices a clean, white look meant to suggest a makeup compact ("the chaste beiges and whites of impervious authority," Denby called it). Miranda's office bears some strong similarities to the real office of Anna Wintour, down to an octagonal mirror on the wall, photographs and a floral arrangement on the deskSee photos [http://www.oficinadeestilo.com.br/blog/wp-content/office.jpghere] ] (a similarity so marked Wintour had her office redecorated after the movie). The magazine itself is very similar to "Vogue", and one of the covers on the wall of the office, showing three models, is a direct homage to the August 2004 cover of that magazine. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458352/trivia Trivia for The Devil Wears Prada] , retrieved from imdb.com December 24, 2006.]

She even chose separate computer wallpaper to highlight different aspects of Blunt's and Hathaway's character: Paris's Arc de Triomphe on the former's suggests her aspirations to accompany Miranda to the shows there, while the floral image on Andy's suggests the natural, unassuming qualities she displays at the outset of her tenure with the magazine. For the photo of Andrea with her parents, Hathaway posed with her own mother and David Marshall Grant. One of the purported Harry Potter manuscripts was later sold at auction for $586 on eBay, along with various clothing used in the film, to benefit Dress for Success, a charity which provides business clothing to help women transition into the workforce.cite web |url=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200003242289#ebayphotohosting |title= DEVIL WEARS PRADA Hero Faux "Harry Potter Book 7"! |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060820064047/http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200003242289 |archivedate=2006-08-20; retrieved from ebay.com January 18, 2007.]

"Products"

Aside from the clothing and accessories, some other well-known brands are conspicuous in the film.

*Apple computers are used in the "Runway" offices, consistent with many real publishing companies.
*Miranda drinks coffee from a nearby Starbucks.
*Andrea uses a Danger Hiptop 2 (or a T-Mobile Sidekick 2) mobile phone, and Miranda a Motorola RAZR V3 in silver, same as Nigel's.
*The two are frequently driven around in Lincoln Town Cars and Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans.

Locations

"New York"

*The McGraw-Hill Building on Sixth Avenue was used for the exteriors and lobby of Elias-Clark's headquarters.
*The "Runway" offices are partially corridors in the neighboring Fox building and partially sets.
*The Elias-Clark cafeteria is the one at the Reuters office in Manhattan.
*Nate and Andy's apartment is on the Lower East Side.
*The restaurant Nate works at (and where Andrea, Doug and Lily eat dinner on occasion) is in TriBeCa.
*The Smith and Wollensky and its kitchen were used.
*The Calvin Klein showroom is used in the deleted scenes.
*Holt's studio is a loft used by an actual designer.
*The American Museum of Natural History was used for the exterior of the museum benefit, while the lobby of one of the Foley Square courthouses is used for the interior.
*The Priestly townhouse is on the Upper East Side and belongs to a friend of Finerman's. It had to be dressed on short notice after another one could not be used.
*The Amtrak train the twins are taking is going up the Hudson River at Haverstraw Bay.
*Streep exits her limousine, supposedly in Paris, at 77th Street and Central Park West.
*The "New York Mirror" newsroom where Andrea gets hired at the end of the film is that of the "New York Sun".

"Paris"

The crew was in Paris for only two days, and used only exteriors. Streep did not make the trip.
*The fountain Andrea throws her Sidekick 2 into is on the Place de la Concorde.
*All the hotel interiors are actually the St. Regis in Manhattan. The fashion shows were filmed on a soundstage in Queens. Likewise, Christian's hotel is the Times Square Hotel W

Postproduction

Editing

Mark Livolsi realized, as McKenna had on the other end, that the film worked best when it focused on the Andrea-Miranda storyline. Accordingly, he cut a number of primarily transitional scenes, such as Andrea's job interview and the "Runway" staff's trip to Holt's studio. He also took out a scene early on where Miranda complimented Andrea. Upon reviewing them for the DVD, Frankel admitted he hadn't even seen them before, since Livolsi didn't include them in any prints he sent to the director.

Frankel praised Livolsi for making the film's four key montages — the opening credits, Miranda's coat-tossing, Andrea's makeover and the Paris introduction — work. The third was particularly challenging as it uses passing cars and other obstructions to cover Hathaway's changes of outfit. Some scenes were also created in the editing room, such as the reception at the museum, where Livolsi wove B-roll footage in to keep the action flowing.

Music

Composer Theodore Shapiro relied heavily on guitar and percussion, with the backing of a full orchestra, to capture a contemporary urban sound. He ultimately wrote 35 minutes of music for the film, which were performed and recorded by the Hollywood Studio Symphony, conducted by Pete Anthony.Goldwasser, Dan; May 3, 2006; [http://www.soundtrack.net/news/article/?id=756 Theodore Shapiro scores The Devil Wears Prada] ; soundtrack.net; retrieved September 21, 2006.] His work was balanced with songs by U2 ("City of Blinding Lights," Miranda and Andrea in Paris), Madonna ("Vogue" & "Jump," Andrea's fashion montage & her first day on the job, respectively), KT Tunstall ("Suddenly I See," female montage during opening credits), Alanis Morissette ("Crazy," Central Park photo shoot), ("Our Remains," Andrea picks up James Holt's sketches for Miranda; Bittersweet Faith, Lily's art show), Azure Ray ("Sleep," following the breakdown of her relationship with Nate), Jamiroquai ("Seven Days In Sunny June," Andrea and Christian meet at James Holt's party) among others. Frankel had wanted to use "City of Blinding Lights" in the film since he had used it as a soundtrack to a video montage of Paris scenes he had put together after scouting locations there. Likewise, Field had advocated just as strongly for "Vogue."

The soundtrack album was released on July 11 by Warner Music. It includes all the songs mentioned above (except Madonna's "Jump") as well as a suite of Shapiro's themes. However, among the tracks not included is "Suddenly I See," which disappointed many fans.Customer reviews, as of December 12, 2006; " [http://www.amazon.com/Devil-Wears-Prada-Original-Soundtrack/dp/B000FZESR6 The Devil Wears Prada] " soundtrack; amazon.com; retrieved December 18, 2006.] It became popular as a result of the film although the single did not crack the U.S. Top Forty. It nonetheless became a popular radio hit.cite web | title=KT Tunstall: Artist Chart History | work=Billboard | url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=646480&model.vnuAlbumId=761102 |accessdate=July 23|accessyear=2006]

Cast

Major roles

*Anne Hathaway as Andrea "Andy" Sachs: A recent college graduate and aspiring journalist who, despite no real knowledge of fashion, is hired as the junior personal assistant to the powerful and demanding editor of "Runway" magazine.
*Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly: The editor of "Runway". Feared by her staff and many in the fashion world, and powerful enough that she can discard a $300,000 photo shoot with impunity and lead a designer to redo an entire collection with the pursing of her lips. Nevertheless she dotes on her twin daughters.
*Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton: Miranda's haughty senior assistant, who tolerates her boss's rudeness and insults so that she may accompany her to Paris for Fall Fashion Week.
*Stanley Tucci as Nigel: Art director for "Runway" and the only person at the magazine Andrea feels she can trust despite his sometimes cutting remarks about her wardrobe and weight.
*Adrian Grenier as Nate Cooper: Andrea's boyfriend, a chef at a Manhattan restaurant who eventually breaks up with her due to the strain her job places on their relationship.
*Simon Baker as Christian Thompson: An up-and-coming magazine writer Andrea grows increasingly attracted to, especially after his connections help her get the advance "Harry Potter" books Miranda requests for her daughters and hints he could help her with her journalistic aspirations.
*Tracie Thoms as Lily: Andrea's close friend, who runs an art gallery.
*Rich Sommer as Doug: A college friend of Andrea, Nate and Lily who seems to work as a corporate research analyst.
*Tibor Feldman as Irv Ravitz: The chief executive officer of Elias-Clark, which publishes "Runway".
*Daniel Sunjata as James Holt: An up-and-coming designer.
*David Marshall Grant as Richard Sachs, Andrea's father.
*Gisele Bündchen as Serena: An editorial staffer at "Runway" and friend of Emily's.

Notable cameo appearances

*Valentino Garavani, Giancarlo Giammetti, Carlos de Souza, Charlene Shorto, Bridget Hall and Heidi Klum as themselves; Lauren Weisberger (uncredited) as the twins' nanny.

Prerelease and marketing

Two decisions by 20th Century Fox's marketing department that were meant to be preliminary wound up being integral to promoting the film. The first was the creation of the red stiletto heel ending in a pitchfork as the film's teaser poster.Both the opening credit sequence and the clappers seen in the blooper reel use the same all-lower case Bodoni type for the title as the cover of the novel.] It was so successful and effective, becoming almost "iconic" (in Finerman's words), that it was used for the actual release poster as well. It became a brand, and was eventually used on every medium related to the film — the tie-in reprinting of the novel and the soundtrack and DVD covers as well.

The studio also put together a trailer of scenes and images strictly from the first three minutes of the film, in which Andrea meets Miranda for the first time, to be used at previews and film festivals until they could create a more standard trailer drawing from the whole film. But, again, this proved so effective with early audiences it was retained as the main trailer, since it created anticipation for the rest of the film without giving anything away.

Reception

The film did surprisingly well [http://www.currentfilm.com/dvdreviews8/devilwearspradadvd.html DVD review: "The Devil Wears Prada"] , currentfilm.com, retrieved December 9, 2006.] with audiences both inside and outside the U.S. Critics gave a fairly positive reaction to the film as a whole. Streep's performance drew universal acclaim, with some going as far as saying it was the only reason to see the film.

Critical

Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 62 out of 100, based on 40 reviews. [cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/devilwearsprada?q=%20The%20Devil%20Wears%20Prada |title=The Devil Wears Prada : Reviews |accessdate=2008-02-21 |publisher=Metacritic]

Initial reviews of the film focused primarily on Streep's performance, praising her for making an extremely unsympathetic character far more complex than she had been in the novel. "With her silver hair and pale skin, her whispery diction as perfect as her posture, Ms. Streep's Miranda inspires both terror and a measure of awe," wrote A. O. Scott in "The New York Times". "No longer simply the incarnation of evil, she is now a vision of aristocratic, purposeful and surprisingly human grace."Scott, A.O.; June 30, 2006; " [http://movies.nytimes.com/2006/06/30/movies/30devi.html In 'The Devil Wears Prada,' Meryl Streep Plays the Terror of the Fashion World] "; "The New York Times", retrieved June 30, 2006] Kyle Smith agreed at the "New York Post": "The snaky Streep wisely chooses not to imitate Vogue editrix Anna Wintour, the inspiration for the book, but creates her own surprisingly believable character."Smith, Kyle; June 30, 2006; " [http://www.nypost.com/movies/wintour_wonderland_movies_kyle_smith.htm Wintour Wonderland] dead link|date=April 2008," "The New York Post"; retrieved June 30, 2006] "Wintour should be flattered by Streep's portrayal," agreed Jack Mathews in the "Daily News".Mathews, Jack; June 30, 2006; " [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/2006/06/30/2006-06-30_shes_devilicious_streep_a_delight_as_inf.html She's devilicious: Streep a delight as infernal fashion diva in 'Prada'] "; The "New York Daily News"; retrieved June 30, 2006]

David Edelstein, in "New York" magazine, considered the film thin but loved Streep as well for her "fabulous minimalist performance."Edelstein, David; June 30, 2006; [http://nymag.com/movies/listings/rv_52489.htm Review of "The Devil Wears Prada"] ; "New York"; retrieved June 30, 2006.] J. Hoberman, Edelstein's onetime colleague at "The Village Voice", called the movie an improvement on the book and said Streep was "the scariest, most nuanced, funniest movie villainess since Tilda Swinton's nazified White Witch [in 2005's ""] ."Hoberman, J.; June 27, 2006; [http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0626,hoberman,73669,20.html Myths American] ; "The Village Voice"; retrieved June 30, 2006.]

Blunt, too, earned some favorable notice. " [She] has many of the movie's best lines and steals nearly every scene she's in," wrote Clifford Pugh in the "Houston Chronicle".Pugh, Clifford; June 30, 2006; " [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/movies/reviews/3965896.html More about runaway egos than runway ensembles] "; "Houston Chronicle"; retrieved December 24, 2006.] Other reviewers and fans concurred.Elliott, Michael; undated; [http://www.christiancritic.com/mov2006/devprada.asp A Movie Parable: The Devil Wears Prada] ; christiancritic.com; retrieved December 24, 2006.] Commentators on post by Slezak, Michael; August 11, 2006 "et seq."; [http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2006/08/whos_your_favor_1.html Who's your favorite summer-movie scene stealer?] popwatch; retrieved from ew.com December 24, 2006.] Infobox movie certificates
Argentina = 13
Australia = PG
Austria = o.AL
Belgium =
Brazil = Livre
Bulgaria =
Canada (British Columbia) = PG
Canada (Alberta) =
Canada (Manitoba) =
Canada (Ontario) = PG
Canada (Maritime) =
Canada (Quebec) =
Canada (Home Video) =
Chile =
Colombia =
Denmark =
Ecuador = 12
Finland = S
France =
Germany = o.Al
Hong_Kong = IIA
Iceland =
India =
Indonesia =
Ireland = PG
Israel =
Italy =
Japan =
Malaysia = U
Mexico = B
Netherlands = AL
New_Zealand =
Norway = A
Peru =
Philippines = PG-13
Poland =
Portugal =
Romania = G
Singapore = PG
South_Korea =
Spain =
Sweden = Btl
Taiwan =
United_Kingdom = PG
United_States = PG-13
Roger Ebert gave the movie "thumbs down,"Ebert, Roger; June 30, 2006; " [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060629/REVIEWS/60620007/1023 The Devil Wears Prada] "; "Chicago Sun-Times"; retrieved December 19, 2006.] while Richard Roeper gave it a "thumbs up."Ebert & Roeper, " [http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/mp3/060703-devil_wears_prada.mp3 The Devil Wears Prada] ", retrieved December 19, 2006.]

While all critics were in agreement about Streep and Blunt, they pointed to other weaknesses, particularly in the story. Reviewers familiar with Weisberger's novel assented to her judgement that McKenna's script greatly improved upon it. A rare exception was Angela Baldassare at MSN Canada, who felt the film needed more of the nastiness others had told her was abundant in the novel.Baldassare, Angela; undated; " [http://entertainment.sympatico.msn.ca/movies/articles/1375850.armx The Devil Wears Predictability] "; sympatico.msn.ca; retrieved January 7, 2007,]

But those who weren't and even some who were found it a predictable morality play that was enjoyable to watch for Streep if nothing else. David Denby summed up this response in his "New Yorker" review: "The Devil Wears Prada" tells a familiar story, and it never goes much below the surface of what it has to tell. Still, what a surface!"Denby, David; July 3, 2006; " [http://www.newyorker.com/critics/cinema/articles/060710crci_cinema Dressed to Kill] "; "The New Yorker"; retrieved January 7, 2007] Many felt that the scenes away from the magazine were a drag on the story.

Reactions to Hathaway's performance were not as unanimous as for many of her costars. Denby said "she suggests, with no more than a panicky sidelong glance, what Weisberger takes pages to describe." On the other hand, to Baldassare, she "barely carrie [d] the load."

Commercial

On its opening weekend, the film was on 2,847 screens. It grossed $27 million, second only to the much bigger-budget "Superman Returns", and added $13 million more during the first week. This success led Fox to add 35 more screens the next week, the widest domestic distribution the film enjoyed. Although it was never any week's top-grossing film, it remained in the top 10 through July. Its theatrical run continued through December 10, shortly before the DVD release. [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=devilwearsprada.htm The Devil Wears Prada (2006) - Weekend box office] , retrieved from boxofficemojo.com January 8, 2007.]

It had a very successful run in theaters, making nearly $125 million domestically and over $325 million worldwide, a career high for Meryl Streep.

Anna Wintour

Wintour attended the film's New York premiere, wearing Prada. Her friend Barbara Amiel reported that she said shortly afterward that the movie would go straight to DVD.Amiel, Barbara; July 2, 2006; " [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/07/02/svdevil02.xml The 'Devil' I know] "; "The Daily Telegraph"; retrieved January 10, 2007.] But in an interview with Barbara Walters that aired the day the DVD was released, she called the film "really entertaining" and said she appreciated the "decisive" nature of Streep's portrayal. "Anything that makes fashion entertaining and glamorous and interesting is wonderful for our industry. So I was 100 percent behind it." Streep said she was "probably more upset by the book than the film."Brockes, Emma; September 23, 2006; " [http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,1879049,00.html The devil in Ms Streep] "; "The Guardian"; retrieved January 10, 2007.]

"Curse" on placed products

A couple of weeks after the film's release, Reuters reported a striking phenomenon: "All" of the publicly traded companies that made products featured in the film had seen their share prices fall in that time. Analysts attributed the fall to the effect of rising gas prices on the economy, which led many consumers to cut back their purchases of luxury brands, rather than anything associated with the film.Bhattarai, Abha; July 16, 2006; " [http://www.luxuryinstitute.com/doclib/doclib_popup.cgi?file=123-cb396e7bab9b8c0bcc24cde6e1e57d94.pdf Curse of the Devil Wears Prada] "; Reuters; retrieved January 17, 2007, from luxuryinstitute.com in .PDF format printed from "The Washington Post".]

International

Weisberger's novel had been translated into 37 different languages, giving the movie a strong potential foreign audience. It would ultimately deliver 60% of the film's gross.

"The Devil Wears Prada" topped the charts on its first major European release weekend on October 9, after a strong September Oceania and Latin America opening. It would be the highest-grossing film that weekend in Britain, Spain and Russia, taking in $41.5 million overall.Bresnan, Conor; October 9, 2006; " [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2173&p=.htm Around the World Roundup: 'Prada' Prances to the Top] "; boxofficemojo.com; retrieved January 8, 2007.] Continued strong weekends as it opened across the rest of Europe helped it remain atop the overseas charts for the rest of the month.Bresnan, Conor; October 16, 2006; " [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2180&p=.htm Around the World Roundup: 'Prada' Parade Continues] ; boxofficemojo.com; retrieved January 8, 2007.] Bresnan, Conor; October 23, 2006; " [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2188&p=.htm Around the World Roundup: 'Prada' Struts to Third Victory] "; boxoffficemojo.com; retrieved January 8, 2007.] Bresnan, Conor; October 30, 2006; " [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2192&p=.htm Around the World Roundup: 'Prada' Still in Vogue] "; boxoffficemojo.com; retrieved January 8, 2007.] By the end of the year only its Chinese opening remained; it is was released there on February 28, 2007.

Most reviews from the international press echoed the domestic response, heaping praise on Streep and the other actors, but calling the whole film "predictable."French, Philip; October 8, 2006; [http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Observer_Film_of_the_week/0,,1891091,00.html The Devil Wears Prada] ; "The Observer"; retrieved January 10, 2007.] "The Guardian"'s Peter Bradshaw, who found the film "moderately entertaining," took Blunt to task, calling her a "real disappointment ... strained and awkward."Bradshaw, Peter; October 6, 2006; [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1888063,00.html The Devil Wears Prada] ; "The Guardian"; retrieved January 10, 2007.] In "The Independent", Anthony Quinn said Streep "may just have given us a classic here" and concluded that the film as a whole was "as snappy and juicy as fresh bubblegum."Quinn, Anthony; October 6, 2006; " [http://web.archive.org/web/20061108015222/http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/film/reviews/article1808686.ece Claws out, dressed to kill] "; "The Independent; retrieved July 4, 2008.]

In most markets the title remained unchanged; either the English was used or a translation into the local language. The only exceptions were Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela, where it was "El diablo que viste Prada" and "El diablo se viste a la moda". In Poland, the title was "Diabeł ubiera się u Prady" which roughly means "The Devil Dresses At Prada's" rather than "The Devil Wears Prada." In Turkey, the title was "Şeytan Marka Giyer," roughly translated as "The Devil Wears Brand-Names." In Romania, the title was "Diavolul se îmbracă de la Prada," which roughly means "The Devil Dresses itself from Prada."

Awards and nominations

Three months after the film's North American release, Frankel and Weisberger jointly accepted the first Quill "Variety" Blockbuster Book to Film Award. A committee of staffers at the magazine made the nominations and chose the award winner. Editor Peter Bart praised both works.

The Devil Wears Prada’ is an energetically directed, perfect-fit of a film that has surprised some in the industry with its box-office legs. It has delighted the country, much as did Lauren Weisberger’s book, which is still going strong on several national bestseller listscite press release | title = The Quill Awards Announce The Devil Wears Prada as First Recipient of Its Variety Blockbuster Book to Film Award | publisher = The Quills Literacy Foundation | date = 2006-09-26 | url = http://www.randomhouse.com/features/devilwearsprada/quills.html | accessdate = 2006-12-16]

The film was honored by the National Board of Review as one of the year's ten best.National Board of Review; [http://www.nbrmp.org/awards/ Awards for 2006] ; retrieved December 19, 2006.] The American Film Institute gave the film similar recognition.American Film Institute; [http://www.afi.com/tvevents/afiawards06/default.aspx AFI Awards 2006] , retrieved December 19, 2006.]

The film received ample attention from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association when its Golden Globe Award nominations were announced on December 14, 2006. The film itself was in the running for Best Picture (Comedy/Musical) and Supporting Actress (for Blunt). Streep later won the Globe for Best Actress (Musical/Comedy).Hollywood Foreign Press Association; January 16, 2007; [http://www.hfpa.org/nominations/index.html HFPA — Nominations and Winners] ; retrieved January 16, 2007.]

On January 4, 2007, her fellow members of the Screen Actors Guild nominated Streep for Best Actress as well.Screen Actors Guild; January 4, 2007; [http://www.sagawards.org/PR_070104 SAG Awards Official website] , retrieved from sagawards.org January 4, 2007.] Four days later, at the National Society of Film Critics awards, Streep won Best Supporting Actress for her work both in "Devil" and "A Prairie Home Companion".Kilday, Gregg; January 8, 2007; [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i5b2bddf1415bc8d7073596f319df0d11?imw=Y National Society picks 'Pan' as best pic] ; "Hollywood Reporter"; retrieved January 10, 2007.] McKenna earned a nomination from the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay on January 11, 2007.Writers Guild of America Award, [http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1516 2007 WGA Award nominations] ; retrieved January 11, 2007.]

The following day, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced its 2006 nominations; Blunt, Field, McKenna and Streep were all among the nominees, as were makeup artist and hairstylists Nicki Ledermann and Angel de Angelis.British Academy of Film and Television Arts; January 12, 2007; [http://web.archive.org/web/20070820074034/http://www.bafta.org/site/page287.html LATEST WINNERS & NOMINEES] ; retrieved July 4, 2008.]

On January 23, 2007 Streep received her 14th Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, lengthening her record from 13 for most nominations by any actor male or female. Field received a Costume Design nomination as well.Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, January 23, 2007; [http://www.oscars.org/79academyawards/noms.html Nominations List: 79th Annual Academy Awards] , retrieved January 23, 2007.] Neither won, but Blunt and Hathaway presented the latter award, amusing the audience by slipping into their characters for a few lines, nervously asking which of them had gotten Streep her cappucino. Streep played along with a stern expression before smiling.Dehnhart, Andy; February 26, 2007; [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17339214/ Oscar’s best moments weren’t in the script] ; "MSNBC"; retrieved Feburuary 26, 2007.]

DVD

The DVD has, in addition to the film, the following extras:

*Audio commentary from Frankel, editor Mark Livolsi, Field, screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, producer Wendy Finerman and cinematographer Florian Ballhaus.
*A five-minute blooper reel featuring, among other shots, unintentional pratfalls by Hathaway due to the high stiletto heels she had to wear. It also includes gag shots such as a chubby crewmember in loose-fitting clothing walking along the runway at the fashion show, and Streep announcing "I have some nude photographs to show you" at the Paris brunch scene.Blooper reel. (2006). "The Devil Wears Prada" [DVD] . USA: 20th Century Fox.] Unlike most blooper reels, it is not a collection of sequential takes but rather a fast-paced montage set to music from the film with many backstage shots and a split screenshot allowing the viewer to compare the actual shot with the blooper. The many shots of actors touching their noses are, Rich Sommer says, a game played to assign blame for ruined takes.Sommer, Rich; January 3, 2007; " [http://richsommer.vox.com/library/post/fun.html Fun] "; retrieved January 16, 2007.]
*Five featurettes
**"Trip to the Big Screen," a 12-minute look at the film's preproduction, discussing the changes made from the novel, how Frankel was chosen to direct and other issues.
**"NYC and Fashion," a look at the real New York fashion scene and how it is portrayed in the film.
**"Fashion Visionary Patricia Field," a profile of the film's costume designer.
**"Getting Valentino," covering how the designer was persuaded to appear as himself in the film.
**"Boss From Hell," a short segment on difficult, nightmarish superiors like Priestly.
*Fifteen deleted scenes, with commentary from Frankel and Livolsi available (see below).
*The theatrical trailer, and promotional spots for the soundtrack album and other releases.

Closed captions in French and Spanish are also available. The DVD is available in both full screen and widescreen versions. Pictures of the cast and the tagline "Hell on Heels" were added to the red-heel image for the cover. It was released in the UK on February 5, 2007.

A Blu-ray Disc of the film was released simultaneuously with the DVD. The featurettes were dropped and replaced with a subtitle pop-up trivia track that can be watched by itself or along with the audio commentary.Bracke, Peter M.; December 11, 2006; " [http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/devilwearsprada.html Blu-Ray Review: The Devil Wears Prada] "; highdefdigest.com; retrieved January 18, 2007.]

Reception

Immediately upon its December 12 release, it became the top rental in the country. It held that spot through the end of the year, adding another $26.5 million to the film's grosses. [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=homevideo&id=devilwearsprada.htm The Devil Wears Prada (2006) - DVD/Home Video rentals] ; retrieved from boxofficemojo.com January 8, 2007.] The following week it made its debut on the DVD sales charts in third position.The Digital Entertainment Group; [http://www.digitalentertainmentinfo.com/TitleSearch/titles.cfm DVD Sales Charts] ; retrieved from digitalentertainment.info January 8, 2007.] .

Deleted scenes

Among the deleted scenes are some that added more background information to the story, with commentary available by the editor and director. Most were deleted by Livolsi in favor of keeping the plot focused on the conflict between Miranda and Andrea, often without consulting Frankel.

Frankel generally approved of his editor's choices, but differed on one scene, showing Andrea on her errand to the Calvin Klein showroom. He felt that scene showed Andrea's job was about more than running personal errands for Miranda.

Criticisms

Amidst the generally warm reception for the film, there were two criticisms apart from aesthetics. Some journalists familiar with the fashion world thought its portrayal unrealistic, and some gay viewers took issue with how the film presented Nigel.

Depiction of fashion industry

Some media outlets allowed their present or former fashion reporters to weigh in on how realistic the movie was. Their responses varied widely.

Booth Moore at "Los Angeles Times" chided Field for creating a "fine fashion fantasy with little to do with reality," a world that reflects what outsiders think fashion is like rather than what the industry actually is. Unlike the movie, in her experience fashionistas were less likely to wear makeup and more likely to value edgier dressing styles (that would not, however, include toe rings).Moore, Booth; June 30, 2006; "This fashion world exists only in the movies"; "Los Angeles Times"; quoted in Elsworth, Catherine; July 4, 2006; [http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/foreign/catherineelsworth/july06/fashionfauxpas.htm The Devil Makes a Fashion Faux Pas] "The Daily Telegraph"; retrieved from telegraph.co.uk December 22, 2006.] "If they want a documentary, they can watch the History Channel," retorted Field.La Ferla, Ruth; June 29, 2006; " [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/29/fashion/thursdaystyles/29PRADA.html?ex=1309233600&en=b6c00dd73e0b62e9&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss The Duds of 'The Devil Wears Prada'] "; "The New York Times"; retrieved January 18, 2007.] Another newspaper fashion writer, Hadley Freeman of "The Guardian", likewise complained the film was awash in the sexism and clichés that, to her, beset movies about fashion in general.Freeman, Hadley; September 6, 2006; [http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/sep/06/film.comment Prada and prejudice] ; "The Guardian"; retrieved January 10, 2007.]

However, Charla Krupp, the executive editor of SHOP, Inc., says "It's the first film I've seen that got it right ... [It] has the nuances of the politics and the tension better than any film - and the backstabbing and sucking-up." Joanna Coles, the editor of the U.S. edition of "Marie Claire", agreed:

The film brilliantly skewers a particular kind of young woman who lives, breathes, thinks fashion above all else ... those young women who are prepared to die rather than go without the latest Muse bag from Yves Saint Laurent that costs three times their monthly salary. It's also accurate in its understanding of the relationship between the editor-in-chief and the assistant.

Ginia Bellefante, former fashion reporter for "The New York Times", also agreed, calling it "easily the truest portrayal of fashion culture since "Unzipped" and giving it credit for depicting the way fashion had changed in the early 21st century.Bellefante, Ginia; June 18, 2006; " [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/18/movies/18bell.html?ex=1169010000&en=b66a0a85a204be9f&ei=5070 In 'The Devil Wears Prada,' It's Not Couture, It's Business (With Accessories)] "; "The New York Times"; retrieved January 15, 2007.] Her colleague Ruth La Ferla found a different opinion from industry insiders after a special preview screening. Most found the fashion in the movie too safe and the beauty too overstated, more in tune with the 1980s than the 2000s. "My job is to present an entertainment, a world people can visit and take a little trip," responded Field.

Nigel's homosexuality

Stanley Tucci told the gay magazine "Out" that he played the part with no doubt whatsoever that the character was gay. While many viewers, gay and straight, shared the assumption, nothing in the film directly suggests that he is other than a brief glance he makes at an attractive man.June 30, 2006; [http://www.screenit.com/movies/2006/the_devil_wears_prada.html Review: The Devil Wears Prada] ; screenit.com; retrieved December 15, 2006.] In the novel, he, and the other male "Runway" staffers are very out, often described as flamboyant,Weisberger, "The Devil Wears Prada", 41.] freely discussing their sex lives,"Ibid.", 172.] and sometimes checking each other out."Ibid.", 219-220.]

There is none of this in the film. Instead, Nigel tells Andrea that, as a child, he told his family he was attending soccer practice when he was really taking sewing lessons, and read "Runway" under the covers of his bed at night with a flashlight. Finerman also says that during his first scene in the film, his visit to Andrea's hotel room in Paris to celebrate his imminent promotion, they had not yet decided how "extravagant" he would be. The film also gives no indication that he is involved in any traditional marriage or relationship with a woman. No other male staffer or editor has a significant part and indeed there is no reference to homosexuality at all. Jeffy and James, two of the gay men in the novel, were eliminated. One viewer, David Poland, pointed out this aspect of the film on his blog, The Hot Button, but noted it was part of a general desexualization that led him to call the movie "No Sex in the City".Poland, Michael; June 23, 2006; [http://www.thehotbutton.com/today/hot.button/2006_thb/060623_fri.html blog entry for June 23, 2006] ; The Hot Button; retrieved January 15, 2007.] On the other hand, a gay viewer who blogs about gay content in movies as Queer Beacon, found Tucci's portrayal refreshingly free of overdone stereotypes,July 3, 2006; " [http://queerbeacon.typepad.com/queer_beacon/2006/07/the_devil_wears.html The Devil Wears Prada] "; retrieved January 15, 2007.] while another gay blogger expressed his displeasure that a movie about an industry well-known for its openly gay men seemed so determined to avoid the subject.July 6, 2006; " [http://ezculture.com/index.php/2006/07/06/flicks-just-dont-say-the-word-gay/ Just Don't Say the Word 'Gay'] "; retrieved from ezculture.com January 15, 2007.] Controversy notwithstanding, readers of Gay.com voted the film the best of 2006.December 28, 2006; [http://www.gay.com/news/roundups/package.html?sernum=2964 Winners: Gay.com Gay Vote Best of 2006!] ; retrieved January 16, 2007.] William Maltese, from AfterElton.com, called it "refreshing that the jokes in Devil do not come at Nigel's expense or because of his sexuality."Maltese, William; July 3, 2006; [http://www.afterelton.com/archive/elton/movies/2006/7/prada.html The Devil Wears Prada, and Wears It Very Well Indeed] ; AfterElton.com; retrieved May 18, 2008.] It is also mentioned that Nigel is key for Andy's transformation from ugly-duck-to-swan propels her into the second half of the film.

Queer Beacon also wondered if Doug might be gay, since he is more aware of Miranda's importance to fashion than Andrea; also, later, when Lily takes him from Andrea at the gallery to introduce him to "someone he might find interesting," she doesn't specify that person's gender. Sommer says on his blog, however, that Doug was not written to be gay and was merely based on a friend of McKenna's.Sommer, Rich; July 10, 2006; " [http://richsommer.vox.com/library/post/poor-misunderstood-doug.html Poor, misunderstood Doug] "; retrieved from richsommer.vox.com on January 15, 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://www.devilwearspradamovie.com/ Official site] (with trailer)
* [http://www.thedevilwearspradadvd.com/ DVD site]
*imdb title|id=0458352|title=The Devil Wears Prada
*rotten-tomatoes|id=the_devil_wears_prada|title=The Devil Wears Prada
* [http://www.soundtrackinfo.com/ost.asp?soundtrack=5656 The Devil Wears Prada soundtrack] questions, answers and other music information
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/73516598@N00/tags/thedevilwearsprada/ On location photos on Flickr]
* [http://www.stv.tv/out/showArticle.jsp?source=opencms&articleId=/out/hotnow/films/Anne_Hathaway_-_The_Devil_Wears_Prada_In Anne Hathaway interview] at stv.tv
* [http://richsommer.vox.com/library/posts/tags/devil+wears+prada/ Rich Sommer's blog posts on the movie] (includes full gag reel).
* [http://www.celebritystyleguide.com/?op=component&sid=35&cid=196/ See where the outfits in the movie came from]