JULIE AND JULIA
US, 2009, 123 minutes, Colour.
Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Jane Lynch.
Directed by Nora Ephron.
Julia Child is a household name it seems in the US, the renowned cook who introduced French cuisine and a greater variety of styles in cooking through her book and on television. Julie Powell has become known in the US through her blog and her decision to cook all of Julia Child's recipes over 365 days, which she did, becoming famous in the cooking world with her blog and then her book.
The two never met – and the screenplay indicates that the elderly Julia Child might not have wanted to meet Julie Powell or hear about her following all the recipes. However, writer-director, Nora Ephron (Heartburn with Meryl Streep, Sleepless in Seattle), has brought them together or, rather, has juxtaposed their stories, intercut them so that there are parallels (job frustration, outlet in cooking, supportive husband), and made an entertaining film that even non kitchen-habitues can enjoy. Better, if you like to cook and use recipe books.
There is a trouble here that dogs any film with two stories running together: one is often much more interesting than the other. It is not Amy Adams' fault that Julie Powell's story is less absorbing. She is nice but hers is the lesser feat. Frustrated in a government phone answering job where people insult her while she tries to do good, frustrated in her attempts to be a writer, she relaxes by cooking. With the support of her husband (Chris Messina) who does find all this irritating at times and wonders whether his wife is not too self-absorbed (a danger of running your own blog?), but not encouraged by her critical mother, she perseveres despite some mishaps.
The other trouble with the film – although we are grateful for it – is the overwhelming performance by Meryl Streep as Julia Child. She was a tall, big woman with a grand-dame voice and manner of speaking (some have mentioned a pantomime dame voice) that resembles Joan Plowright with more than a touch of Edith Evans. She had a hearty laugh. As expected, Meryl Streep does a marvellous impersonation – and can be checked with the scene where Julie Powell and her husband watch Dan Aykroys's funny Saturday Night Live take-off of Julia Child in her kitchen. (The kitchen, by the way, is now in the Smithsonian in Washington.)
The Child story takes place in France in the late 40s and through the 50s ending up in Boston. After OSS work during the war with her sympathetic (and shorter) husband, Paul (the genial Stanley Tucci), she realised she enjoyed eating and started to take cooking lessons, attempting cordon bleu and succeeding. She teamed up with two French cooks who were preparing a recipe volume in English and finished up being the mainstay of the eventual book.
Many of the French scenes are amusing as we follow Julia to cooking school, practising chopping onions and, eventually, delighting her husband with wonderful meals. On the serious side, he is called to America during the Mc Carthy hearings when government workers were being checked for Communist background or sympathies. We are treated to the drama of frustration with publishers and to print or not to print.
A number of the audience were chuckling with delight through a lot of the film.
1. A popular entertainment? The popularity of cooking films? Recipes? Cook and chef personalities?
2. Julia Child, her popularity, her books, television appearances, recipes, the television skits? The contrast with Julie, her job, the pleasure of cooking, her blog? Her year-long task?
3. The two periods, the 1940s, post-war Paris? The 21st century, post 9/11? Two pieces of Americana?
4. Julia Child and her story, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci as her husband? The marriage, work in the OSS, diplomatic corps, Julia as wife, no children, wanting to occupy herself, interest in cooking? Her beliefs, enrolling in the course, the applications, the hostile manager, going to class, all men? Chopping onions, her practice? The lessons, her achievement, her contact with the writers of the cookery book, the discussions, the project? Her husband’s approval?
5. Julia, her personality, Meryl Streep’s style, like a pantomime dame talking and moving, tall? Her husband short? Her extroverted manner, her comments, delight, food, tastes, butter, her friends, Americans in Paris? Her work with the two writers? The efficient writer, the lazy writer? The preparation for the book? The writing, the U.S. contacts, the invitation, the process, the cancellations, meeting the editor, difficulties, the size of the book, the money, the
increase in of work?
6. The visit from Julia’s sister, tall, talkative, the party, match-making? The short man, their dancing – and their marriage?
7. Her achievement, the end of Paul’s work in Paris, his transfer to Marseilles, her love of France?
8. The contrast with Julie, a young woman, her marriage, her job? The phone work, the people ringing, the rudeness, her exasperation? Her love for her husband, the apartment, above the pizza shop? The noise? Her enjoying cooking? The phone calls from her mother? Her admiration for Julia Child, the book, her plan to cook all the recipes during one year?
9. Her keeping the job, her husband as editor, the working together, his suggesting the blog, the recipes, her comments on her cooking, success, failures? Coming home from work, cooking, trying, failing? Buying the ingredients? The anticipated visit of the editor, the rain and her not coming? The meat in the oven, her sleeping, its burning? Her husband, his love for her, his exasperation? Accusing her of being self-centered? His going away, the return, the blog responses? The interest in the blogs by a publisher?
10. The real Julia Child and Julie wanting to meet her? The older woman refusing and upset at the blog? Her work as a tribute?
11. Audiences and their admiration for Julia Child (and enjoying the television poking fun at her manner)? Identifying with Julie and her program of cooking?
