Nancy Meyers’ The Intern builds toward a late-film crossroads for Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway): keep leading her fast-growing e-commerce company, or hand the CEO role to an outside executive to satisfy investors and ease the pressure she’s feeling at work and at home.
Why Jules is pushed toward stepping down
As the company scales quickly, investors and advisers argue that Jules is stretched too thin and that bringing in an experienced CEO would provide structure and stability. The film frames that argument as partly about business (“growth needs seasoned leadership”) and partly about Jules’ personal life, since her work intensity is straining her marriage and family routine.
Jules starts to consider the idea not because she wants to quit, but because she’s exhausted and fears she’s failing at everything at once.
The turning point on the CEO decision
A key moment comes when Jules travels to meet a potential CEO candidate, with Ben (Robert De Niro) offering steady, practical support. Ben pushes her to separate fear and guilt from what she actually wants—reminding her that she built the company, understands its culture, and shouldn’t be pressured into giving it away just to make others comfortable.
At the same time, the story forces a hard reset in her personal life when her husband, Matt (Anders Holm), admits to cheating and expresses remorse. Instead of framing Jules’ ambition as the problem, the film shifts the responsibility where it belongs: onto Matt’s choices and the couple’s need to confront what’s really broken.
Does Jules stay on as CEO?
Yes. By the end, Jules does not hand off the company to an outside CEO and remains in charge. The film’s resolution is clear that she keeps her role and continues leading the business she created.
What the final tai chi scene is really saying
The closing tai chi scene functions as a quiet message about balance. Jules isn’t stepping down—but she is changing how she carries the weight: slowing down, accepting help, and learning to lead without letting the job erase the rest of her life.
