Julie & Julia
Julie Powell is disgruntled. She picks up Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She cooks her way through the book, blogging as she goes. Food blog gets book deal. Book gets movie deal. Everyone lives happily ever after....
Read the book. Saw the movie. Some people say the book is always better than the movie. I have to disagree.
Julie Powell
Julie Powell, food blogger, writes a book, Hollywood makes a movie out of it. What a dream come true for a food blogger! Having been written by the author herself, Julie Powell's book gives us a raw glimpse into her daily life as she cooks and blogs her way through Julia Child's book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I found the book hard to read. I put it down a number of times, and had to make myself pick it back up and read it. But the book is real, Julie pulls no punches, she's depressed, ready to give up, cries a lot and cusses - a lot - and they're not always the cute mild cuss words either. The cooking and blogging were hard. Sometimes it was a thankless job. Dinners went in the garbage and down the drain. And it comes through in her writing, and it brought me down as well. You don't want your kids reading the book. But I have to say this, she was commited to finishing the Julie/Julia Project, and I admire that.
Meryl Streep
Meryl is the perfect Julia Child. Maybe even more perfect than Julia herself. Her voice, mannerisms, the way she has to bend down to reach the counters, everything is perfect! Meryl isn't as tall as Julia Child, but they did wonders with special effects, making her larger than life and towering above the rest of the actors and actresses. There's a scene in the ladies powder room where Julia is smoking, as did many of her peers of that era. For some reason, I just can't see Julia smoking, and wondered if it was only social smoking or if she really enjoyed smoking. Either way, it must have tainted her taste buds just a little. I wonder, does Meryl Streep smoke regularly, or did she only smoke for the movie?
Amy Adams
Amy plays Julie Powell. After I read the book, I would say it's a good thing Nora Ephron took things down a notch. There was an "F" word in it, but it was spoken by Stanley Tucci as Paul Child. A few other naughty words gave it the PG 13 rating. If the movie was true to the book, it would have had an R rating. I'm glad they toned it down. Even though Julie wrote those things in her book out of frustration, I don't think it was neccessary to add them in the movie. That said, Amy Adams was a delightful Julie Powell. She was adorable!
Bon Appétit!
I could have gone and seen Julie & Julia with a bunch of foodie girlfriends, but choose my hubby instead. After all, it is he who eats all my delicious successes and awful rejects, just as Paul Child and Eric Powell enjoyed the good meals and spit out the bones their wives cooked!
There is a scene in the movie where, as a food blogger myself, had tears in my eyes imagining what it would be like to get a call from all those newpapers and publishers just as Julie Powell did. I hate to fight back the emotions. All in all, Julie & Julia was a great movie, deserving of a high rating. I would watch it all over again! Bon Appétit!
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Photo Credit: Director and writer Nora Ephron, left, cast members Meryl Streep, center, and Amy Adams pose together at the premiere of "Julie and Julia" in Los Angeles on Monday, July 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Comments
I was thoroughly enjoying the movie until that crack about "if I were a Republican, you would be fired". The liberal bigotry was as unnecessary
as it was irrelevant to the film. Just shut up and dance!
This was a wonderful movie....the cast was refreshing from top to bottom. I thought Amy Adams boss, played by the incomparable Brooks Ashmanskas of Broadway fame, was a really great addition to the closing moments. There was no liberal bigotry involved. Aren't we tired of that term yet????
Julie & Julia was a good movie we need more movies like it. At this time I needed this kind of movie. My Granddaughter was shot at her Gym (la fitness) on Tuesday. It took ,y mind of of the sensless killing and injuries, we are all now facing. Streep should be getting an award for her perfermance. Love her and the movie.
Gym
I loved the Julia and Paul Child's narrative. I have not read Julie Powell's book-- and think I would have found the "real" character far more sympathetic than the whiny Amy Adam's character in the movie. When told that Julia was being a "pill" about her blog, the Amy Adam's Julie said-- do you think she thought I used the F-word too much?? No sign of that edginess in this film. The term narcissistic as a self-description was used at one point, bingo!! An extremely caring husband, enough cash to live in NYC, a stable job, ok-- slightly nasty friends and an overbearing mother-- but she was "drowning" until rescued by Julia... give me a break! I love to cook, and have spent more than my fair share of time with Julia's clearly written recipes. I would just love to know how one could make that incredible boned duck en croute so perfect the first time around...
I can't wait to see the movie...Big fan of Meryl Streep..and becoming very fond of Amy Adams..I love they way in the past few years food has become the lead of most careers and good movies..
I recently wrote a cookbook with my mother and was wondering if you'd be interested in talking to me about it for an article. The book includes recipes for dips, soups, cookies, brownies, scones, muffins, breads, desserts, and more. If interested, email me at lizzclements at gmail dot com.
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