Julie & Julia (2009)

Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book.

Director:

Nora Ephron

Writers:

Nora Ephron (screenplay), Julie Powell (book)

Stars:

Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 24 wins & 46 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Julia Child
Amy Adams	...	Julie Powell
Stanley Tucci	...	Paul Child
Chris Messina	...	Eric Powell
Linda Emond	...	Simone Beck
Helen Carey	...	Louisette Bertholle
Mary Lynn Rajskub	...	Sarah
Jane Lynch	...	Dorothy McWilliams
Joan Juliet Buck	...	Madame Brassart
Crystal McCreary	...	Ernestine (as Crystal Noelle)
George Bartenieff	...	Chef Max Bugnard
Vanessa Ferlito	...	Cassie
Casey Wilson	...	Regina
Jillian Bach	...	Annabelle
Andrew Garman	...	John O'Brien

Storyline

Julia Child and Julie Powell - both of whom wrote memoirs - find their lives intertwined. Though separated by time and space, both women are at loose ends... until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.

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Plot Keywords:

cook | cooking | blog | french cuisine | food | 

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Taglines:

Based on Two True Stories

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Julia Prud'homme, who plays the bridge teacher in the film, is Julia Child's grand-niece.

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Goofs

During the bruschetta making scene, there is a close up of bread being fried on a skillet, along with a sizzling sound effect. In reality, bread does not make a sound when being fried.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Paul Child: Repeat after me, okay? Nous cherchons un bon restaurant Français.
Julia Child: Nous cherchons un bon restaurant Français.
Paul Child: Quelque chose de typique et charmant.
Julia Child: Quelque chose de typique et charmant.
Paul Child: Typique et charmant.
Julia Child: Typique et charmant.
Paul Child: Typique et charmant.
Julia Child: Typique et charmant. Oh Paul, leave me alone.
Paul Child: [the couple arrives at a restaurant] Bon appétit.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #21.89 (2013)

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Soundtracks

Minor Swing
Music by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli
Performed by 8 1/2 Souvenirs
Courtesy of RCA Victor
By Arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment

User Reviews

Cinematic treats in the story about gastronomic ones

Twenty years after writing her best screenplay so far, When Harry Met Sally... (movie directed by Rob Reiner), Nora Ephron has finally matched it, at least with one story in her latest attempt titled Julie & Julia. In the meantime, combining it with her writing talents, she has directed a string of movies, including her commonly most acclaimed film Sleepless in Seattle, as well as seriously under-appreciated, though oddly amusing lineup of eccentric characters, brought together in the movie Mixed Nuts, remade from its French original.

Julie & Julia has immediately placed itself on top of my personal list of her self-penned directorial accomplishments. Based on two true stories, movie combines six decades separated lives of Julia Child (Meryl Streep), wife of an American diplomat (Stanley Tucci) in post-WW2 Paris, discovering her passion for French cuisine, then introducing it to American amateurs, and modern era Julie Powell (Amy Adams), professionally reduced to a hot line counselling 'cubicle girl', desperately entertaining her unfulfilled literary ambitions via blogging about her attempt to try and finish all 524 recipes from Julia Child's cookbook in 365 days.

Ms. Streep's acting is great as always, this time even aided by the physical grandeur of her greater-than-life on-screen persona, undoubtedly achieved by means of never visible pair of platform shoes, providing that she's impersonating genuinely tall person, as real Julia Child apparently was. Adding to it Mr. Tucci's notable performance in his role of a diplomat and supportive husband, as well as Ms. Adams's, well, not so remarkable, but still passable performance in her role of Julie, backed by yet another understanding and supportive husband (Chris Messina), combined they present us with the movie abundant not only with gastronomic treats, but cinematic ones, as well. (8-star rating as a rounded up average between 9-star Julia's and 6-star Julie's story.)

Details

Official Sites:

Official Blog Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

7 August 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Julie & Julia

Filming Locations:

9-17 40th Ave, Queens, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,027,956, 9 August 2009

Gross USA:

$94,125,426

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$129,540,522

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Easy There Tiger Productions, Scott Rudin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1