Julie&Julia

This movie was fairly nostalgic for me. Why, might you ask? Nearly 7 years ago, I was a freshman in high school struggling through english. For our last assignment, Mr. Brooks assigned a speech. Oh, great! Like this class can't get any worse? (These were, after all, in my days of stage fright). But this speech led me to one of my favorite passions. Cooking. Slash baking. I took on the task of relaying the life of a Mrs. Julia Child to my naive peers. Well, technically, it ended up being 3 other students and my teacher because I delayed and we didn't have time in class so I did it after school. But, regardless... I feel in love with Julia Child, or at least the woman who ventured into unknown territory! Even though we were allowed to have notecards to use for our speech, I labored over memorizing this speech. It wasn't terrible at all. Each time I did that speech, I got to relive Julia changing the world and giving me a glimmer of hope that, yes, you too can change the world, you woman, you!

Every time I saw preview for Julie & Julia, I was able to go back to those glory days. Okay, well, perhaps not. But the point is, is that, Julia child spurred my desire to go to culinary school. I haven't actually ever done that nor will I. Julia Child opened my eyes!

I went to see this movie on my own (not a first for me). I knew that this movie had potential. I had high hopes! I ended up sitting or rather, some older ladies ended up sitting by me. As people were leaving the theater, I heard one of them say, "Oh, there are young people here, too." It amazes me that so few of my friends wanted to see this movie. It's like no one of my generation knows what Julia did! How is this? She is the pioneer of chefs on tv. Her book Mastering the Art of French Cooking sold millions of copies and transformed the way women cooked in America in the 1960s. It's her that we owe much of the respect that women chefs receive today.

So, perhaps now, my nostalgia is justified. Julia Child is a figure that moves my inner being. Though she was a democrat, her advances for women in cooking make me ridiculously happy!

This movie starts with showing us that Julie Powell and Julia Child are in different time periods. And no, they never meet. We walk through the life of Julia entering cooking school, her beautiful relationship with a dedicated husband, and with her love and devotion to food co-writes a cook book that changes cooking as we know it. Julie Powell is an on-the-side writer who has ended up in a low government job in New York in 2002 that leaves her unsatisfied. After meeting with friends and watching an episode of Julia on tv, she gets the idea to write a blog. 524 recipes in 365 days. Well, it was a great idea. Look where it got her... a book AND a movie! So, in order not to reveal all of the secrets and to avoid getting cramps in my hands, I won't say a whole lot more on the plot. But I would like to point out that few movies actually move me. There are the occassional though: Slumdog Millionaire, The Village, Pride & Prejudice (with Colin Firth), and some others. This movie moves me. It's well worth the money to see it (though, I only paid $3.50, I would have paid up to 9 dollars!)

In other matters, it's important to note the acting. Meryl Streep is unstoppable. Her work in this movie is, dare I say, epic! Playing a 6'2" woman who may or may not have been addicted to sherry when cooking, is not an easy task. Many of us have seen the SNL skits of Julia Child. It's no surprise that someone can talk like her and emulate her unique actions. It's another thing, though, to show the many emotions of a woman that possesses all of Julia's characteristics. Go Meryl! Amy Adams is largely comical. So many of us go through these actions where we wonder, "Is what I'm doing meaningful?" We can empathize with her. I want to finish something. I want to have something important to say. I want to be listened to. A success to her. I applaud her. Supporting actors Stanley Tucci and Chris Messina who play Mr. Child and Mr. Powell, respectively do a great job as well. Mr. Tucci does such an fantastic job. We've seen him and Meryl together before in The Devil Wears Prada. They have got it down, because there is chemistry. It's a wonder that you look at the two together, a 6'2" woman and a considerably shorter man and wonder how that happened? But, if Julia and Paul's relationship really was as they portrayed it in film, then right on! How beautiful.

Also, they showed Julia's kitchen at the Smithsonian. I remember a few years ago, one of my visits to the Smithsonian and marveling at that kitchen. It was beautiful. It was moving. Right there were so many of the utensils that I envied, making some of the most delicious food there ever was.

There is so much more I could say about this movie. I loved it. It's full of so many emotions. It's full of what we all desire: a purpose.

As Julia says:
Bon Appétit!