I saw Julia & Julie. I really did enjoy the movie. Partly because I adore both Amy Adams and Meryl Streep(who is so GOOD at comedy it’s painful she doesn’t do more), partly because cooking is such a bizarre and unknown world to me I find it shocking people do it on purpose.
I completely disagreed with the reviews that said the Julie portion should be left out entirely. I loved that she created a project for herself and did the work. When I was 12, I became so obsessed with the movie Poltergeist, I audio taped by holding my little tape recorder up the TV (VHS players were costing thousands in those days) it and then typed up the entire script as well as a twelve year old could. Indeed both my best friend Joshua, and I both were inspired by the film to start thinking about goals and what we wanted to accomplish in our lives.
Still there was one scene that had particular and painful resonance with me.
If you haven’t seen the movie, it centers on two oddly parall stories. One of Julia Child’s life in France and of her decision to focus on cooking (more as a hobby than anything else) and wounds up writing the seminal classic “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. Years later, Julie Powell frustrated by her cubicle dwelling job decides to give herself a task. She’ll cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and write a blog about it. Tom and Lorenzo of Project Rungay wrote an intriguing review of the film with their unique perspective.
(sadly the link is no longer in existance)
As the movie goes on, Julie’s blog begins to draw attention to the point where there are magazine articles and a New York Times piece about her. One night a journalist calls saying he spoke to REAL Julia Child and she was being a ‘real pill’ about the blog. I can still see Amy Adams ashen face as she held the phone in disbelief saying “Julia Child said that? Julia Child said THAT?”
Being a freelance entertainment writer, I’ve met more of my heroes than I could begin to even count. Upon meeting Tim Gunn I actually started to cry a little. And what did Tim do? He gave me a big hug and his business cards saying “if you ever need anything please let me know”. I had Harold Ramis tell me “You’re very funny” when making a comment about “Groundhogs Day”.
And I’ve been seriously disappointed. The breathtakingly handsome movie actor who is without a doubt the most stupid and boring person I’ve ever met in my ENTIRE LIFE. He was extremely polite and kind, but after a few minutes, his beauty could not distract from his tranquilizer like personality. The comedy TV actress whose brilliant timing and gift for one liners stood in startling contrast to her frosty demeanor and surly attitude. The legendary producer who called me a bitch before I could even introduce myself. My first words to him were of me begging for forgiveness for transgression that is STILL unknown.
Which is not to say my enjoyment of their work has necessarily been dimmed. There is a certain director/writer/producer whose work has made a tremendous impact on my life. I will absolutely defend my stance that he has had a permanent (and evolving) impact on both the areas of cinema and pop culture in general. I own most of his films and have watched them so often I can quote many a line. He is brilliant, he is visionary, he is a God in my eyes. I met him. I saw him again recently. He was walking towards me and as he did I wondered if he would recall me and stop to chat so I responded in the only way I could. I dove under a table and hid until I was certain he was gone. I cannot stand him.
But he still inspires me.
As does Shirely MacClaine. As a young girl growing up in the nasty redneck Republician Jesus freak town of Oak Harbor WA, I was indoctrinated and ensconced in the idea of the oppressive Christian idea that as a female I was inferior and thinking, questioning, even postulating a theory that MIGHT be different from the authoritative males in my life was a sin, for which there would be deep and eternal punishment. As paltry as it was, Oak Harbor Public Library did have a copy of Shirley MacClaine’s Out On A Limb and Dancing In The Light. Trapped in the sterile atmosphere of knuckle dragging high school teachers and ditto headed classmates (before that term was even coined), the idea that were other options, concepts, philosophies that could be examined, explored was like that first gasp of breath after being under the water so long you feared you might die.
Assigned to cover the premiere of Lifetime’s Premiere of “Coco Chanel”, a deeply disappointing film that focused almost exclusively on her love life, which though very dramatic wasn’t that interesting. I was FAR more interested in her business life. Despite appearing in the commercials and posters Maclaine wasn’t in the movie very much. Still I needed a quote from her.
I waited for her on the red carpet and finally she got to me. Clad head to toe in Channel (natch) she was strikingly beautiful. I asked her a question about why she took the part of Channel and was surprised to learn that it was originally Audrey Hepburn’s idea. “We were making the Children’s Hour and she suggested it. I don’t look like her very much but according to Audrey I have her spirit”
I turned off my recorder and told Ms. Maclaine how deeply she had touched and changed my life. She signed and rolled her eyes.
She ROLLED her eyes!
This is woman who changed my life, expanded my horizons and her response to me was bored irritation. Eh?
Julie Powell life was changed forever by Julia Child but when Julia was made aware of her blog she wasn’t so much moved as annoyed.
Judith Jones, Senior Editor and Vice President at Alfred A. Knopf, and Julia Child's editor and confidante, was quoting saying “Flinging around four-letter words when cooking isn’t attractive, to me or Julia. She didn’t want to endorse it. What came through on the blog was somebody who was doing it almost for the sake of a stunt. She would never really describe the end results, how delicious it was, and what she learned. Julia didn’t like what she called ‘the flimsies.’ She didn’t suffer fools, if you know what I mean.”
Still Julie Powell harbored no ill will toward her critic. When Julia Child passed on August 12, 2004 she posted on her blog “She enriched the lives of thousands – my
life she quite literally turned around. She died well-loved, and I hope she died well-fed. There is no tragedy here. It’s a day for remembrance, and celebration. So why am I so fucking sad?”
Cleary Julia’s admonishments regarding cursing fell on deaf ears.
Still it would do us all well to remember that there is no business like show business in that an industry built on illusion. Our heroes are after all just people and the things that make them heroic to us is only one aspect of who they are. And yet Shirley MaClaine did change my life.
Whether that bitch likes it or not.
Kudos!
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