A couple summers ago, a sweet little movie with some heavy hitters released in theatres to great critical acclaim. But I enjoyed it, this week’s pick, because, surprisingly, I found myself identifying with the main character.
For those of you who know me, you may find it strange that I identified with Julia Child, featured in the film, Julie & Julia, since she’s one of the best-known and celebrated cooks in history. And I just don’t cook. Ever.
However, other aspects of her life are included in this movie that, if accurate, cause me to feel quite the kinship with her.
She was tall – 6’2. I’m 6’1.
Her husband was a little shorter than her. I’ve got my Daniel beat by a noticeable smidge.
She moved around a lot due to her husband’s job. I have too.
She lamented the fact that she never had children. Sadly, I, too, have not yet been blessed with motherhood.
Though educated and smart, she got to a point in her life where she wanted to know what she should do. Fairly late in years, she picked cooking. I’ve done this or that as need required throughout our journey, but writing has always been that thing I felt I should do.
Her dream of publication was thwarted for many, many years. Mine has been a multiple-year process that is still far from being realized.
But those are just little personal reasons I enjoyed this movie. It’s more than a simple biopic of Julia. The story, as it says in the beginning credits, is based on two true stories. In 2002, Julie Powell, in a search for her own thing to do, started a blog that chronicled her quest to go through 524 of Julia Child’s recipes in one year. The film parallels this quest with tidbits from Julia Child’s life around the time she wrote her first cookbook. The blend is masterfully staged, so both stories stand valiantly alone but work in harmony together as well. It’s heartwarming, funny, and offers yet another amazing performance by superstar actress, Meryl Streep.
It’s a success story, one that seems obtainable and possible despite setbacks and roadblocks, one that fosters hope. In the end, Julie & Julia just makes me smile. I hope it makes you smile too.
Happy movie-watching, Dry Ground friends!
1 comments:
I just recently saw this movie because a friend recommended it. I really enjoyed it. Especially Stanley Tucci's portrayal of Julia's husband. Their relationship was really special.
It also made me want to try my hand at French cooking. ;) Maybe I should just go to France.
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