Parents' Guide to

The Devil Wears Prada

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Fun, frothy fashion tale has cursing and sex.

Movie PG-13 2006 106 minutes
The Devil Wears Prada Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 9 parent reviews

Erinblankenship
Erinblankenship Parent of 7, 10, 13 and 15-year-old
July 1, 2022
age 12+

Good movie, nothing concerning.

Good movie, my tween and teens liked it a lot. My younger kids didn’t get into the storyline. If your child has body image issues, I wouldn’t recommend because of the negative comments regarding non-model sizes. No sex shown and minimal language.
johnmat
johnmat Adult
February 16, 2019
age 12+

Great movie with brilliant actors!

"The devil wears prada" is a classic movie choice with interesting plot and cast. Meryl Streep in the role of a cruel magazine editor passes a lot of messages that are not really obvious. There aren't any sexual scenes or implications. No tough words just consumerism. Great comedy, watch it!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much consumerism
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, socially conscious journalism major Andi (Anne Hathaway) takes a job at Runway fashion magazine as second assistant to ruthless editor Miranda (Meryl Streep). Andi is told repeatedly that if she survives a year, she'll be able to get a job at any magazine, but has no idea how tough her year will be: Her primary jobs are fetching coffee and outfits from various designers around town, and running personal errands for Miranda. Andi is also at the beck and call of first assistant Emily (Emily Blunt). Worse, she's reminded daily that her clothes are ugly and that she's "fat" (at size six). Art director Nigel (Stanley Tucci) gives Andi a makeover and Andi devotes herself to pleasing Miranda, leaving her live-in boyfriend Nate (Adrian Grenier) and best friend Lilly (Tracie Thoms) feeling abandoned. But even as she's seduced by a cynical writer (Simon Baker) and enticed by the sense of power the fashion folks claim for themselves, Andi never loses her moral sensibility.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9):
Kids say (55):

Sometimes over the top and sometimes sentimental, Prada is most notable for Meryl Streep's remarkably subtle performance as super-diva Miranda Priestly. While the movie loves its costumes and montages (often together), the plot is creaky and the target far too easy: Everyone knows the world of haute couture is cutthroat, imperious, and lurid.

Streep's Miranda is complex and compelling. Though her outfits and superciliousness are as outrageous as everyone else's, Miranda tends to speak quickly and quietly, to assume her supremacy even as she's vulnerable. Fashion-loving teens are likely to enjoy this frothy tale.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Andi's plan to use her assistant job as a route to becoming a journalist: How does she rationalize this choice? How does Andi learn to fit into the world of high fashion by wearing the right clothes, dieting, and becoming increasingly judgmental of others? What messages does the movie send about the importance of physical appearances?

  • Toward the end of the movie, Andi makes the argument that Miranda would be treated differently by our society had she been a man; where a tough and demanding male boss is seen to be strong and in control, similar qualities in a female boss are couched in labels like "ice queen" and "dragon lady." Do you think this opinion is accurate? Would Miranda be perceived differently if she had been a man?

  • This movie was based on a best-selling novel. What do you think would be the challenges in adapting a novel like this into a movie?

Movie Details

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