The Devil Wears Prada: The Movie Might Actually Be Better

 

This week on Chapter One, Scene One we covered The Devil Wears Prada and accidentally spent a large portion of the episode debating whether the movie has aged better than the book.

Laura came in already suspicious because she reread the book recently and did not think it held up particularly well. Michelle landed somewhere in the middle. Katya somehow became the most positive person in the room despite being the only one experiencing both versions for the first time.

The biggest surprise? The movie and book are trying to do very different things.

The book leans harder into Andy completely losing herself in the job while also somehow making everyone around her miserable. The movie softens some of those edges and turns Miranda Priestly into a far more complicated character. We also discussed how the adaptation quietly improved several relationships, expanded Nigel’s role, and somehow made workplace burnout feel just as relevant in 2026 as it did in 2006.

Also: nobody remembered how much smoking is in the book.

We talked about why Meryl Streep’s performance still works twenty years later, whether Andy’s friends were actually supportive, and why the movie’s version of ambition feels more modern than the book’s.

And yes, we answered the important question:
Team Miranda, Team Andy, or Team Nigel?

Listen now at chapteronesceneone.com.