There’s a path of least resistance that anyone can take with their lives and there are sparks of dreams unrealized that can drive one to work hard day in and day out for whatever their passions lead to. In the messy middle, there are the pains of the unknown. For Billy McMahon (Vince Vaughn) and Nick Campbell (Owen Wilson), two guys laid off in their 40s, the unknown above their heads could drown anyone.
The Internship (2013), directed by Shawn Levy and co-written by Vaughn and Jared Stern, sees the comedy tandem of Vaughn and Wilson earnestly ramble their way into a competitive internship with Google. Their characters’ path of getting there and finding success is something that feels completely cliché and out of a movie the entire way, but still somehow gives this recent college graduate hope for the future.
During their interview, they are given the scenario that they are shrunken down to the size of nickels and stuck in a blender and asked, “What do you do?” That’s where the style of nonstop comedic delivery of Vaughn and Wilson shines.
Nick: The truth is we were in a blender. We lost our jobs. We’ve given up. So I think we already answered the question when we took this interview. We got ourselves out and here we are.
Billy: You guys really want to know what happens when you take two guys out of a blender… then give us a shot, and I think that you’d be happy that you did.
After trying to sound like they knew what they were talking about, they pause and reflect on what brought them to that moment in the first place with authentic transparency to show their experience with being stuck. That effort is initially brushed off by the hiring team due to nonexistent technology skills before Lyle (Josh Brenner) shares his perspective:
Lyle: I’m sorry, but you read their resumes, right? They have more years of sales and life experience than the age of most of our interns. Not to mention, our final judgment is always based on the layover test, right? Who would you rather be stuck next two at an airport bar for a 6 hour delay?... The out of the box thinkers who turned being stuck in a blender into an advantage.
As expected, Billy and Nick quickly ostracize themselves amongst the other interns when their unique personable traits that had served well for decades of sales experience does not quite click with the younger generation. It does not improve when they are placed in a group of “outliers” led by Lyle to compete in various team challenges. The team who wins the most are offered full time jobs. Eventually, the two show sparks of leadership that earn their team’s favor, trust and support.
It wasn’t that alone though. They had zero clue what they were doing, but, instead of Rocky Balboa running through Philadelphia over the iconic theme, a montage plays including team bonding, solving problems, sitting through lessons and staying up late to practice over Locksley’s “The Whip.”
Then movie magic happens - as it tends to do - after Billy decides to quit the team because of an error on his part, struggling to grasp the concepts and a mountain of imposter syndrome. Nick is able to talk him back when the last challenge is a sales challenge perfect for the happy ending.
I personally really appreciate the effort and earnestness that Vaughn and Stern emphasized in this story through Nick and Billy. While the Internship may have not done well with critics (35%) or most audiences (51%), according to Rotten Tomatoes, it has become a perfect cyclical rewatch for me as I navigate reaching for all the dreams I have of my own.
Nick: I don’t know what happens to a dream deferred. Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or does it explode? I don’t want to find out.
I firmly believe in leading with passion, persistence and perseverance. Keeping those “Three Ps” at the forefront is not always the easiest thing in the world, but it makes the most sense. Skills and experience mean a lot with the job search, but even that had to start with something. It starts with a spark. It starts with a dream. Nick and Billy’s dream was not to be at Google, but to make an impact in their rapidly evolving times. My dream is not to be at A or B Company as much as it is to make a difference and share impactful stories. Sharing what’s important to me about a random comedy from 2013 is a small piece of that.
There are inspiring stories all around us in the people we work alongside, pass by at our local Target, in the car next to us at a red light. Everyone is in the midst of their own story. My story? I don’t know how it will go, but I am not going to let a dream be deferred. Fortunately, the right people in my life have supported my pursuits all the way. However, even Billy and Nick had to pull a couple of late nights to work on positioning themselves for the next step.
Commentaires