GO See It! If you love to Cook: GO See it! If you're a Foodie: GO see it! If you love Movies: GO see it! If you love Meryl Streep: GO see it! (You'll forget it's actually Streep you're seeing.) If you're an Author OR a Would-Be Author, GO see it! And, if you're a Blogger, By All Means: GO. See It!
If you haven't already, go see "Julie & Julia," which premiered in theaters on Friday. Buy your ticket online and show up early. The Fiance and I took his dear 80-plus mother. Looking around the theater, taking account everyone's age, he guestimated the average age was 55. It was PACKED. And it was adorable. The movie, yes, but all the blue hairs clutching their purses in their laps and nearly leaning over in their theater seats at the never-dull-moment lick-your-chops tale.
And that tale would be of a young but demoralised New York secretary named Julie who decides to cook her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (524 recipes)in one year and blog about it. The two-hour movie flashes back and forth in time from when American Julia Child moved to Paris and learned to cook French Cuisine and then as contemporary character Julie--who, in real life,is blogger and author, Julie Powell--channels her inner Julia Child.
I admit, I'm not a harsh movie critic. I'm easily entertained. The Fiance, not so. But, he, the Gourmet and gifter of my extra poundage, loved it, too. I loved the fashion. (True, nothing spectacular, but very period for each character.) I loved learning about Julia Child. (Doh! I didn't even know she was an American?! I thought she was French!) I loved her homes and furnishings. And, I loved the love stories that backgrounded each woman. Even better it was/is a Nora Ephron directed film. Perfectly so. The woman loves to cook, by what little I know of her through her autobiographical movie, Heartburn, (SCORCH!) and her book, I Feel Bad About My Neck And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman and this inteview on NPR, which was my source that she was the director.
In Julia & Julie, the two women's marriages were a subplot of encouragement. As was the theme of two women who found themselves at a crossroads, forged ahead and found their passion and fame. I found encouragement for my own career as a writer, blogger, author. And, as my future mother-in-law said several times during the movie: "This is so real." What she meant is that this was no usual Hollywood flash and glitz...Not a single special effect, The Fiance added. It was a story of regular people -- at the start -- who had real marriages and real lives. It was honest and relate-able.
And, I cried. The Fiance kept turning to me as I lifted my glasses once again and blotted my eyes with a crumpled tissue. "Are you crying?" he'd ask in amazement. Then: "Are you crying again?" It was totally cathartic. I cried tears of Joy. Tears of laughter. And a few of sorrow. And at the end, I gave that tissue a big honk. And I know that I wasn't the only one....
GO. See. It!
Watch a trailor here: www.julieandjulia.com/
Yes, Michelle. One of the very endearing parts of the movie were the marriages. I never knew this about Child. What a sweet love story! And a healthy, supportive and very real one via Hollywood?!? Guess I wrote that above. Thanks for visiting!
Posted by: Leisa Hammett | August 23, 2009 at 08:25 PM
As you saw on Twitter, I loved this movie. I loved that Julia Childs was so incredibly quirky and likable and that she had such a happy marriage. I just felt all warm and fuzzy afterwards.
Posted by: Michelle Smiles | August 23, 2009 at 11:10 AM
YAY! I have POWER! Hear me ROAR! ;-)I'm so glad you all went, Dara! I was posting about riding in my convertible last night and thought about you! Remember the Mothers From Hell adventure after Mexican more than a year ago? ;-)
Posted by: Leisa A. Hammett | August 13, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Leisa,
Because of your strong endorsement, I acted immediately and took my 92 year old mother to see this film! So glad I did! We both loved it. Thanks! :)
Posted by: Dara Howe | August 13, 2009 at 08:11 AM
HELLO, Jessica! Yes! There were a lot of young people tenderly holding the arms of their aging loved ones as they climbed the stairs and scooted over and into their theater seats. The Fiance and I had planned to go, just the two of us when his mother saw the ad and said she'd loved to go. Of course! We were happy to take her and loved that she loved it, too. FIFTEEN? Set of dishes?!! That's a record?!
Posted by: Leisa A. Hammett | August 10, 2009 at 10:21 AM
My mother-in-law (who loves to cook and owns fifteen sets of dishes) would LOVE this. Sounds like something good for her and I to do together!
Posted by: Jessica Kelley | August 10, 2009 at 08:52 AM