THE INTERNSHIP
By: John ’Doc’ Strange
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Screenplay by: Vince Vaughn and Jared Stern; Story by Vince Vaughn
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne, Max Minghella, Tiya Sircar, JoAnna Garcia, Josh Gad, Aasif Mandvi, Jessica Szohr, John Goodman, Josh Brener, Dylan O'Brien, Tobit Raphael
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sexuality, some crude humor, partying and language)
Selig Rating: FULL PRICE
Runtime: 119 Min.
THE INTERNSHIP, a film Vince Vaughn wrote and stars in, takes us deep into that most frightening of all adult conditions, JOB HUNTING. Billy McMahon (Vaughn) and Nick Campbell (Owen Wilson) have lost their jobs selling high-end watches when the company shuts down unexpectedly. Desperate to find work, the duo work (scam) their way into Google’s summer intern program.
Google’s program brings in the best of the best from the nerd world and gives them the opportunity to prove why they should be offered positions with the tech giant. The program is run by Mr. Chetty (Aasif Mandvi) and s small team of young (lower 20’s) managers. Once the program begins, the interns are broken into teams of five. The final team to form is a team of misfits including McMahan and Campbell, mentored by one of the duo’s supporters, Lyle (Josh Brener).
The team goes through the usual gyrations as they learn to come out of their shells and work as a team. Stuart (Dylan O'Brien, MTV’s Teen Wolf), Neha (Texas native Tiya Sircar), and Tobit Raphael are all damaged introverted young adults until McMahan and Campbell get their “hands” on them. Their opposite number, aka the “bad guy”, is ably portrayed by Max Minghella as the brilliant and very domineering Graham Hawtrey.
This film is set against a beautiful campus at Google in San Francisco with side trips to Chinatown and the headlands overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. THE INTERNSHIP is fast-paced and funny, though sometimes it IS a low-brow humor. The supporting cast includes Rose Byrne (Campbell’s love interest), Jessica Szohr (Lyle’s love interest), John Goodman (McMahan and Campbell’s old boss), and Josh Gad (Headphones – one of the high-up thinker/managers within Google).
This is summer and not the time of year to expect “thinking” films. I didn’t expect it but this film did make me think about today’s kids and the job opportunities they face coming out of expensive college programs. I don’t envy their challenge. I also kept thinking back to those times in my life where I took a LARGE step back to enable me to grow in the direction I wanted to go. I REALLY wish I could have had a shot at a Google internship. I would have channeled my inner-Vaughn there! Having said all that, this is a really fun film to watch so go and enjoy!
Movie Site: http://www.theinternshipmovie.com/
The Selig Rating Scale:
FULL PRICE – Excellent movie, well worth the price
MATINEE – Good movie
DOLLAR – OK movie
CABLE – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
FREEBIE – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn't paid for it.
COMMERCIAL TV – Commercials and cutting to the allotted time will not hurt this one.
FORGET IT! – Bad. If you see this one, do yourself a favor and keep it to yourself.
GET YOUR TORCHES – BAD! – Burn the script, the writer, the director and maybe even the actors!
