Julie & Julia (2009)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Nora Ephron

Writers (WGA):

Nora Ephron (screenplay)
Julie Powell (book)

Release Date:

7 August 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Passion. Ambition. Butter. Do You Have What It Takes?

Plot:

Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book.

Plot Keywords:

Book | Recipe | Blogger | Cooking | Cook

Cast

Meryl Streep	...	Julia Child
Amy Adams	...	Julie Powell
Stanley Tucci	...	Paul Child
Chris Messina	...	Eric Powell
Linda Emond	...	Simone Beck
Helen Carey	...	Louisette Bertholle
Mary Lynn Rajskub	...	Sarah
Jane Lynch	...	Dorothy McWilliams
Joan Juliet Buck	...	Madame Brassart
Crystal Noelle	...	Ernestine
George Bartenieff	...	Chef Max Bugnard
Vanessa Ferlito	...	Cassie
Casey Wilson	...	Regina
Jillian Bach	...	Annabelle
Andrew Garman	...	John O'Brien

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sensuality.

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44272) | Ireland:12A | Mexico:A | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Argentina:Atp | Norway:A | Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:o.Al. (f) | New Zealand:M | UK:12A | South Korea:12 | Japan:G | Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (re-rating on appeal) | Sweden:Btl | Hong Kong:IIA | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB)

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Long Island City, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures

Trivia:

Because of Meryl Streep's height (5'6") several camera/set/costume tricks had to be employed to mimic Julia Child's height (6'2"). Countertops were lowered, Streep wore extra high heels, and forced perspective camera angles were used.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When cooking Julia Child's classic boeuf bourguignon Julie uses a Bordeaux or Bordeaux style wine rather than the burgundy or burgundy style wine (Pinot Noir) called for in all beef bourguignon recipes (including Child's).

Quotes:

Julia Child: Is it kuh-NA-pf or NOFF? Who cares!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "De wereld draait door: (#5.34)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Psycho Killer

Delicious

I was lucky enough to receive tickets for an advance screening, and was plenty excited about attending.

There was a slight hiccup when someone started the film 15 minutes before it was meant to start so they stopped it ten minutes in and then restarted it again at the actual time. This actually was not annoying at all because it gave me a chance to look at the background details. Mid-20th century Paris is beautifully rendered and early 20th century New York is given gritty charm with a primary setting of an apartment over a pizza parlor.

Now I know it was an advance screening and everyone was excited to be there, thus much more prone to laugh, but honestly, this film had brilliant moments of humor in it. Myself, friends, and the rest of audience had a number of laugh-out-loud moments. A lot of these stem from the mannerisms of Julia Child, which are as incredibly endearing as they are humorous.

Meryl Streep's acting is, of course, superb. Though my familiarity with Julia Child is a combination of what seems to be legend, a visit to her kitchen in the Smithsonian, and Dan Akroyd's SNL impersonation, Meryl plays Julia so charming and so convincing, you can't help but feel like Julie and fall a little in love with her. On screen, Meryl's Julia brought a constant smile to my face.

Amy Adams is also wonderful, and I really connected with her as Julie Powell. She also does great humor. I found her to be very subtle in her approach and even quite sympathetic when not going through her good moments. Chris Messina as Julie's husband, Eric, does a lot to keep these moments fresh. Finally, Stanley Tucci as Paul Child plays well off Meryl, and dare I as a 21-year-old say it about actors so much older than me? Meryl and Paul honestly have great chemistry.

What really steals the show and appears great on cinema is both Julia and Julie's cooking expenditures. Make sure to eat before attending, I can't stress that enough because the food looks amazing.

As for the negative, the film does drag a bit in the middle. The switching between Julie and Julia POV works great at the beginning and at the end, but I think in the middle, it just makes the plot drag.

Overall, definitely worth going to see and quite enjoyable just make sure to eat before attending!