Save the liver!
Oh, right, that was Dan Aykroyd.
So I finally saw Julie and Julia, and it really made me wish for more. Specifically, I wished for more of the Julia story. If someone decides to do a full treatment of Julia Child’s My Life In France I’ll be first in line to see it.
The Julie part of the story? I could have done without most of that.
In case you’ve somehow missed it, Julie and Julia is the true story of Julie Powell’s decision to cook her way through Child’s opus Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. That’s over 500 recipes, including several complex procedures that aren’t often done in the home kitchen — like Powell’s final challenge: boning a duck.
The movie is told as interwoven biographies, as it also tells the story of Julia Child’s arrival in France, her decision to attend Le Cordon Bleu, and her 10-year struggle to write and publish her book.
What’s painfully clear from watching the two stories develop together is that Julia loved food. Once she started taking it seriously, she wanted to master everything about it. Julie, on the other hand, was looking for something to do. Something she could do every day to overcome her chronic failure to complete what she starts.
Since Julie’s story was never really about the food — it was just a backdrop to discuss her personal development — there wasn’t much point in comparing their cooking styles. Instead, the movie focused on the parallels between Julia’s book, and Julie’s blog.
So how do those stories stack up?
Julia: 2 volumes, over 700 pages, 524 recipes; 10 years to research, test, write and edit; 2 collaborators, 1 falling-out; carbon-paper copies sent by mail between at least 4 countries; 1 publishing deal that falls through after they’ve paid an advance; finally published when she was nearly 50.
Julie: 1 year, 524 recipes, 1 profile in a major newspaper, multiple book deal offers by the time she’s 30.
I don’t begrudge her success. When lightning strikes and you’re standing there to pick up the fire you’d be a fool not to jump on it. But in terms of dramatic possibilities … well, there’s just not much “there” there.
As a food writer myself, I probably reacted to parts that most people would never notice. Like the moment when the first book deal falls through and Julia asks her husband, “Has all this been just something for me to do?” I’ve had some conversations that I thought were leading to opportunities that haven’t materialized (yet), so I know about getting your hopes up.
Or when Julie ruins a dish but still has to get something done in time to write about it. The late-night run to the corner store for more milk and butter.
Recommendation?
This movie is a great appetizer, piquing my interest in reading Julia Child’s Life in France. But I have a feeling if I had read the book first, that I would want those two hours back.
Want more like this? For more recipes like this, that you can hold right in your hands, and write on, take notes, tear pages out if you want (Gosh, you're tough on books, aren't you?) you might be interested in How To Cook Like Your Grandmother, 2nd edition, Illustrated. Or to learn your way around the kitchen, check out Starting From Scratch: The Owner's Manual for Your Kitchen.
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13 Comments
I read both books before I watched the movie. I rented it when it came out on DVD. I liked it, but after hearing all the hype I was expecting something better. The second time I watched it, I liked it a lot more because the expectations were gone and because Meryll Streep was perfect. Every scene that had Julia in it made me smile, and made me wish there was more of her and less of Julie. I would definitely watch a full feature on JC.
I really recommend that you read My Life in France. I absolutely loved it!
My library has this – it was worth the time spent viewing – it’s biographical:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00066FBSE/ref=s9_simh_gw_p74_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=08DS7HYWM7YCR6MZSYH8&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846
Thanks for the pointer. I just added it to my Netflix queue.
I too, loved the Julia part and wished it was a movie about her and that’s it – none of the Julie part (and I hear Julia was none too pleased with the gal). The funniest part of the movie that made me laugh long and hard was where her husband came home and she was in the kitchen trying to master the art of cutting onions as well as some of the chefs at the Cordon Bleu.
Not “as well as”. She wanted to do it better than they did.
You just reminded me of another thing most people wouldn’t have noticed. The research was meticulous, so I’m assuming this bit was accurate, but did you notice the knives she was using? They looked so crude compared to what we’re used to today. Didn’t seem to bother them any.
As a die-hard Julia Child fan, I was very intrigued about the movie. However, I had in the past stumbled upon Julie’s blog and was not enthralled with it, so I was leery of the combination of the two story lines in the movie.
Your review is spot on!
Meryl Streep was just fabulous in the role, and Stanley Tucci was great as well. The Julie story line was like a bad diversion, and the character was just so…whiney.
I would have loved to had a full length feature on Julia Child, with Meryl in the lead role of course.
After I saw the movie, I bought another Julie Powell book that made it’s way to the ‘donate’ pile a few days afterwards. meh.
I agree. Would have much preferred it to be all about Julia, and left the Julie part out. Meryl and Stanley were great.
I enjoyed “J & J” as well. I enjoyed both parts of it. I think everyone is short-selling the importance of the Julie Powell part of the story. I found the real-life story of this real-life person, while not as compelling as Child’s story, quite interesting, and I find Amy Adams a terrific screen presence. But most important is what Powell did too revive Child in the consciousness of modern America. She brought a spotlight back on MTAOFC. I’ve known about Child and her cookbook most of my life and always felt intimidated by it, to the point that I never even picked up a copy of it. Powell made it crystal-clear that it really is very accessible book that you can really use in your own kitchen, and if some of the recipes are especially challenging, ones efforts will be rewarded. I now own a copy of it. I would argue that were it not for Powell, the Child part of the story would likely have never been told. And as for her being whiney, as I’ve heard from many corners, I would say: Women of America – go take a long look in the mirror.
I liked the Julia part of the movie for the simple reason that as a young man trying to learn to cook, I cooked my way all the way through Jeff Smith’s “Frugal Gourmet”, cover to cover. I could identify with Julie, though I am awed by someone who can do that with a cookbook as huge and difficult as MTAOFC.
Kris and Dave, you both make good points. I’m sure I’m biased by the fact that I already like Julia, and wish I could have seen more of that story. And also by the fact that I know too much of the story of the real Julie to just respond to what’s in the movie.
When she finds out that Julia doesn’t like her blog, in the movie it’s inexplicable: How could she not like it? But I’ve read enough of Julie’s real blog to understand. She didn’t always follow the recipes exactly. Sometimes things didn’t come out right. (Are those two points connected? Gosh, maybe.)
She doesn’t really give the impression that, “You could do this, too.” In the movie you do see that it’s causing problems with her marriage. Is that really the message Julia would want for her book? “Try to cook like this and your husband will leave you”?
So yes, I’m glad the movie brought MTAOFC back into the mainstream. But I think they could have done the same thing by making a movie from “My Life in France”.
I picked up a copy of Julie & Julia a few years ago…and then put it down. The tone of the book was just off. I love cooking and I’m definitely a Julia fan- something about Julie’s book sullied the memory of the beloved chef. She was crass at times- I was not at all surprised to find that Julia was less than impressed.
I haven’t read the book, but I quite liked the movie — except that it does the mean trick of convincing you it’s all about the emotional growth and personal life of Julie, and then there is such a radical break with sympathy when she and her husband fight — because honestly, it’s not a flattering moment! I went to look at her blog online when I got home, wondering whether she or her partner would prove to be at fault — since the movie tried so hard to make her a long-suffering angel and him such a shallow bastard. And, ugh! Her blog is just trite and hollow, banal and hipster-esque. I was most disillusioned. Still think that movie-Julia is adorable, and that Julia Child deserved the public attention this film stirred up, though.
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