Julie & Julia - 2 thumbs UP

this post was written about the movie in the title. If you've not seen the movie, pleased don't read this post and then get mad at me. Also, if you were not allowed to watch the movie (I don't think kids read my blog, but you never know) please do not read this post. That's all. 


I finally (finally) watched Julie & Julia. I know, it took me long enough. It was one of those movies that was released to theaters when we were too busy to go to watch movies at a theater. It was on our list... but we never got around to it. Thankfully, there's always DVD and for me, it was Netflix instant play on my laptop. Oh, the joys. 

I love critiquing movies. When I was younger, I thought it would be fun to do for a living. I get very into movies and love to dissect them when they're over. Jason and I have spent many nights up way too late, discussing whatever movie we had watched that night. We recently went to see Shutter Island and came home and could not stop talking about it. Such a deep movie, with interesting twists and very exciting to talk about. We thought so at least. 

Julie & Julia (or, as I like to call it, the cooking version of You've Got Mail) was a very sweet movie. I like the underline message in the movie. I like that it encourages fully enjoying what you enjoy and going after your passions with the full expectation to excel in them and share your results with others. 

I love the husband and wife relationships in the movie. I love that their husbands get into their passions just as much as the wives get into the husband's joys and passions. I do think too often we women get duped into thinking that the wife is to enjoy, love and get into the life of her husband, but I get the impression from too many Christian ladies that they don't believe the same for their husband in return. It really ought to be a joy and desire for both people and not just one sided.

I have been told, however, that the marriages in this movie are so... romantically blessed due to the wife's desire to cook all the time and get so very into her cooking. I hate to break it to those women, but my husband gets just as turned on when I'm toasting a pop tart for him in toaster. I think its called "a man who genuinely loves his wife and delights in her." Don't you notice anytime you're both home together, spending time together, things typically get fun and frisky... cooking or not?! Maybe its just us, I don't know. And I don't mean to take away from the ladies who do love to cook and would cook all day if they could. I think its fine. Its a passion and I love to indulge in my passions, so good for you! 

Julia's fascination with comparing what she's cooking, to parts of her husband's naked body?  I find it completely odd and a little bit disturbing. 

Another thing I noticed throughout this movie (especially during those times where I felt frustrated that I never seem to have the time or money to invest in this type of cooking/baking) neither Julia or Julie had children. Enough said. 

I love the way Julie writes. I'd read her blog any day of the week, with much enthusiasm. I think I'd read her blog even if she wrote about frog anatomy. She's just that good. 

The scene where she cooks the lobster. HILARIOUS. I laughed out loud. She also gave me renewed vision for why I don't cook my food to death. Literally. 

They all eat way too fast and have a way of making the food look gross, not good. I think to fully enjoy food, you're supposed to eat slower, right? I just kept feeling like I was getting indigestion watching them "devour" the food, almost like they hadn't eaten in weeks. 

I am, once again, thankful for a husband who does not come into the kitchen and pick at my food while I cook. He might lose a hand if he did this often. Maybe its why he doesn't. 

The movie has motivated me to go buy Julia Child's cook book and try (most) of the recipes. Taking much longer than a year of course. 

I love that Julie did all the cooking for her 30th birthday. So cute. 

Julie's husband (Eric), buying her pearls "just like Julia's" on her birthday. Adorable. 

Her excitement over the gift = priceless. 

her obsession with people commenting on her blog was a bit odd. Maybe that was all Hollywood? Who knows. I just thought her desperate need for people to like her blog and comment on her blog was a bit odd, for such a happily married person. I guess this is what brought on their fight. 

We all obviously like knowing our blog is liked... but I think she goes a bit far with it all in the movie. 

If my husband had such horrible acid reflux, I think I'd cook food that wouldn't bother him so much. 

My first thoughts about the movie about 10 minutes in: "Is Meryl Streep that tall? Or was Julia Childs a giant?" This didn't make sense to me, until her sister comes to visit (adorable woman) and she is just as tall and makes a comment about always being taller than men. 

The way they move their bodies while talking was funny, distracting and funny again. Almost like those Pastors who move around too much while preaching and make you ill just watching them. John Piper very much exercises his arms while preaching and I had the same reaction to him. 

Julia and her sister (Dorothy) wear some of the most beautifully colored dresses!! I loved them. I was very much into their clothes. 

One scene, Dorothy wears a burnt orange dress  and then Julia wears a deep navy blue dress and I loved them! I decided if we do our wedding over again (which we have no plans of doing) the bridesmaid dresses would be in those colors and in that style. Lovely. 

I love that Dorothy marries the short guy :) 

Julia smoking just made no sense to me. I know it fits the time she lived in and I'm sure she really did smoke. However, someone who enjoys cooking and the taste and delicacy of food smoking cigs in her past time!? Doesn't fit. 

I loved Julia's sense of humor, quick whit and dry sarcasm. Loved it. 

I miss getting real, snail mail. 

 Amy Adams hair in the movie was horrendous. 

Why is it that so many women who have fights with their husbands (at least in the movies) instead of realizing they really are acting bi*** like, they go hang with their friends, who they know will feed their self indulgence and tell them just what they want to hear, instead of finding their husband and saying "you're right! I was wrong and I love you too much to fight this way." Ug. It really does bother me. Instead of humbling themselves and getting over themselves, they're out spending time planning their divorce. I am glad Julie ends up being the one to apologize first. If Eric had called and been a wimp about the whole thing, I was going to turn off the movie right then, never to watch it again. 

When Eric comes home after she calls and says she's sorry... I love this following conversation between the two of them 

J: "Are you back, please tell me you're back." 

E: "what's for dinner." 

I love Julia's 3rd kitchen - green and white wall paper with the wainscoting on the walls. 

I also love her 4th and final kitchen. 

Another fun part - Eric and Julie begin making out and Julie says the following - "I have to go make a pear tart" 

Julie's reaction to hearing that Julia is not fond of her blog... 

"Do you think its because I used the F word every so often?" 

Eric's reaction to the editor not making it to dinner - "But on the bright side, more stew for us!" 

Julie: "just for once can you not look on the bright side?" 

that conversation very much reminded me of Jason and me :) 

Eric while fighting with Julie: "And do not write about this in your blog! 

Julie: "About what?!" 

Eric: "About this fight!"

when your husband has to say things like this about every day life... you're sharing way too much. 

The Valentine's Day cards Julia made were SO over the top and gave me one of the biggest laughs I've had in a long time. 

Loved the part where the 3 ladies are fighting about not having Lizette receive just as much pay for the book, since she's not contributing as much. I love that Simone asks Julia to tell Lizette because she can't and then she ends up doing a very fine job of it after all. 

Where Simone says  "I think the credits should say "by Julia Child and Simone Beck... whiz Lizette" and Lizzette says "whizzz?" 

I also liked how Lizette is crying one minute (over her supposed divorce) and fighting over money the next.

Julie's mom and Julia's test giver both were examples of how to squelch a person's dream or desire to learn to better themselves in an area they're not naturally gifted. Since I plan to homeschool my children, I hope to remember the negative impact these 2 ladies had on people in their lives, so as not to repeat it. 

Julia's cooking class partner, Lizette - the one with all the head aches, stomach aches and appointments during cooking class. again, so funny, 

"All I think about all day is food. And then its all I dream about at night" -- this is an obsession, yes? 

I don't understand Julia's rude comments about Julie's blog though. That was surprising and disappointing. Maybe it was because she used the F word every so often. I'm sure some of you have more insight in this and will let me know. 

I liked the movie. Not sure I'll watch again, but it was a good one timer and I think one timers are sometimes the best. I laughed & cried in way more parts than I expected to. Very good movie. 

Thanks to those of you who talked about it, blogged about it and got me so interested in watching it!