Julie and Julia: Meryl as Julia hits a homerun

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 13 August 2009 13:38

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch with their families. This week’s pick is the new Nora Ephron film, Julie and Julia.

Like any great meal, Nora Ephron’s Julie and Julia — a new comedy about a woman’s obsession with chef Julia Child — leaves you wanting more. Meryl Streep is an absolute hoot as Child, so much so that you sit in the audience wishing the film had simply been called Julia and that the marvelous Ms. Streep could own every moment. Unfortunately, Ephron overfills the plate with a dull-by-comparison counter story featuring a dull-by-comparison Amy Adams as the blogger with a Julia complex. No matter. Meryl should, once again, start planning to attend the Oscars. She’s that good.

Long before Food TV made stars of celebrity chefs, Julia Child was a television icon, a personality so accessible, and a chef so skillful, that she gave millions of Americans a sense of confidence that they could, in fact, master the art of French cooking. She was also great television, funny, human, spontaneous, and always giving. I could never cook a thing, and my mother was certainly not a cook, but we loved watching her television appearances.

So, as a Julia devotee, I have been curious for months about how the marvelous Meryl would fare in this latest transformation. Could this actress — the finest of her generation — the best working today — capture the delectable daffiness of this reluctant kitchen celebrity? Could she convey the nuance of ambition of a marvelous woman who moves to Paris, finds herself bored, decides to go to cooking school, and emerges as a fundamental force in the globalization of food? The answer is an enthusiastic “yes” for a Streep portrayal that ranks with her best, as rich and varied as her last two Oscar-nominated performances, for Doubt and The Devil Wears Prada. Her incredible surge continues.

The film, however, is not as good as Streep’s work, with some ingredients working better than other. The basic framework — of a present-day woman who cooks her way through Child’s cookbook to self awareness — is cute — and the use of blogs makes the film feel current. But Ephron devotes too much time to this plot device and the bland Amy Adams is, unfortunately, too wooden a performer to carry half the film. Unlike Anne Hathaway, who perfectly countered Streep in a similar balancing act in Prada, Adams is not up to the challenge. She is a bit irritating, not completely convincing in her love for Child, and does not display a contagious love for food. And instead of enhancing our interest in the real Julia she seems more a self-indulgent distraction than I think Ephron was going for. On the other hand, however, the always reliable Stanley Tucci, also a Prada veteran, is perfection as Julia’s supportive husband with a bit of an edge.

But this is Streep’s show. And she demonstrates, again, why we wait with bated breath for her next screen appearance. She simply never rests. She doesn’t sleepwalk her way through any moment. She always pushes and develops. And our movie experience is all the richer. If only, this time, there was more of her. But perhaps that is what Ephron had in mind all along. By making us wait for each Meryl moment, and forcing us to savor each priceless expression or line delivery, the director simply intensifies our reaction. Smart move.

Film Nutritional Value

Julie and Julia

* Content: Medium. This is great fun and while it doesn’t necessarily tell us that much about Julia Child’s deepest thoughts it certainly entertains us with her showmanship.

* Entertainment: High. Every moment featuring Meryl Streep is sublime. Every moment featuring Amy Adams makes you want another moment with Meryl Streep.

* Message: Medium. Such films rarely contain meaningful messages. That’s not what it’s trying to do. Except, perhaps, a message about great food.

* Relevance: Medium. Fun entertainment is always relevant.

* Opportunity for Dialogue: Medium. Your kids probably won’t be interested in seeing it so this may be a good film for you parents to enjoy without your kids.

4 Popcorn Buckets