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Review: Julie & Julia (Girl next door makes good)

Jane Boursaw — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 23:15:37 +0000

Movie: Julie & Julia * 7 Clips * Official Site	In Theaters: Aug. 7, 2009
Runtime: 123 minutes	Directed by: Nora Ephron
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language and some sensuality	Gecko Rating:

Sometimes I feel a lot like Julie Powell (Amy Adams). She’s a girl-next-door type who’s just trying to get by in the world, but coming up against roadblocks at every turn. Ok, I like my job a lot better than she likes hers, but I can certainly see where she’s coming from. We all need something to get us through the tough times, something that’s ours and ours alone, something to make us get up in the morning and keep fighting the good fight.

For Julie, that something is a blog. Ok, I identify with that, too, since I write several blogs and teach an online blogging class, to boot. Julie’s blog is very focused and even has a deadline. She realizes that the one thing she loves to do after a hard day in her cubicle dealing with people who want to talk to someone in power (of which she has none), is come home and cook. Thus, she decides to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Childs’ cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

Based on a true story and a real book, "Julie & Julia" follows Julie Powell’s life as she takes on this noble task. She feels like Julia Child is in the kitchen with her, helping her to get through all the recipes, bolstering her during the kitchen disasters, and cheering her on – even through the horrible tasks of boning a duck and cooking live lobsters.

The fact is, that Julia Child (Meryl Streep) doesn’t even know about Julie Powell. But as the film follows Julie’s life, it’s also following the parallel life of Julia Child, based on her real-life book, "My Life in France," co-written with her nephew Alex Prud’homme.

The way these two lives intertwine — even though they’re decades apart and on opposite sides of the planet — is amazing. Like Julie Powell, Julia Child endured all sorts of problems, too. After moving to France with her loving husband, Paul (Stanley Tucci), she learns how to speak French (enough to get by), figures out what she wants to do with herself (hint: it’s not making hats or playing bridge), decides to take cooking classes at the Cordon Bleu (the only female student), and falls in with two other women writing a cookbook. She does it all with grace, determination and fearlessness, even when all the odds are stacked against her.

And so also goes the life of Julie Powell. She’s working at a dead-end secretarial job in New York City, living in a tiny apartment in Queens, and feeling like she’s going nowhere as she turns 30. Her one saving grace is her "saint" of a husband, Eric (Chris Messina) — although he finally says he’s "not a saint," because part-way through the project he wishes it would all go away.

Along with the husbands, we get to meet Julia’s sister, Dorothy (Jane Lynch), Julie’s no-nonsense friend, Sarah (Mary Lynn Rajskub), and assorted other friends and coworkers.

Along with a great story, the remarkable talents of Meryl Streep and Amy Adams really shine through here. Great casting on both counts, and you feel like you really know these characters by the end of the movie. I wish it would have continued so we could see where their stories went from there.

This movie also gives you hope and inspiration that good things do happen if you keep persevering and believing in yourself, even when you just don’t feel like it.

Note to Parents: A few scenes show married couples falling into bed together. Language includes "bitch," "f*ck" (used only once), "ass," "crap," "sh*t," and the phrase, "…it’s as stiff as a hot cock," referring to a food item. That said, it’s not nearly as adult-oriented as some PG-13 movies, which is why I think it’s ok for kids 13 and older who love stories about cooking, being fearless, and persevering against the odds.

Images: Sony Pictures Entertainment

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Mary-Lynn Rajskub answers questions on Julie and Julia’s Twitter!

Jane Boursaw — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:36:48 +0000

Everyone’s on Twitter these days, and I was excited to see that “Julie and Julia” is following me.

The movie opens this Friday, and follows the story of cubicle worker Julie Powell (Amy Adams), who cooks her way through all the recipes in Julia Childs’ cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”

My daughter and I are psyched about seeing “Julie and Julia,” especially with Meryl Streep as Julia Child. Check out seven clips here, and a red carpet premiere pic here.

Mary-Lynn Rajskub, known to most of us as Jack Bauer’s steadfast friend Chloe on Fox’s “24,” plays the supportive, no-nonsense friend of Julie Powell. She answered a few questions on TwitLonger.

Check it out after the jump…

Q: What was the best thing you ate during the filming?
A: Cake.

Q: Does Meryl say “that’s as hot as a stiff cock!” in J&J?
A: Yes.

Q: Was it difficult to play a character based on real life?
A: I made up my own character based on the script, so I didn’t use the real life person in any way.

Q: Did Julie Powell actually cook her way through MTAOFC, or did she just write a book in which her main character did?
A: She really did!!!!

Q: Do you cook at home?
A: I do cook. Simple food: fish, salad vegetables, cookies.

Q: Were you a JC fan before J&J?
A: I did read and enjoy Julie Powell’s book before… Julia Child I didn’t know much about.

Q: Did Julia really cook in high heel? She was so tall to begin with.
A: Women and their fashion!

Image: INF

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Amy Adams to David Letterman: I cooked my brains out

Jane Boursaw — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:35:56 +0000

Amy Adams made an appearance on David Letterman to talk about her new film, “Julie and Julia” (check out all of Film Gecko’s coverage here). I love Amy Adams. Seriously, I have a big old girl crush on her and can’t want to see this movie, in which she co-stars with Meryl Streep as a cubicle worker who decides to spice up her life by cooking all the recipes in Childs’ “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” In fact, Adams says she cooked her brains out. The movie opens in theaters Aug. 7, 2009.

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Meryl Streep and Amy Adams at the Julie & Julia premiere

Jane Boursaw — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:51:30 +0000

Talk about two lovely ladies. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams were at the Los Angeles screening of their new film, “Julie and Julia,” held at the Mann Village Theater in Westwood. The movie opens in theaters August 7, 2009.

Directed by Nora Ephron, the movie stars Adams as Julie Powell, a cubicle worker who decides to cook and blog her way through all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s definitive "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" — in just one year. Check out seven clips of the movie here, and the latest TV spot here.

Image: Pacific Coast News

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7 Clips from Julie and Julia

Jane Boursaw — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:10:22 +0000

Oh my gosh, watching Meryl Streep playing Julia Child is like watching Julia Child herself. I don’t think they could have picked a better actress to play the chirpy chef. Below are seven clips from “Julie and Julia,” opening in theaters August 7, 2009.

Directed by Nora Ephron, the movie stars Amy Adams as Julie Powell, a cubicle worker who decides to cook and blog her way through all 524 recipes in Child’s definitive "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" — in just one year. Check out the latest TV spot here.

Love to Eat:

My Mother’s Julia:

Meltdown:

Lobsters:

Floating Island:

Pearls in the Kitchen:

Spies:

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TV spot for Julie and Julia

Jane Boursaw — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 01:09:14 +0000

Meryl Streep and Amy Adams star in this film about the early days of chirpy chef Julia Child’s career, and Julie Powell’s attempt — more than forty years later — to cook and blog her way through all 524 recipes in Child’s definitive "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." In just one year.

Love the pairing of Streep and Adams, and it’ll be fun to see Child’s journey to Paris in the 1940s where she fell in love with cooking, juxtaposed with Powell’s modern life in Queens, New York. And Nora Ephron!

"Julie and Julia" hits theaters August 7, 2009. It’s rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sensuality. Check out the latest TV spot:

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Sony Pictures 2009 Film Preview

Jane Boursaw — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:31:27 +0000

Here’s a look at what’s on tap from Sony Pictures for 2009. Some great films!

I’m especially looking forward to "The Pink Panther 2," "The Ugly Truth," "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans," and "Angels & Demons." And I’m REALLY curious about "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," because that was one of my kids’ favorite books.

Which of these movies are YOU most looking forward to?

"Not Easily Broken" – Jan. 9, 2009

"Paul Blart: Mall Cop" – Jan. 16, 2009

"Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" – Jan. 23, 2009

"The Pink Panther 2" – Feb. 6, 2009

"The International" – Feb. 13, 2009

"Fired Up" – Feb. 20, 2009

More after the jump…

"The Ugly Truth" – April 3, 2009

"Obsessed" – April 24, 2009

"Angels & Demons" – May 15, 2009

"The Taking of Pelham 123" – June 12, 2009