Seeing Julie & Julia
Wednesday, August 5, 2009 | 12:48 PM ET
By Elizabeth Bridge, CBC Digital Archives
The imminent release of the movie Julie & Julia has renewed much interest in cookbook author, TV show host and bon vivant Julia Child, the woman who is credited with introducing Americans to French cooking in the 1960s. The movie is based on Child's 2006 memoir My Life in France and on a blog by New Yorker Julie Powell, who spent a year cooking her way through every recipe in Child's landmark manual Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Julia Child brought French cooking to American tables.
(Associated Press)
Over at CBC's Digital Archives website, we dug up a 1991 radio interview with Child. Her distinctive warbly voice is a pleasure to hear in conversation with Vicki Gabereau, and Child speaks with authority on the subjects of french bread, salad dressing and the best fat for making french fries. Almost 20 years on, her thoughts on American eating habits and her disdain for processed foods still sound relevant.
In the interview, Child only briefly mentions her time in France. (She spends more time talking about how she could have been a spy.) But that period, when she trained at the Cordon Bleu cooking school and wrote her first cookbook, is the part of Child's life told in Julie & Julia.
Meryl Streep and Amy Adams star in the movie, but the food also gets top billing. An illuminating piece in the New York Times Magazine delves into how movie food stylists approach their jobs when the food has a starring role. In a companion feature, stylist Susan Spungen takes viewers through some of the food scenes in Julie & Julia.
Julie & Julia joins a long list of food movies, a mini-genre that I have yet to explore fully (and the online magazine Chow lists a few that I'll pass on.) I'm pretty keen to see Julie & Julia, but after reading up on it I'm going to be sure to eat before I go. Otherwise, my rumbling stomach might drown out the dialogue.
What are some of your favourite movies about food? Will you see Julie & Julia?
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Amber Hildebrandt writes for CBCNews.ca in Toronto. Growing up on a farm in Manitoba, she acquired an insatiable appetite, but it was during a stint in Japan that she developed her discerning tastebuds and "foodie" ways.
Andrea Chiu is an associate producer at CBC Radio Digital. Though she loves to eat, cook and discuss food,
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Andree Lau is a CBC web reporter in Calgary. Her journalism career includes seven years as a CBC-TV reporter. Her own blog called "are you gonna eat that?" chronicles her eating adventures (including sampling snake and camel hoof tendon).
Jessica Wong is a CBCNews.ca writer who loves to eat and cook, as well as discuss, read and watch programming about food, sometimes all at once.
Kevin Yarr, CBCNews.ca's writer in Prince Edward Island, wrote about food and beer for national and regional magazines before joining the CBC. He acquired a desire for new tastes on his first trip to Europe, and an appreciation of eating locally and in season when he finally settled down on P.E.I.
Elizabeth Bridge is a writer with the CBC Digital Archives in Toronto. She first ventured into the kitchen as a child to indulge a sweet tooth by baking cookies and making fudge. A student budget compelled her to be a vegetarian (for a while) and instilled in her an ongoing curiosity about food and cooking.
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Comments
Donna
If I see the movie it will be because I'm a Meryl Streep fan, as well as a foodie. I'll have to get past my opinion of the book (Julie & Julia). I read about a third of it before I put it down in disgust. I'm not sure I've ever read such a self-indulgent, whiny book in my life. I'm torn about whether to see this movie.
Posted August 6, 2009 04:02 PM
elli
calgary
May I suggest:
"Chocolat" - with Juliette Binoche ; another one is: Like Water for Chocolate (Spanish), and then a little-known gem: Tampopo (Japanese). Also, The Joy Luck Club had lots of food-related shots in it that will lead you to the nearest Chinese buffet table....
I love to cook (from scratch, and ALL kinds of ethnic recipes), love to eat, and love cookbooks, so I am looking forward to hearing if this latest movie is worth watching. Julia Child was the first cook who used television to educate people about cooking and classical French food. Never a bad thing.
Good luck, and happy viewing!
Posted August 7, 2009 10:27 AM
bruleeblog
bruleeblog.wordpress.com
The movie is also based on My Life in France by Julia Child so don't let your opinion of Powell's book stop you from going.
Posted August 7, 2009 03:24 PM
Lyle
Victoria
Big Night and The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and Her Lover.
Gonna pass on the movie.
Posted August 9, 2009 11:27 PM
Mumzies
Calgary
My favorite food movie is Chocolat. The use of chocolate as a daily celebration food as well as a community indulgence resonates with the kind of treat it is. I like the idea that chocolate has a personality just as each individual does.
Posted August 10, 2009 08:33 AM
Jim Bridge
Awsome Movie and a breath of fresh air instead of no brainers like Adam Sandlers recent movie about a dieing comedian with such gutter language that is rather appalling than funny. Julie& Julia a great movie from a avid movie goer.
Posted August 10, 2009 07:25 PM
Elle
Edmonton
Our whole family went to see this movie on Sunday - 3 teenagers in tow. Loved the movie. Couldn't decide whether we wanted to go home and cook a wonderful meal or just go and eat something interesting. Have been cooking from scratch for the last 3 days as a result of this movie. Definitely a great movie for those who love cooking or want to see a movie with some substance.
Posted August 12, 2009 08:49 AM
Susan
This was a delightful movie enjoyed by both sexes. It really got us into cooking again (loved the mushroom tip) and we are considering buying Julia Child's book, esp. for such tips.
One of our favorite food movies (also starring Stanley Tucci) is "Big Night". "Chocolat" is wonderful as well.
Posted August 18, 2009 08:06 PM