Dann Todd's 'Dain Bramage'^**

Julie & Julia

I took my beloved bride to see "Julie & Julia" at the Michigan Theater last night. And for the most part, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Meryl Streep's Julia Child reminded me very much of my maternal grandmother. She was woman of grace, humor, and indomitable spirit. She also had a habit of establishing goals and then bulling her way through until they were achieved. Thanksgiving and Christmas at her house were always an interesting time.

The aspect of the movie that I enjoyed the most was the relationship between Julia Child and her husband. The obviously shared a deep affection for one another.

There were two off-putting aspects to the film. The first, and least serious, was the scene where young Julie learns that Julia Child disapproves of her effort to cook every recipe from Mrs. Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in 365 days while simultaneously blogging about the experience. A bit of searching turns up an article written about Mrs. Child's editor who suggests that Mrs. Child thought that the exercise was more of a "stunt" than a serious excursions into the culinary world.

The second, and most serious, was the scene where young Julie's boss discovers that she is writing a blog. The moment comes the day after Julie has stayed home to cook while pretending she was ill. Her boss makes the comment that the next time such an occasion comes along, he expects Julie to simply talk to him about it rather than attempting to be sneaky. He makes the point that he isn't going to fire here. After all, he isn't a Republican.

Since Julie Powell's book is a bit autobiographical, I suppose that her actual boss may have made such a comment. In which case, it may have been technically correct to maintain the dialog. At the same time, it is poor marketing to suggest that half the country, and presumably half of the expected audience, is so cold hearted that they would fire an employee for a single error. Exceptions are exceptions for a reason.

In any case, it was an enjoyable film and well worth your time.

by Dann 

|