Passion. Ambition. Butter. Do You Have What It Takes?
Julia Child and Julie Powell - both of whom wrote memoirs - find their lives intertwined. Though separated by time and space, both women are at loose ends... until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.
Genre(s): Biography, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Runtime: 123 minutes
Rating: 7.7/10 (4,213 votes)
Release Date: 7 August 2009
Country: USA
Languages: English
Company: Columbia Pictures
Sound: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sensuality.
Director(s): Nora Ephron
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Producer(s):
John Bernard - line producer: Paris
Dianne Dreyer - co-producer
Nora Ephron - producer
Donald J. Lee Jr. - executive producer
Laurence Mark - producer
Amy Robinson - producer
Scott Rudin - executive producer
J.J. Sacha - associate producer
Eric Steel - producer
Dana Stevens - executive producer
Writer(s):
Nora Ephron - (screenplay)
Julie Powell - (book "Julie & Julia")
Julia Child - (book "My Life in France") and
Alex Prud'homme - (book "My Life in France")
Cast:
Meryl Streep - Julia Child
Amy Adams - Julie Powell
Stanley Tucci - Paul Child
Chris Messina - Eric Powell
Linda Emond - Simone Beck
Helen Carey - Louisette Bertholle
Mary Lynn Rajskub - Sarah
Jane Lynch - Dorothy McWilliams
Joan Juliet Buck - Madame Brassart
Crystal Noelle - Ernestine
Music: Alexandre Desplat
John Bernard - line producer: Paris
Dianne Dreyer - co-producer
Nora Ephron - producer
Donald J. Lee Jr. - executive producer
Laurence Mark - producer
Amy Robinson - producer
Scott Rudin - executive producer
J.J. Sacha - associate producer
Eric Steel - producer
Dana Stevens - executive producer
Writer(s):
Nora Ephron - (screenplay)
Julie Powell - (book "Julie & Julia")
Julia Child - (book "My Life in France") and
Alex Prud'homme - (book "My Life in France")
Cast:
Meryl Streep - Julia Child
Amy Adams - Julie Powell
Stanley Tucci - Paul Child
Chris Messina - Eric Powell
Linda Emond - Simone Beck
Helen Carey - Louisette Bertholle
Mary Lynn Rajskub - Sarah
Jane Lynch - Dorothy McWilliams
Joan Juliet Buck - Madame Brassart
Crystal Noelle - Ernestine
Music: Alexandre Desplat
Posted on: August 10, 2009
August 24th, 2009
From the opening scene of Julie & Julia – this film, like a Julia Childrecipe for an exquisite meal, has all of the ingredients necessary fora superb cinematic experience.
Food, like movies, can fuel, nourish, inspire, and motivate. NoraEphron, a renaissance woman herself, began her career as a writer andis also a passionate cook. Given her writing and cooking chops, therewas no better writer-director for this film.
It goes without saying that the divine Meryl Streep is like a finewine; she just gets better with age. Amy Adams holds her own as thewriter stuck in a dead end job as she turns 30, looking for careersatisfaction through a passion for cooking.
The parallel lives of the women across generations and time areeffectively played out to seamless perfection. The film could easilyhave felt disjointed – but there is never a dull moment thanks to NoraEphron's story telling deftness.
A master of the female driven genre, Ms. Ephron's film could easily beembraced by men of all ages. One of the reasons is the time honoredwell-known mantra, ''the way through a man's heart is through hisstomach,'' which both women have a distinct appetite for exercising, tothe delight of their spouses.
Stanley Tucci is wonderful as the sophisticated, yet heartfelt husbandwho clearly loves and appreciates all that his wife is to him. It is,in fact, a lot of that love that makes it safe for Julia to expressherself in her cooking. The love she has for food and creatingfantastic meals is a reward that he appreciates in all of its grandeur.Their chemistry is not only entirely believable, but their quiet, saneexistence together is a revelation in and of itself, given the climateof today's near continual conflict between the sexes.
Despite the accomplishments of the women's men in the film: JuliaChilld's husband's U.S. Embassy cultural attaché, and Julie Powell'smagazine editor husband, they are both willing to allow their wives toeventually eclipse them in a near-egoless fashion.
Given the current pervasive unhealthy attitude of women toward food –the massive eating disorders and attention on body size vs. health, oneof the most wonderful revelations of this film is the unabashed andunapologetic love of food and cooking that the women have, and the factthat the men in their lives neither make them feel guilty about it, nordiscourage them. In fact, just the opposite takes place, as theylovingly support their spouses – relishing the fruits of their labor –meal after scrumptious meal.
It is refreshing to finally see a film that celebrates women who arepast their twenties, and not desperately seeking men. They neithercompromise who they are, nor do they concern themselves with shadowinga man just to get and keep his attention. There is no catty, evilcompetitiveness that has become so prevalent in so many female drivenfilms. It seems like all films featuring strong women these days focuson neurotic disorders associated with sex, demeaning and demoralizingthem by reducing them to the objects that men still seek to acquire astrophies. All of that fodder is strikingly and refreshingly missingfrom Julie & Julia.
By showcasing the art of writing for both characters, Ms. Ephron, as aliterary success long before she became a filmmaker, has clearlyexpressed the importance of writing to the art of cooking. After all,most cooks would admit that there is at least one great cookbook fromwhich they have learned and gotten inspiration from to design theirculinary delicacies.
As a metaphor, Julia Child knew how to handle a broken omelet – andJulie Powell learned how to fix her life by finding something shebecame passionate about that would also translate to her writingexpression.
Perhaps the film will incite a renaissance of the love of cooking andfood once again for younger women, who may realize how romantic andsexy the love of food and its preparation can be.
It would be a great byproduct of this film if Americans could find ahealthier attitude toward food overall, with a return to the days goneby of people who focused more on the quality of the food they ate,rather than the constant calorie counting, guilt-ridden atmosphere oftoday – for women, especially.
I cannot say enough great things about this film. It is a win-winhealthy dose of love and passion that results in enormous success forall involved, without ever being degrading, gratuitous, boring orfrivolous. It is a pure, long overdue deserved homage and as deliciousan experience as any Julia Child recipe ever was, and still is today.
Susan S. Davis is a media development and web content consultant,journalist, author, and screenwriter in the Los Angeles area.
August 24th, 2009
Two stories rolled up in one movie, proves to be quite enjoyable. Thetwo leads, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams are very memorable. Although manycritics have panned Amy Adams performance. Well I say the heck withthem. Critics don't always know a good performance when they see one.Amy Adams was just as good as Meryl Streep.
The story begins with Julie Powell(Amy Adams) and her husband(ChrisMessina) move to Boston, where Julie works for a hot line center. Butfeels their is a void in her life that is left unfilled. But findsthrough her idol Julia Child, a famous female chef. Decides to start ablog about cooking, has she begins to cook 30 recipes. And the blog iscalled Julie and Julia. During that we get to see flashbacks of JuliaChild(Meryl Streep) and her husband Paul(Stanley Tucci), and how shegot started into cooking.
An entertaining film, Adams and Streep are excellent, even though theydon't have any scenes together, you feel the connection they share.Tucci and Messina are also good too. A very enjoyable lighthearted filmfor 2009.
August 25th, 2009
There is no need to add to the other comments about the overall qualityof the film which is well done with a thoughtful and engaging story.There were a few items which brought the overall story down.
1. The use of the f-bomb – not in keeping for the era (late 50s) andunnecessary. It used to be this was a R rating for sure. Beyond that itwas completely gratuitous and if left out would not have changed theimpact of the scene (and film).
2. A few lame jabs are tossed out at U.S. Republicans. Those who seemany films may be used to the typical Hollywood left slant – in thiscase the 'jokes' were not only non-nonsensical but actually detractfrom the film. A.) Julie works for the Lower Manhattan DevelopmentCorporation a government sponsored not unlike your local HousingAuthority. Julie admits that she is a government employee and is shownto be honestly, actively engaged in her work even going 'above andbeyond' on at least one occasion. Who has ever called a governmentemployee a 'capitalist'? B.) Seriously calling sick as plot device?What she needs a doctor's note; is this real life or Jr. High? Whatgov't employee does not have sick time or personal time? Was thischronic? If so the reprimand was justified. If not it doesn't makesense in light of effort to show her as the good worker. So why wouldher boss call attention to his idiocy? (I am not a Republican, I am nota schmuck. But don't do that again.) Is that funny? In any case theyare elements that if left out would make the film better, kind of likethe nudity in Schindler's List, self-indulgent and unnecessary.
3. But beyond all that is one of the underlying elements of the Juliasegments – McCarthy. Absurdly, Paul is called all the way back to thestates from France for 3 days of questioning; where he is exonerated.The significant question highlighted was "Are you a homosexual?" WasJoe McCarthy investigating homosexuality? Of course not. So what was itthat Paul did that left him with a cloud of suspicion as a communist -taking 3 days to clear up? Lived in China as an embassy appointee, wasinvolved with….. The only hint in the film is that he liked to checkbooks out from the embassy library, which recently had it's collectionreduced because of Joe. While I know nothing about Paul and Julia Childhistory has shown that Joe McCarthy was more often right than wrong.But this does not fit the conventional wisdom that McCarthyism =unjustified witch-hunt. And this in a story supposedly about 2 truestories
August 25th, 2009
Meryl Streep is always a draw for me, and the previews had meanticipating the movie. Finally, a plot not involving comic bookheroes! Julia Child is an icon–of sorts. If the whole movie had justfocused on her it would have been perfect. Streep captures Child'scharming,effervescent personality without parody. Her chemistry withStanley Tucci as husband Paul is enchanting. The Child portions takesus back to France and the time period through mannerisms, clothing,ambiance. I was transported by the script, the fabulous acting, and thegreat editing.
As for the Julie part. If that had been a movie on its own. I probablywould have waited for the DVD and then maybe skipped it. If Nora Ephronmeant to show the juxtaposition between yesteryear and the two women,she most certainly achieved it. Julie Powell comes off as insecure andwhiny when compared to Julia's approach of embracing life, be it goodor bad. Julia wrote a cookbook, taking several years to do so, becauseit needed to be done and it was recognized for what it was-genius.Julie, is inspired by Julia, yet one gets the feeling food and cookingare a means of achieving something–a tension release, a means to fame,unlike Julia who had a true passion for food. Julia's rapture for foodas she shopped and visited with all the merchants reminded me of anartist at work, preparing the canvas and relishing her skills. Julie,on the other hand, gave the impression of tackling a task, climbing themountain because it is there, so to speak. Where is the appreciation?the savoring? the meaning? It would be interesting to explore thereasons behind Julia Child's lack of embrace for Julie Powell's blog.
As a whole the movie is delightful, and go if you haven't. The Juliaportion is the backbone of the movie and the Julie portion addsmoments, yet is the weaker portion. I do want to mention how much ChrisMessina added to the concept of supporting husband with reality. I lookforward to the DVD, in hopes of featurettes.
August 27th, 2009
Big disappointment here. I was really looking forward to this filmbased on the trailers I had seen some months ago. The thought of MerylStreep playing Julia Child with Stanley Tucci as her husband Paul was,like creamy butter spread on fresh baked French bread, a combinationtoo delicious to pass up even though it seems so obvious in retrospect.
It was much later on that I began to understand that this film was notgoing to be solely about Julia Child, but was going to be a combinationof two stories.
The first story was about Julia Child, a woman who by all rights shouldnot have succeeded at any of the things she tried to do, but because ofher indomitable spirit and tenacity and after suffering years ofhumiliating failure, she finally succeeded in the harshly competitiveworlds of serious cookery, book publishing and television and she wouldchange the way America looked at food and life forever.
The other person in the film was Julie Powell an uninteresting littlecubicle worker who wrote a blog in Queens.
Let me state here very clearly, no matter how important the events,tragedies, loves, losses and happenings of your life are to youpersonally; that does not make them interesting for a movie audience.
I don't doubt that the real Julie Powell found true solace in cookingafter spending her days in a cubicle listening to tales of woe from9/11 victim families and I certainly don't doubt that she is sincere inher love and respect for Julia Child; but what did Julie Powell reallydo? Cook recipes from a book that thousands and thousands of otherpeople have already cooked? Write about it on a blog? From this theymade a movie?
Forgive me, the real Julia Child deserves a movie all her own. If themovie studios don't want to touch it, how about you cable channels.Come on Showtime, HBO! Julia Child really did learn to cook, really didwrite a great book and really did change TV and the kitchen formillions of people in America and elsewhere.
She's certainly as interesting as Truman, Bernard & Doris or the wackomother and daughter from Grey Gardens.
Julie & Julia is a choppy film, every time Meryl Streep and StanleyTucci are on screen, the film is interesting and has the tangylightness of a beurre blanc, every time Amy Adams and Chris Messina areon screen, the film falls like a flat soufflé.
This is not their fault. Amy Adams and Chris Messina are both talentedand attractive people, but Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep, locations inParis and a credible sense of history are tough acts to follow.Especially when the best they can muster is a second floor walk-upabove of a pizzeria.
There are a few times when Amy Adams is out with her snooty friendswhen the screen crackles but overall, the film stops cold whenever wecut to the modern story.
The big problem is there is an attempt to compare the two lives, JuliaChild and Julie Powell, and there is no comparison. Julia Child on hermost dull days was more interesting than Julie Powell. I realize thatmay be unfair, but I am calling it the way I see it.
There are a couple of good things to observe however. I am thrilledthat Julie Powell decided to find in Julia Child a guru of sorts. Whenyou consider how many people suffering from the existential angst thatJulie Powell was dealing with turn to goofy New Age nitwits like DeepakChopra or humorless cults like Scientology; please drugs and alcoholare better for you and no where near as brain numbing. Julia Child is amuch better influence by far.
But there is something else happening since the release of Julie &Julia that gives me huge hope for America. Since Julie & Julia hit themultiplexes, I have read that copies of Julia Child's book MasteringThe Art Of French Cooking have been flying off bookstore shelveseverywhere the film is playing. But that has not happened with JuliePowell's book. This confirms something I have long suspected; theAmerican people know the real thing when they see it.
August 30th, 2009
The Ugly Truth about Julie & Julia The Ugly Truth, as Gerald Butlertells us in the movie of the same name is that nobody wants to f**k awoman who dresses for comfort and efficiency. This caveman wisdom, andother harsh realities of the dating scene, are the core of thisenjoyable chick flick.
The obvious plot revolves around a gorgeous Katherine Heigl, who forsome strange reason, is not gunning for the most handsome successfulman she can land, except for her face in the lap (literally) of thesexy and hunky surgeon next door. Instead, she is intrigued andtormented by Butler's sophomoric Man Show TV personality. Theyinevitably get together in the end, but along the way, he manages toeducate a smart, sexy and successful TV producer (Heigl) of his wisdomand foresight in all things related to man and women and dating. As if.
As if girls at age three don't already know that their looks areimportant. As if girls at thirteen don't already know that boys areexcited more about having sex with them than they are about them. As ifa smart, sexy and successful blonde would have any trouble getting thehunky surgeon next door interested in her.
With over 30 movies already to her credit, most notably Judd Apatow'sKnocked Up with Seth Rogan, actress Heigl seems poised to capture theAmerican "sweetheart next-door" void so aptly filled by Meg Ryan andSally Fields.
Scruffy Scot Butler (P.S. I Love You) also seems poised for largerroles, though the pair never generate the heat of classic on-screenpairings such as Tom Hanks and Ryan, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall,Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn.
Nowhere in this movie is the implicit sexual tension that roiled theblack and white classics. We don't have passionate couples held apartby thin bed sheets. We don't have headstrong women swimming, perhapsnaked, in the middle of the night with men. Instead, we are left withthe pithy lines that count as humor these days: Heigl: My cat steppedon the remote. Butler: Well, be sure to thank your pussy for me.
This movie is a mindless, but entertaining, dumbing down of what womenneed to do to catch and hold man's basic desires.
In stark contrast to The Ugly Truth are the roles portrayed by bothsexes in Nora Ephron's Julie & Julia. Ephron writes romantic comedies,such as You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and When Harry MetSally.
In yet another awesome performance by the incredible Meryl Streep (andAmy Adams, both in the wonderful Doubt), we see not just howintelligent, charming and beguiling real, full grown, adult women canbe, but also how strong, sensitive, and supportive their real lifehusbands are. The movie builds from the real life insights of JuliePowell (http://blogs.salon.com/0001399/2002/08/25.html).
The Ugly Truth shows that to catch a guy's fancy, women need to besharp, sexy and a bit coy. Julie & Julia shows that to have anhonest-to-god real relationship with an honest-to-god real man, womenneed to be kind, intelligent, thoughtful, honest and open.
Don't have a relationship yet? Then by all means, go see The UglyTruth. It is a funny, entertaining date flick. Already got arelationship? One where somebody does the cooking, or has ambitions?Then go see Julie & Julia. The first is a fantasy where gorgeous blondscan't get the attention of hunky doctors. The second is two truestories welded together with honesty, compassion, influences of theoutside world and true honest-to-god commitments.
One last thing must be mentioned. There are not one, not two, notthree, not four, but dozens, yes dozens, of instances where the squareblack chunk of the boom mike can be seen floating down into scene! Itseems to happen most often in mid range one-one dialog scenes, suchwhen Tucci and Streep are conversing on a couch. It is simply amazingthat such glaring faux pas could make it out of the can into publicview. I really hope the "preview" version I saw two weeks before theopening is corrected before its mass distribution.