Movie Review Rewind: Julie & Julia (2009)

Brandon Vick flips the calendar back to 2009 for a look at Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in Julie & Julia on this edition of Movie Review Rewind.

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Julie & Julia is about two women who share one love: food. This film is based on two true stories about two women and how food changed their lives. They came from different eras, but food was and is their passion. And they used it to connect with people all over the world.

Julie Powell (Amy Adams) was a frustrated woman who worked in a cubicle and listened to terrible and depressing comments all day. But when one of her friends starts a blog, Julie believes she can do one as well and she will use Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking to do it. The plan is to write about everything that happens as she cooks all the way through Child’s cookbook. She will cook 524 recipes in one year.

But as we learn about Julie Powell, we also learn about Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and her journey to Americanizing French cooking. Child was a woman who loved life and her husband (Stanley Tucci) very much. Their marriage was very strong and built on solid ground. Even when they had to pick up and move around, they did it together.

Her husband, Paul, was a foreign diplomat and Julia wanted to do something that she loved. She tried making hats, but she knew her calling. She loved Paris and everything about it, including their food. She went to cooking school and ended up out-shining all the men in her class (she was the only woman there). Child was offered to help on the cookbook after it was turned down the first time. She ended up spending years on it and finally her dream came true when The Mastering the Art of French Cooking was published. And that cookbook changed Julia’s life and almost 50 years later changed Julie’s life.

Amy Adams and Meryl Streep worked together last year in Doubt. And they both had strong performances and great chemistry. Now in this film, they do not have any scenes together, but still have strong chemistry. You see their lives changing by the day and it’s all because of food. And it takes some determination as well. These women worked hard so their voice could be heard.

Adams is a great actress and always does well. It does not matter the genre because she can do it all. But it is tough to compete with Meryl Streep. She captures the essence of Julia Child. Starting with the height and the unmistakable voice, Streep is Julia Child. It not that hard to believe that Streep delivers with another strong performance in Julie & Julia by portraying a strong woman. Streep’s character is juicier than Adams’. There is just more to be told about Julia Child, but that is not Amy Adams fault. She does the best she can with what she has, and both women do an amazing job telling each of their stories.

Nora Ephron (the director) did a great job by cutting from Julie Powell’s life to Julia Child’s life through the entire film. You get a taste of what each woman is going through, and see both of their success at the end. Ephron shows how a passion can take over and it’s not all good news. It can take a punishment on other parts of your life. Julie knows more about that than Julia. But Julia had to deal with her husband being moved around the world, and also being investigated by Sen. Joseph McCarthy for communist ties.

There are struggles and sacrifices, but Julie & Julia is two great stories with a great cast, and two great actresses playing great women cooking great food. How many times can I say great? The film is about a dream and being passionate about something. Julie Powell and Julia Child were passionate about food and writing about it. Where one woman’s journey started to changing the journey of another. It comes full circle.

Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

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