<p>After seeing the movie (when it came out) I borrowed “My Life in France” which was one of the most lovely love stories ever written, besides being a great read about the life and times of Julia Childs experiences in Europe. Julia & Paul Childs were in love and adored one another. There are some photos (most taken by Paul) that simply made me smile from head to toe (look for their Valentine card photo).</p>
<p>Loved the movie…loved My Life in France…</p>
<p>It was a little disconcerting at first to see Miranda and Nigel in bed…</p>
<p>My H rented it last night, which surprised me. After watching it, I have an overwhelming urge to cook Beef Bourguignon. Here’s Julia’s recipe:</p>
<p>[Julia</a> Child’s Beef Bourguignon Recipe - ABC News](<a href=“GMA - Good Morning America”>GMA - Good Morning America)</p>
<p>^I’ve been fighting the urge - only because my son has never liked anything that is cooked primarily in wine. I need to wait until he’s away for a weekend.</p>
<p>WHen Jim Carey did a bang-up job acting as Andy Kaufman, some say he didn’t get awards because people were so convinced they were watching Andy Kaufman, forgetting Jim was the actor. Now that’s acting! Meryl stirred a lot of peoples’ emotions in this film (plus casseroles), so that’s acting, not imitating, IMO. She has to channel ALL of Julia Child into 90 minutes, which is quite different than watching 90 minutes of Julia Child Imitated, which would be some kind of odd reality show. </p>
<p>I thought Streep was wonderful here. After I got used to her “Paul” not being the same character as from Devil Wears Prada, I was fine. I think Streep summed her career up well at Golden Globes acceptance (for Julia), that in her career she’s had the privilege to be “a vessel” for many wonderful women’s stories. I was tickled that in S-2’s film history course on Films of the l970’s, Kramer v. Kramer was on the syllabus so he could see the young Meryl Streep with Dustin Hoffman. Sigh. </p>
<p>I liked watching the original Julia Child cooking with butter. Once she dropped a pound on the TV studio floor (all live, of course). She picked it up, blew off the dust towards the camera, kept cooking, saying (in that VOICE of hers): “Remember, ladies, most of the time you’re in your kitchen, you’re by yourself!”</p>
<p>People from Boston have stories to tell, too. One I recall (might have it blurred a bit): she went to fill her car with gasoline, but had to stay in line for the l973 oil embargo (are my dates right?). She sized up the situation, pulled out of line and said, “Oh, BOTHER!”</p>
<p>Full disclaimer: I’m not a movie person. The movie was fine. I watched it earlier this month at a relative’s home. I enjoyed learning about Julia Childs, I enjoyed the history of that part, and I enjoyed Meryl Streep’s acting - although I was aware of her acting a few times, and the best movies are the ones where I completely forget they are actors. I also kept waiting for Giselle to break into song. And it was very disconcerting to see Coach Sue!</p>
<p>The one disconnect for me was when Julia Childs dissed Julie at the end. All through the movie I was impressed at how Julia Childs stayed positive, accepting of all sorts of folks, always cheerful. There was no explanation or anything for her negative, mean response. Those of you who read the book understand that it was probably because Julie came across as vulgar and attention-seeking, but that didn’t really come out in the movie.</p>
<p>^^Yes, to me that was the biggest puzzlement of the movie (having read neither the blogs nor the book in advance). I saw the entire Julie character as the story of someone trying to get her feet on the ground, post college in NYC. Arriving with a shiny degree from Amherst College (the blogger and the actress both), Julie has to figure out what to do with herself. When her heroine doesn’t even like her year-long effort of admiration, I just understood it as a mystery (to Julie and to me), then watched it as a post-college grad procesing one of the many heart-rending disappointments the city, and post-college life, hurls in one’s face.</p>
<p>I didn’t read the book, but I thought Julie came off and whiny and self-indulgent. I also thought she came off as someone exploiting the work of another because she didn’t have interesting ideas of her own. So, I felt some vindication when Julia Childs would have nothing to do with her.</p>
<p>My husband disliked her so much he kept trying to fast forward through the Julie parts of the movie… but I wanted to see the whole thing even though I thought those parts were boring and/or annoying myself.</p>
<p>No interesting ideas of her own? I don’t know. Since she began her project in 2001, I thought using a blog like that WAS “an idea of her own.” It kind of grew and she figured out a way to recreate community in a big, impersonal city. It’s lonely to live in NYC after college, even with a boyfriend. She couldn’t work in journalism as trained, so landed on a new internet format. Blogging for community was new (in 2001) even if the recipes weren’t. She needed a mentor, and found one even if she never met her. If she was whiny, which she was, did you see any change or arc in her by the end of the movie?</p>
<p>" My H rented it last night, which surprised me. After watching it, I have an overwhelming urge to cook Beef Bourguignon. "</p>
<p>so did I , until I read the recipe online and realized that there is no way that I could buy some of the ingredients anywhere in my are…unless perhaps I subbed pancetta for the bacon.</p>
<p>I also felt the urge to invest in le creuset cookwear , but haven’t as of yet. My husband would like it, but not 12 yr old :(</p>
<p>@lje62 ~~Le creuset cookware and 12-year-olds, ROTFL. Yes, it’s heavy! Cast-iron clad with porcelain.</p>
<p>We got ours on honeymoon in French Canada, for nothing $$, so our kids grew up on it. S-1 says the first time he got to a group apartment as a young adult, and picked up the normal aluminum spaghetti-water-cooker, he practically threw the pan and boiling water right over his head. He said he never realized saucepans could be so light. </p>
<p>Maybe you and H could get it to build the 12-year-old’s biceps :p</p>
<p>To me, no, a blog on Salon.com isn’t an “idea”… even back then. Even the character understood that when she initially balked at the idea because so many blogs were just all-about-me exercises. I mean, I respect that people have different opinions about that. I’m just saying why I totally understood where Julia Child was coming from when she rejected meeting Julie or in anyway validating the whole enterprise. I actually found that somewhat of a relief after sitting through the oh-poor-me melodrama of the Julie-scenes in the movie.</p>
<p>Just my opinion, of course.</p>
<p>Did you watch the extra parts about making the movie??</p>
<p>Every Julia scene was created to look authentic to the time period. If you see it again, try and count how there were… it’s amazing.</p>
<p>Meryl said she gained 15 pounds making the movie. She did a wonderful job with her body language in portraying the 6’2" Julia.</p>
<p>I liked this movie too. Does anyone know why Julie Child’s voice sounded so strange? Was it her height?</p>
<p>A little off the subject, I know, but my H & I saw Meryl in “It’s Complicated” last night & really enjoyed it. We were two of the youngest in the crowded theatre (mid-40s) which I found surprising. Very funny and touching. We left the theatre holding hands.</p>
<p>We’ll have to rent Julie & Julia next weekend.</p>
<p>p3t, I am back to thinking Streep deserves the Oscar for best actress. It was Dan Aykroyd who was imitating Julia Child. Now we start every dinner with my wife crying in high pitch voice, “Bon Appetit!!” Arghhhh!!!</p>
<p>We saw “It’s Complicated” last night, too. What a hoot! The audience was filled with boomer couples, and everyone was laughing so loudly we sometimes couldn’t hear lines in the movie! But very touching, too. Love that Meryl.</p>
<p>I love Meryl too !
@paying3…my daughter absolutely avoids any of my hand washable cookwear and she would groan if I introduced her to anything heavier than what I already have in my kitchen.</p>
<p>I have made Julia’s version of Boeuf Bourguignon from Mastering the Art many times, and it is worth every second. Including the braising in broth of the onions–which also make a fabulous Thanksgiving side dish, btw–the proper cooking of the mushrooms, etc. Do not be tempted to cut a single corner. A friend of mine said to me years ago, after cooking it, “I can’t believe that *I *could make something this good!”</p>
<p>Another friend who is a good cook says that her recipe for a beef stew in a later book (The Way to Cook, perhaps? I don’t have it.) in which you marinate the beef with the vegetables and red wine in advance is also very good, but not as good as the bourguignon.</p>
<p>I read Julie Powell’s blog with great interest at the time, starting just a few months into her project (before the NYT). I’ve had no desire to read her book(s). </p>
<p>I love parts of the movie with Julia Child (real and Streep). I thought Julie was annoying and embarrassing in a bizarre way. </p>
<p>I remember my mother’s attempt to make the Boeuf Borguignon back with Mastering came out. It was terrible. I don’t think it helped that she used bad wine that was undrinkable. She made some other recipes too. Beef in Aspic. Yeck.</p>