The Intern: Jules Decision to Stay On as CEO and the Power of Self-Sacrifice

The Intern, released in theaters on September 25, 2015, is a Nancy Meyers comedy that follows a 70-year-old widower named Ben Whittaker (played by Robert De Niro) as he comes out of retirement to serve as a senior intern for the CEO of an e-commerce fashion startup. The movie, which ends on a heartfelt and uplifting note, has charmed audiences for nearly a decade and continues to age gracefully.

Written and directed by the rom-com legend Nancy Meyers, The Intern is a warm and witty workplace dramedy that explores the themes of purpose, friendship, and family. Ben, a retired executive with too much time on his hands, stumbles across a flyer for a "senior internship program" at About The Fit, an e-commerce fashion startup in Brooklyn. There, he forms an unexpected friendship with the workaholic CEO, Jules Ostin (played by Anne Hathaway).

At first, Jules is less than thrilled to have an intern, especially one so much older than her. However, after noticing how Ben's old-school charm and work ethic win over the entire office, Jules warms up to him too. As Ben becomes more involved in Jules' day-to-day life, he also gets a closer look at her family dynamic. It's clear things aren't as flawless as they seem. Her husband, Matt (played by Anders Holm), gave up his own successful career to become a stay-at-home dad when About The Fit started to take off. On the surface, they look like a loving, supportive couple—but behind closed doors, their relationship is quietly falling apart.

One afternoon, Ben drives Jules' daughter Paige (played by JoJo Kushner) home from a birthday party and spots Matt leaving another woman's house, getting in her car, and kissing her. He understands the weight of this betrayal, especially since Jules is already under enormous pressure to step down as CEO in hopes of "saving" her marriage and making things work at home.

Toward the end of the movie, Jules is advised to step down as CEO and hand over the role to someone outside the company. Her investors believe the business has outgrown her and that she can't juggle the intense workload. After some deliberation, Jules reluctantly agrees, believing that stepping down will give her more time to fix her relationship with Matt and be more present for Paige.

During a trip to San Francisco to interview a possible replacement for the CEO position, Ben brings up Matt's affair. Jules already knows about it and has been trying to process it without blowing up her life just yet. In a moment of self-sacrifice, Jules decides to go ahead and hire the new CEO. But once she and Ben get back to New York, he encourages her to reconsider, reminding her just how much heart and hustle she put into building About The Fit from the ground up.

Matt unexpectedly drops in at the office and tells Jules to "do what feels right" for her. She admits she wants to keep running her company, and Matt supports her decision