Julie and Julia

Ok, I have to admit - I've been wanting to see this movie for awhile. Though, I was advised not to see it by some who told me it's a pretty predictable movie. I mean, I guess it's the story of the girl turned blogger turned writer who eventually got a book deal. So, what else could there be right? Not exactly.

To me, it wasn't about knowing what was going to happen. Yes, I do admit that most of us bloggers have heard the story of Julie Powell. Though, I still wanted to see it. And, I'm glad I did. It was very entertaining from beginning to end.

Basically, the story was about two people - Julie Powell, the government employee turned blogger and eventually writer, and Julia Child, the famous American chef. Now, Julie was very unsatisfied with life and how her career turned out (I'm sure a lot of people can relate) and wanted more in life.

On the side, she knew she liked to write as she had currently been writing a novel on the side. Though, reality hit and she found herself in a government job she didn't like very much and needed a way to cope.

So, she decided she wanted to learn how to cook specifically French cuisine from Julia Child's book, and write about her experience in her blog titled "The Julie/Julia Project." She set a deadline for herself: 365 days, 524 recipes.

Throughout the movie, we learn of Julie's experience cooking and learning the recipes while at the same time attempting to maintain her full time job, keep up with her friends, and sustain her marriage. Though, she found herself always looking forward to the end of the day where she would attempt a new recipe and then write about it in her blog.

Slowly but surely, Julie began to have a following of dedicated readers who read her blog. At first, only a few people including her mother read her blog. One of my favorite parts of the movie was where she received her first comment (something I think every blogger can relate to). The anticipation and energy when beginning a blog and starting to have readership can definitely be a thrill for a lot of bloggers.

With the other story, we follow the life of Julia Child as she begins her quest as an American chef in France. It was very interesting to watch the humble beginnings of this great chef and how she grew professionally. I really enjoyed watching Meryl Streep, she did a fabulous job and gave me a good laugh - great performance!

As the story progresses, we find out more about Julia Child's personal life and the struggles she faced. I guess, at the time there was a lack of information out there about French cuisine written in the English language. Also, the industry was dominated by male chefs so it was interesting to see how she dealt with her male classmates while attending the famous Le Cordon Bleu University.

Both the stories of Julie and Julia were very interesting to watch. So, you might be asking yourself what do these two stories have in common except for the fact that Julie had been learning how to cook recipes from Julia's book?

To me, it's more of a story about having a dream, wanting to do something meaningful in life and sharing it with the world. Anyone who has ever had a dream can definitely relate to this movie. There are a lot of "naysayers" out there who may always say it's better to be practical than to dream and have your head in the clouds. But, this movie really showed that anything can be possible despite what others say. And, I think that's something that is somehow lost along the way as we reach adulthood.

Both Julie and Julia shared their dreams with the world. Julie wrote about her experience cooking in her blog, while Julia wrote a cookbook and had a television show to share her dream of cooking. Both wanted others to share in their dreams and experience what they've experienced. They both truly reached out to the world sharing their dreams with anyone willing to listen.

For all the dreamers out there, I think the message in this film is that it's never too late. Anything is possible. Anything. Yes, there will be obstacles that can get in the way. But, if you keep at it despite the odds you will eventually get there. And, if you need support and help along the way there will always be someone there listening.

If you're in the mood for a "feel good" type movie, I definitely recommend this one!

(Note: For another perspective on the movie, check out my tweep's, Clarabela, review).

(p.s. Many people have asked about the book vs. the movie. I did pick up the book before watching the movie, it did have more swear words in the book. Some people were turned off by the book but enjoyed the movie. I think Amy Adams really made Julie Powell's character more likeable. If you're interested in reading more, here is an interesting article with a discussion (see the comments).

Happy movie watching!



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