How long is The Intern?
Heads-up. This isn’t my usual design related writing. It’s a bit of an experiment in writing style. What does a faster story in a detective-like format feel like?
“How long is the timeline in the movie?” I wondered, for no good reason. How long since Ben joins as an intern, until the trip to San Fransisco to meet the potential CEO?
I hoped that mobile and desktop screens might give it away. The cinematographers and editors did a good job removing any interface elements that may indicate time. It would’ve been someone’s job to look out for it. Not to worry, we can find clues in the dialogue.
Play this song as you read, if you like. It’s my favourite from the soundtrack.
Day 0 - Ben finds the flyer about the internship, and records the cover letter. It’s unclear how many days passed between the recording, and the interviews.
Day 1 - The day of the interview at About The Fit. Jules is on a customer support call for dresses for a wedding that’s in 3 days. Jules also learns about the Senior Intern Program. The interns start tomorrow.
(Two scenes cast Wallis Currie-Wood who stars in Madam Secretary as Stevie McCord, and Peter Vack who stars in The Bold Type as Patrick Duchand. Both shows I had enjoyed watching.)
Day 2 - The first day at the office for all the interns.
Day 3 — Ben wakes up to take his medicines from the medicine box with the days of the week on it (it’s called a Weekly Pill Organiser). He takes them from the box marked Tuesday. Today is Tuesday. So the internship started on a Monday.
The interviews would need to have happened the previous week. However, the last scene from Day 1 suggests that interviews happened a day before the first day. If internships started on a Monday, then interviews were on a Sunday? A discrepancy.
Day 4, Wednesday - Ben starts to take more charge. Cleaning up the messy table, and offering to drive Jules when he sees her driver taking a swig. He also meets Fiona today. The day seems to end while there is still light outside.
Day 5, Thursday - Ben wakes up to a phone call, asking if he will drive Jules today as well. At Jules’ place, Matt asks Jules if she can go to dinner with friends this coming Monday.
When she’s dropping Paige at school, the other moms ask if she’ll make it to the fiesta lunch next Friday. The day seems to be a long one, so Ben has to cancel dinner with Fiona.
“When would you like to reschedule?“ she asks.
“Tomorrow?“
She Laughs. “Can’t tomorrow. What about Saturday?“
“Perfect,“ he says.
This dialogue neatly confirms our day to week mapping so far.
Day 6, Friday - Ben gets reassigned by Jules’s request. She apologises. He moves up to her area to take a look at sales numbers. He begins to get more involved. The day ends with Davis moving in with Ben. (The significance of Davis moving in with Ben is lost on me.)
Day 7, (Saturday? Day of the date?) - The editing gives the sense that we are on the next day. So Saturday.
Jules asks if Matt wants to join her in San Fransisco next Thursday for a meeting with a potential CEO. This is the day the warehouse is checked by the Sanitation Department, and they have to shut it down.
The same day she sends a scandalous email to her mom. The boys break into her mom’s house, delete the email from her computer. They go out for drinks and celebrate.
Day 8, (Sunday?) - This is the day of the date. Which ends up at the funeral of Ben’s friend. The scene opens with Ben thanking Fiona, “Really so nice of you to do this. Most women would’ve just rescheduled.“ Suggesting that today isSaturday, as planned on Thursday. Day 7 isn’t Saturday then, Day 8 is.
Leaves us with an extra day between Friday and Saturday. Another Discrepency.
Day 9, (Monday?) - Matt is unwell. Ben takes Paige to Maddie’s birthday party. They return early, to find Matt cheating on Jules. Ben is a bit nervous around Jules for the rest of the day. She notices and suggests skipping the San Fransisco trip tomorrow. Which we know is a Thursday. So today, day 9 must be Wednesday.
Day 10, Wednesday - On landing, they retire to their rooms. There is a fire alarm, so they regroup and chat about the meeting tomorrow. That makes today Wednesday.
Day 11, Thursday - The meeting goes well. Jules takes the evening to mull over her decision.
Day 12, Friday - She decides not to bring on a new CEO. The bridesmaids’ dresses from day 1 also worked out well. A neat ending.
So how long was the timeline in the movie?
Two weeks long. With the weekends a little botched up. As timelines go, 2 weeks is pretty good for an intern to move into leadership, and for a founder to turn down an external CEO suggestion from investors.
Now you know!