"The Intern"
Reviewed by Joy Ramos Davis

Synopsis: Widower Ben Whittaker applied for and was chosen to intern at a fast-growing e-commerce fashion business called About the Fit in Brooklyn.  He gets along well with the young staff.  Assigned to work with the firm's CEO, Jules Ostin, she initially had doubts about him, but later won over by his acts of friendship and commitment. 

Warning: Contains Spoilers

Having a Scalable Business

Welcome to "Conscious Movie Reviews."  I'm your host Joy Davis and here to review the drama, "The Intern."  About the Fit was started in the kitchen of Jules Ostin as an e-commerce fashion business.  Within eighteen months, it had grown dramatically to employ 220 workers.  This kind of fast-track growth is not surprising among what's called super scalable companies that go from zero to a million users within a week, as an example.  They operate differently from traditional businesses.  For them it's all about the customers, user experience and going global instantly.

Generations in the Workplace

It's no surprise that Ben Whittaker had good relations with fellow co-workers who were half his age and younger.  Within the workplace, many Millennials (born 1980 - 2000) find that they are most compatible working with Baby Boomers (born 1942 - 1960) and prefer being mentored by them.  Characteristically, both generations like to be told by higher ups how to do a job well, get some hand-holding guidance, and an evaluation of their performance.  

Generation Xers (born 1961 - 1981) on the other hand are known for being self-reliant from growing up as latchkey kids having to fend for themselves.  Many of them are entrepreneurs expressing their sense of leadership and independent spirit.  Because of this, they tend to clash with Millennials and Baby Boomers in the workplace.  

Masculine & Feminine Energies

Non-traditional roles were played out extensively throughout the film.  Jules is both a successful e-business owner in Brooklyn, married to a house-husband named Matt who gave up his career to raise their young daughter. 

Based on ancient Chinese philosophy, the Yin-Yang symbol is used to express the duality of life, like light (Yin) and dark (Yang), hot (Yang) and cold (Yin) as examples.  Furthermore, the Yang energies can be contained within the Yin and the Yin energies contained in the Yang.

Both the masculine (Yang) and feminine (Yin) energies reside within all of us, regardless of our physical gender.  We can choose to express our masculine qualities (of strength, being adventuresome, competitive, analytical, assertive) or at times, show our more feminine qualities (of being nurturing, intuitive, cooperative, compassionate, supportive).  The trick is to have balanced expression of both -  when either of the masculine or feminine qualities are called for in the moment.  This understanding is currently missing today when women are polarized to be more masculine and the men encouraged to be the opposite extreme - creating mutual confusion about how to relate.

Ben Whittaker is a unique character study.  He is confident in who he is to freely express both his masculine and feminine sides, making him more whole.  In the workplace, Ben can comfortably be supportive and and empathetic toward Jules, the CEO.  He has a calming effect on her that naturally brings her back into balance from being too masculine as a chronic workaholic, always striving. 

Among the male co-workers who are of the Millennial generation,  they are intrigued by Ben's refined gentleman ways that women find attractive.  They want to be self-confident like him in manner and appearance, giving the message that many young men their age share the same desire to mature gracefully out of their boyishness.  

Your Authentic Self

Jules was devastated to learn that her husband Matt was having an affair with another woman he knows through their daughter's school.

The people we are in close relationship with can mirror what's going on within.  Affairs in a relationship are oftentimes a wake-up call on the outer that you've seriously ignored meeting your own inner needs.  When you place more attention outside of yourself, what's reflected back from a partner is the same: placing attention away from you because you've been doing it to yourself for a long time.  This is similar to a co-dependent person being attracted to someone who is emotionally unavailable.  The mutual attraction is there because they are both not invested in themselves.

The greatest level of sexual satisfaction between partners is when they are both doing things that they feel very passionate about.  They naturally want to share their "high on life," creating more sizzle in the bedroom.

Besides the marital affair going on, Jules' business life has also been out of control.  Investors have pressured her to hire a CEO because she can't seem to handle the workload. 

Jules' outer world continues to reflect how much she has drifted away from her authentic self, losing touch with the loving wisdom of her heart.  As a good friend, Ben very gently brought her back to center so she can reconnect with her sense of self, where her passions lie.

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