5 Reasons Why Nate From "The Devil Wears Prada" Was a Terrible Boyfriend
A good grilled cheese sandwich is about all that Nate from The Devil Wears Prada is bringing to the table. Andy needs more than that Nate, she needs more… Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
Nate from The Devil Wears Prada really was the worst.
The Devil Wears Prada is one of the most likable movies of the early 2000’s hands down! Andy Sachs, played by the lovely Anne Hathaway, is a young writer in her mid-twenties searching for her “big break” in a competitive city. Seeing Andy take a leap of faith in the big, paved jungle was inspiring to us all…except one guy– her boyfriend, Nate.
Nate, played by Adrian Grenier, is introduced in TDWP as a laid-back, sexy chef who is trying to figure out his culinary career. Some see Nate as the charming boyfriend who isn’t getting the attention he needs to keep their relationship afloat but honestly, anyone who pays more than four bucks for cheese is certified crazy in my book.
About twenty minutes into the movie, Andy borrows a pair of Chanel boots, cuts her bangs, slaps on Dior lipstick, and BOOM, she’s dress code ready! Her glow-up is fabulous and everyone watching the movie is rooting for Andy. However, as soon as this metamorphosis starts her relationship with the cheese boy begins to dwindle.
When this movie first came out in 2006 I was 15 and I thought Nate was super adorable. I felt bad for him when things started going south with him and Andy! But now I watch this movie with thirty-year-old eyes, and four relationships under my belt, and I realize that Nate was kind of a dick and Andy deserved way better!
Here are 5 reasons why Nate from ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ was a terrible boyfriend
1. He said he likes her “old clothes better”.
Really Nate? We’re supposed to believe that this outfit is better than Chanel? Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
You’re telling me that a man who works in Manhattan would rather see a pair of Dr. Scholl's loafers on a woman instead of Oscar de la Renta high heels? We all saw you get excited when Andy showed you that little lacy number she was hiding under her dress…
2. He doesn’t want her to change. Like, at all.
Sometimes you outgrow your first love, and Andy definitely outgrew her relationship with Nate. Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
Andy’s going to grow up and change and Nate isn’t handling it well. When I first saw this movie freshman year of high school, I thought Andy was a horrible person for sleeping with that Christian guy who looked hot and creepy all at the same time. But the truth is, Andy went to Paris, she got a little tipsy and she got some dick after Nate made her feel like she wasn’t juggling everything well enough.
3. He snubs her cool job.
Your 20s are for discovering who you are and launching your career. And Andy did not have time for a mopey, unsupportive boyfriend who wanted her to always be exactly the way she was in college. Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
After the iconic outfit montage, Andy meets her friends for dinner and blesses them with an eleven-hundred-dollar phone, Clinique skincare, and the new Marc Jacobs bag. Nate's reaction is to ask why women need more than one bag in a bro-like tone while rolling his eyes so hard that they almost bounce out of his eye sockets. Boy, stop! The only thing that you can provide the friend group is free appetizers and an occasional misfire from the kitchen. Hater.
4. He doesn’t show up to dinner when Andy’s dad is in town.
She can’t miss a dinner with friends, but you can skip dinner with her father? Come on bro… Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
He’s getting upset because she’s working late nights and spending less time with the friend group, but this guy can’t even take a night off from work to see his girlfriend’s dad? While Andy was on the phone with Miranda, trying to help her escape a hurricane in Miami, Nate could have lent a hand to help distract her dad so she could focus on putting out a fire from hell. Who knows maybe Andy’s dad and Nate didn’t get along which is another reason to say “Buh-bye Nate!”.
5. He tells her, the woman he loves, that she doesn’t have integrity.
Nate doesn’t understand that his fresh out of college girlfriend isn’t going to land her dream job right away. She’s hustling to pay her half of the rent and somehow Nate thinks this is a bad thing? Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
Before she leaves for Paris, Andy and Nate get in a fight that ultimately leads to their breakup and Nate makes a few judgmental comments. Yes, Andy is putting her dreams aside to be a personal assistant. But not to just anyone, she’s working for a fashion legend! This is an incredible stamp on her resume and Miranda’s referral to the newspaper editor is what eventually helps Andy land her dream job. The interviewer says, “She said I would be crazy not to hire you….you must have done something right.” In your face sexy Cheeseman!
Most Rom-Coms depict the main character as someone who just wants to fit in so they can achieve a dream and they almost lose themselves along the way. But The Devil Wears Prada doesn’t tell that story. It seems that Lily, Doug, Andy’s father, and Nate are just upset because they simply miss spending time with Andy and they can’t handle her new job schedule. This girl is too busy for 6 o’clock east side dinners, catching The Strokes in Williamsburg, or trips to the Hamptons! Instead of getting offended by her new clothes and long work hours, her core group should have supported her and came from a more understanding place.
Also, her friend Lily should chill, that little peck on the cheek from Christian was nothing. At the end of TDWP, Nate tells Andy he’s moving to Boston for a sous chef position and he seems pumped about this opportunity. Maybe he was encouraged by Andy’s leap of faith, or the mental space they had apart helped him to figure out what was important. So, shouldn’t he be thanking her?? Thanks but no thanks Cheeseman, and Andy, you’re better off without him.
Written by Honey Moore
