Comments on: Julie And Julia — A Lovable Movie

By: meg

meg — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:36:52 +0000

I never read the book or the blog , but the movie when i heard it was out i quickly wanted to see it / In the end i found the movie to be cute and intresting, but as many others before have said and asked an found out why Julia didnt care for Julie si because of Julie’s intrest in being a cook like juila was . My thought about the blog, well its a blog nothign is perfect int his world and were are far from it. I have to say though i understand where juila is coming from but i also get julie’s feelings too in the end a story is a story to read it is a choice we all will make judgement is made and facts are placed. .

By: leporello

leporello — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:50:58 +0000

Very late into this, I only saw the film last night, having had to wait for my DVD copy to arrive in Italy for 6 months. I remember Julia Child with great fondness from my childhood, and upon finishing her simple but forthright book “My Life In France”, ordered the film and reacquainted myself with the few clips available on YouTube.

In short, having known nothing about the Julie book or blog, I found that story petered out from any interest level, apart from kute acting by Amy, which deserves no more attention than a spot as a sub-plot in an old “Fraser” or “Friends” episode.

I am not surprised that Mrs. Child didn’t like Ms Powell’s blog (based both on last night’s film and checking the blog this morning);I certainly didn’t. I am sure that she would have turned over in her grave for the cheap cutting through her fine autobiography, let alone the pastiche of her person itself, and of her masterpiece cookbook. Ms Streep got right into the part like a stand up mimic (Rory Bremner might have equalled the acting) and failed to convey either the honesty and directness in her model, rather portraying a Miss Piggy, flouncing about the film, swooping and rolling her eyes at almost every turn. Voice was nearly right, sadly what was conveyed wasn’t.

Just an opinion in favour of the real Julia Child, not the figment of Ms Powell’s, and Ms Streep’s imagination. Do read My Life In France and Mastering the Art of French Cooking, if you haven’t already.

By: Elva

Elva — Wed, 12 May 2010 13:28:16 +0000

I have to say that I absolutely loooooooved the movie.. I was inspired by both stories.. The movie was perfectly payed out. AND I too was disappointed to learn that Julia disliked the blog BUT after reading a bit further and actually reading parts of the blog I can Maybe understand as to why Julia coming from the times she comes from could be disappointed. She did not say that Julie is a horrible person she simply stated that she was not serious, you must take into account the effort and strife Julia Child put into her cooking career, Maybe she felt by reading that blog that it is a mockery in some way. NOW I definitely can sympathize with Julie Powells and am inspired by her efforts to overcome that difficult phase in her life by taking on this grand endeavor, And in some way I feel like Julie did pay a bit of tribute to Julia Child But I think that Julie did it for herself not only to pay tribute to this amazing woman, where as Julia did it for not only herself but for the world. So I can see both sides and I still think both women are wonderful and did a wonderful thing each in their own way. =)

By: anodien

anodien — Mon, 03 May 2010 00:39:41 +0000

I think that Julie Powell was greatly misunderstood. I just watched the movie tonight and took a look around the net to find out why Julia reacted in a negative way. Having read this post, I have to say that Julie never said she wanted to become a cook/chef or anything. The whole purpose of her blog was clearly a psychological boost/help to finally have a purpose. A goal that she could reach. Be it cooking all of Julia’s recipes or it might as well have been anything else. So for me, it was a bit of a downer to find out that Julia actually never met Julie. We have to bear in mind that they come from two entirely different worlds! Julia comes from decades ago and is a more refined and classic type of woman whereas Julie is an everyday girl/woman so where’s the harm in that? Were I Julia I would be quite complimented if my book was used by someone in a way that helped them overcome a difficult phase in their life. Anyways, that’s just my opinion…

By: Robii

Robii — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:24:06 +0000

My husband was selected to preview and be surveyed about the clip on the Julie/Julia movie. I watched over his shoulder and found the movie to be one that I would not put money out to see. He concurred. My mother in law saw the movie recently and raved so I figured I would watch it. I blubbered through the whole thing, identifying with the life and struggles of Julie. Great movie that inspired me to take a different approach to cooking and the current struggles of unemployment in my life. Took a peak at the Julie Powell blog and decided I did not want to ruin my visions from the movie. Thanks for the heads up not to view the blogs or read the book. Your blog was helpful.

By: S. Smith

S. Smith — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:50:11 +0000

For one reason I am grateful to Julie Powell. If she had not written her blog and book we would not have the wonderful (the Julia parts anyway) movie Julie & Julia, which should have been called Julia & Julie. The resurgence of interest in Ms. Child’s life has me spending an hour in the produce section of my grocery store and stopping the film ten minutes in to make myself something yummy to eat. I HATED the book, haven’t read the blog, have no intention of reading the blog, and with my first paycheck will purchase Masting the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2. I already have volume 1, The French Chef Cookbook I inherited from my mother, and recommend Judith Jones’s books.

By: Shay

Shay — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:01:23 +0000

I understand why Julia was offended, and I get why Julie was portrayed differently in the movie…however, I do think the real Julie was probably relieving stress more than anything by doing the blog. I certainly don’t think Julia was her idol and if she were, she’d have had more respect for the art of cooking. But then again, the real Julie is just that, real. A lot of people have personalities we don’t agree with. What we see on the big screen is a far cry from reality. In any case, Julia did not owe Julie anything. She certainly didn’t owe Julie a thank you for writing a blog.

By: Ken in SC

Ken in SC — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:58:42 +0000

Morta, definitely read Julia’s “My Life in France”; wonderful story about how JC got her start and fell in love with Paris and food. You’ll fall in love with Julia all over again.

By: Haniet

Haniet — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:57:42 +0000

Thanks Heather for saying whatever was in my mind! I couldn’t have said it so well.
I didn’t like the movie because I felt it was a disrespect to put Julia Child in the same movie as this person who calls herself a “Foul-mouthed Hystric” and that she is!
I listened to ‘My life in France’ audio book right after watching the movie and I made a mistake of listening to Julie Powell’s book and was even more disappointed.
Meryl Streep did an excellent job to portray Julia Child and I think it was a disgrace to put names such as Julia Child, Meryl Streep, Amy Admas in the same sentence, let alone in the same movie along with Julie Powell!
Julia Child worked very hard all her life and accomplished a lot in her 92 yrs. Meryl Streep is another example of a person who has worked so hard and has to be respected.
I just don’t get it that how some people like Julie Powell’s book can even be published and then considered to be made into a movie. Why couldn’t Hollywood just make a movie about Julia Child’s life and keep her legacy for generations to come? My 10 yr old daughter loved the movie but I regretted letting her watch and I explained to her that Julia Child’s example is worth following not Julie Powell.
I’m sorry if I am expressing my opinions so strongly but I had to defend Julia!
p.s. I also loved Amanda’s comment about wanting to slap Julie powell!!

By: SusanWozniak

SusanWozniak — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:28:13 +0000

I just watched the movie on dvd last night (25 February 2010). I was impressed with Meryl’s flawless ear and her ability to capture Julia’s eccentric voice. I felt that the Julia (I did run into her twice, going about her regular life as I went about mine) came out a little more exuberant and crude than the Julia we all knew from television. Before viewing the movie, I imagined that Stanley Tucci would be dapper and sophisticated as Paul Child and he was. I felt the photography to make relatively tall (5’6″) Meryl look like six-foot plus Julia was a tich over done.

I am an always aspiring writer and have been since before Julie Powell was born. I read the last edition of the Julie/Julia project just before writing this, the one in which Powell eulogizes Child. I thought the writing pedestrian.

I was working at Williams-Sonoma (not a job I would recommend) when Julia died. For months, people came in and talked about her. So many had had brief encounters of the . . . perhaps, not the first kind, which would have involved dining with her . . . but of a close kind, in which they experienced her as a person. Yes, the store is located in Massachusetts, not far from her long time home in Cambridge, but I suspect that there are people all over the United States, who love food and who aspired to be the best they could be in the kitchen, who had Julia stories. While I do not think that Paul actually said to his wife that her book would change the lives of millions, her book did just that.