assignment: a response to Julie/Julia (for school)

bonjour bitches! I'm Julia Child!

I'm enjoying a French glass of wine while I work on these questions for school, pardon my slur (or rant).

To begin (not that anyone really cares) I didn't like the film Julie & Julia -- not the first time I saw it, nor the most recent.  I was dragged to an MJR Cineplex by my mom and accompanying neighbors on a steamy mid-August day in 2009. The mission: girls day. Why is it a requirement that on every stinking girls day I must endure at least one chick flick? Nothing against the genre (I have mad love for Meg Ryan and her kinfolk) but come on!! I oftentimes deem ear-friendly music adored by women in their early forties "mom jams" -- EVERYONE, the movie Julie & Julia is a total visual mom jam. The whole time Amy Adams whines while Meryl Streep burbles with Julia Child likeness. I don't get it. The movie's only saving grace: Stanley Tucci. Who am I kidding, I'm a Stanley Tucci fan girl. Ever since he chased down Beethoven in his cow skin boots my heart's been a flutter. Now, for the stuff you actually care about.

1. Julie Powell used her blog to relay bits and pieces of her life, specifically the Julie/Julia project. The writing is good. I'm finding words I wish I knew how to use. There is an ever present effort to give recognition to her readers. This line specifically (from October 27, 2003) made me laugh,

"God, it’s like how Hemingway would feel if he suddenly, against all his instincts and will, took a job writing Hallmark cards."

2. I think there is a definite blending of journaling and memoir. Sometimes she relays a day's events and in her most recent post (detailing Julia Child's death) she writes from the heart. A storytelling quality also exists in her posts.

3. Um, did Amy Adams utter the F word once in the movie? The real Julie seems a bit ballsier than Amy Adams piss-poor portrayal of her. I wish the real Julie played Julie in the movie -- that would have been a better spent $7 indeed. Ticket sales probably would have plummeted per my requests (damn!). AA's Julie went from super whiny to less whiny when she finally gets her end-all-be-all book deal at the film's finish. As far as authenticity goes clearly I like the real blog more. I don't think the movie makers integrated enough of it. Who would pay to see some thirty-something spat about her poorly laundered wool coat, no one cares. The screen play dabbled in enough of the blog to let the plot flow smoothly on screen.

4. The film was partially about blogging but I found part of it focused on Julie getting over whatever insecurities she harbored about her own failures and successes. The other half was Meryl Streep donning skirts aching over her bellybutton as she attempted to flambe her way through culinary adversity. The whole point was well meshed for the move because Julie looked up to Julia for strength and encouragement. Like an Aesop fable a lesson was presented, don't give up on life just because your job sucks and your friends are more successful -- good things will happen to you too!

Can you really blame Mrs. Child for not giving a turkey's tail feather about some blog in her late years? She was probably like what the hell is the Internet? All that was on her mind in '04 was getting drunk on wine that had notes of dunkaroos in its bouquet (just like me).

To conclude, I hope this makes sense.