Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Julie & Julia


I updated, finally, my movie widget. I guess you can tell we haven't been watching many movies lately. I downgraded my netflix to two-at-a-time from a high of five, during the deep white of winter. But even those two have sat, gathering dust. The fact is we are feeling edgy, not wanting to watch anything that requires too much thought, entails violence, or anger. But the upset with my neighbor, over his squirrel hunting, sent us out yesterday for some light entertainment. Enter Julie and Julia.

It resonated with me on so many levels. For one, I adore Meryl Streep. What a joy to see her beautifully aging face actually move, and have expression. She is so real. The story was full of love, laughter, tenderness, and fun.

We both came away, holding hands, and wishing life were less complicated. We are a nation of people on the edge. It feels like a feather could topple us right now. There is a concerted effort by the folks at Fox News - especially Glenn Beck - to do as much damage as possible, without ever coming up with a solution to anything. Instead of a nation coming together to solve these gigantic problems, we are being torn apart, by "entertainers."

So we need to take our happiness where we can get it, and this movie gives it. Take a moment of your time and go see it. We are writers here in the blog world, and it's all about us. Our hopes and dreams, our connections. It's also about food, love, and sharing.

Does it get any better than that?

26 comments:

Mental P Mama said...

Great post! I need to go see it. I love Meryl;)

Butternut Squash said...

It's on my list! I used to watch Julia Child with my mother and I love Meryl too.

The struggles are always with us, it is good to adjust the focus from time to time and gain some perspective. A good movie sounds like the perfect way to make that change.

Laugh a little every day!

Jo said...

Oh, how wonderful...! PBS has brought back Julia Child's shows, and I watched some of them on the weekend. I now know the difference between and old hen (a fryer) and a good roasting chicken. My maternal grandmother was French, and she taught my mother to cook, and my mother taught me. My son-in-law is a professional chef as well, so I love cooking. Unfortunately, I'm a good cook ... *heh*

Meryl Streep is my hero. Oddly enough, she looks as beautiful now as she did 30 years ago, unlike many of her contemporaries who have carved their faces into something unrecognizable.

I can hardly wait to see this movie.

ellen abbott said...

I love Meryl Streep because she doesn't mind aging. Haven't seen the movie yet.

This country is in deep trouble. It's all about beating down the opposition through demonization and fear and being in control. It's not about solving the problems at all. If they cared about solving the problems, they would be talking but this nation is too polarized. It will be our undoing.

Meeko Fabulous said...

Nancy! I'm glad you enjoyed the movie! I loved it! :)

DJan said...

I loved it, too! I wrote a post about it here and added links to Julie's blog (which is pretty interesting) and a wonderful review of the movie I just loved (toward the end of the post).

And I agree with you about the state of news today. I'm really thinking about a news fast, or just reading the happy news website.

Brian Miller said...

i love how you ended...putting in the queque now!

Elizabeth Bradley said...

I love Julia Child, and I'm a huge fan of Meryl Streep, and Amy Adams is such a vibrant young actress. My daughter bought me the book, Julie and Julia, for Christmas. So, as soon as the movie came out we went to see it.

How wonderful, to actually watch a movie that featured women that weren't messed up. I hadn't been motivated to go sit in the theatre for years. But there I was.

Julia Child was a woman that didn't slow down in her fifties, she sped up. She took on new challenges and didn't let age hold her down. What an inspiration. (And that was back in the old days when women were afforded less respect than we supposably get nowadays.)

Meryl Streep is amazing in this role, physically she had about as much in common with Julia as the man in the moon, but she pulls it off. She becomes Julia Child. I smell another Oscar nomination. She might not win though, seems the British actresses get all the Oscars anymore.

I hope you guys feel better. Hate to think of that squirrel hating neighbor getting the best of you.

Herrad said...

Hi Nancy,

Please go to my blog and pick up your award.
Love,
Herrad

Herrad said...

Hi Nancy,

Please go to my blog and pick up your award.
Love,
Herrad

L'Adelaide said...

great post and so true...I am so tired of it all, I rarely listen to anything, TV, news, radio talk shows, anything, I am sick of news, especially news about the mess we have on our hands with health care...I am not even going there...

this movie sounds lovely and I will see it...I adore Meryl and would follow her anywhere...I love that she continues to make both delightful and meaningful movies and she is actually getting OLDER, a fate worse than death in the land of the young pretty things...

sigh...I am tired... great post..

as for the guy with the gun who is shooting squirrels....it filled me with rage and I can only imagine how you must feel...I was going to suggest you shoot back, only over his head, but that would get you arrested and you don't need that too.... so I would complain to the humane society and other animal rights people in the area, complain to the police there is a lunatic with a gun shooting at EVERYTHING--implying people...that will get his guns confiscated...

and wear ear plugs...sigh...
big XXXXX

Celeste Maia said...

I cant wait to see the movie. I am also a big fan of Meryl Street and have seen every single movie she is in. As you wrote, she is aging beautifully, accepting the years in a graceful way.
Yes, Fox News presenters are despicable people. I cannot watch them.
I really enjoyed your entry.

Silvia said...

I'm really looking forward to seeing that film. I'm a fan of Merryl Streep ever since Out of Africa!

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Nancy: Well said! And yes we all need a little distraction from our woes, at times.

Take care!

Lillian Robinson said...

I thought it looked like it would be good. We rarely go to the movies, but I might go see this one.

TheChicGeek said...

I used to watch Julie as a child on PBS...I'm dating myself here...LOL

Looks like a great movie and anything with Meryl Streep is always fantastic in my book!

Have a Great Day!

Anonymous said...

I remember Julia on TV when I was a kid! I want to see that movie really bad!!

Trish and Rob MacGregor said...

Your fiddling with the occupation section on your profile?! Put writer and be done with it!

I thought Obama's speech tonight was good, maybe even great. But I don't know why it takes 4 years to implement this stuff when it took LBJ only 11 months to implement medicare.

But it's wonderful to hear a president with a fantastic command of the english language!

California Girl said...

We downgraded from 3 to 2. We don't have a decent movie theatre in town, they're little & old w/ tiny screens and lousey seats so we don't go here.

A few wkends ago, my husband suggested we drive to Portland, ME to a stadium style theatre and see the J&J movie. He also wanted to drive to the IMAX theatre nearby and see the new "Harry Potter". It rained so heavily that morning, we abandoned the idea figuring everyone else would do it too. It would have made a nice daytime getaway.

Reya Mellicker said...

After my roommates saw the movie, they were inspired. They started cooking like crazy, and the craze lasted for a couple of weeks. YUM.

Meryl Streep is excellent in everything isn't she? She blows me away.

Bon appetit, friend!

Deboshree said...

I'll go see it Nancy and thank you for all your support and love..made me look at things from a different perspective.

Love
Deboshree

Pyzahn said...

I loved the sweet love story between Julia and her husband. Of course, I loved all the food, too. When the movie was over I ran to the store and bought some brie. Yum.

Unknown said...

I saw that movie twice. Once by myself and once with my mother. It is so true. It could have been called the pursuit of happiness. Julia was just fun and passionate looking for a passion. Such a wonderful story. And as for the critics and the pundits and the radio hosts and tv hosts, whatever. What have you actually made? What have you actually created? Nothing? Oh good, congrats on that.

The Good Cook said...

I think you know how I feel about this movie. C'es magnifique!

And you are soo right about Streep. Aging gracefully. How lovely is that?

GYPSYWOMAN said...

girl, i love love love meryl!!! i cannot tell you how many times i've watched most of her films but i've not caught this one yet - my ALL TIME FAVORITE is french lt's woman!!! absolutely incredible story - and the acting OMG divine! she plays opposite jeremy irons [be still my heart!] - and then there is out of africa with her opposite robert redford! dear heavens! sorry, i digress - in any event, you are so right in your comments about our country right now - it's time for us ALL to COME TOGETHER [hmmm, isn't that a song? :) ] and repair all the things that are broken that we CAN repair - health reform is but one of those things - i personally am so tired of the hate mongering etc of so many - so i try to deflect it by being as positive as i can individually and "intending" that we as a nation WILL put aside our differences and realize that we are but ONE people - people of the world -

Lydia said...

My cousin Sue's son is in this movie! Here's the text of a message I received from Sue's husband about the role their son has. His name is Kelly AuCoin. (I need to see the movie.....love Meryl Streep, too!)

Kelly is in it. Brief role, but he oozes charisma (if you'll forget a parent's slant). He appears when "Julia Child" (Streep) and her friend visit a publishing house to tout their book. Kelly is one of two or three publishing executives that turn the book down, condescendingly telling Child why the book's not marketable. (Of course, Child did publishing Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In fact, since the movie, it's No. 1 on the How-To best-seller list). Kelly has closely cropped hair now and wears a mustache in the film.