I have not seen it....but am very eager to!
Linda C

DD and I went--my comments are on the anyone go to the movies today post.

It was wonderful. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Hadn't read the book, though, so can't comment on how true it was to the original.

Gina sent the book to me via a CF swap. I believe the book had just come out seeing that it's been some time since that particular swap. Re-reading it may be in the plan before I see the movie. I really enjoyed reading the book and I'm looking forward to seeing the movie. Although, I may wait for it to come out on DVD.

Azzalea-I can't find the "Anyone go to the movies today?" post...:( I was thinking about taking my DDs (11 ans 13). I know the movie is PG-13...I assume it's primarily due to Julia's salty language. Just how salty is it? Maybe I should see it myself first, then decide whether to take them.

I saw it today, and have to say it was one of the best movies I've seen in an long while. Meryl Streep as Julia was delightful, and of course I found her story much more interesting than Julie's. She really captured the fun-loving essence of Julia Child that made her so unique. Winding the stories together helped the movie immensely.

Deb, I really only remember one comment you might not want your kids in on, made by ''Julia''. I won't tell you what it is, but it was pretty hilarious. (It may have been all in the delivery!) There may have been other language, but I really don't remember; it's not something I would have noticed I guess.

The movie was very much like the book. I loved the ending...

DD and I plan to go this week. I've read a review which praises Meryl Streep and has nothing good to say about the one playing Julie or her character. We shall see.

I probably will go see it this Tuesday. Have pretty high expectation and hopefully won't be disappointed.

azzalea is referring to her post on the Kitchen Table forum, not one here on the Cooking forum. I posted a link to it below.
Clare

Here is a link that might be useful: Anyone go to the movies today?

DD and several friends saw it last night and said Streep was especially great. One of the friends had read the book and said she liked the movie much better . . . the Julie character was much more likeable.

They all loved the movie.

Went to the theatre yesterday afternoon with Debra.

I thought the movie was pretty darn good. Although there were bits of likable humor in the Julia scenes, I really liked it for its hunks of biography and Streep's great acting.

The Julie scenes were fluffy. Good but fluffy.

I recommend it highly.

Joe

DH and I both enjoyed the whole movie. Julia and Paul's total love for good food was wonderful and we enjoyed both performances.

I've heard several unkind reviews of Julie's character. I felt the actress was just being Julie and did a darn good job of it.... no one ever said that Julie was suppose to be a clone of Julia.

I recommend the movie to anyone who truly loves food.

It was just okay..I would have liked to see more on Julia and her husband.
The previews were the best parts. Meryl did an excellent imitation of her....

Linda

I saw it yesterday. My friend and I both totally enjoyed it. Laughed, and drooled over food too.

I think, I need that cookbook!

Moni

I can't believe it, I just found the real Julie Powell blog which started this whole thing. I saw the movie yesterday and really enjoyed it, hubby too. I thought both parts were played well, Meryl is so believable. You can't walk out of the theater without saying Bon Appetit in her way.

I found an interview with Nora Ephron and she said she had printed out all 2,000 pages of Julie's blog. Reading this could be a project of it's own so I thought I'd share.

The Julie/Julia project that the movie is about is in the "Links" section.

Here is a link that might be useful: The real Julie

Moe and I went to see Julie & Julia yesterday afternoon. We both loved it. Meryl is so good you forget that you aren't really watching the real Julia. I also liked the Julie story and the actress that played it.

There were as many men in the audience as women so it definitely isn't a "Chick flick".

Natesgramma, I was going to go looking for her blog but now I won't have to. Thank you.

Ann

A thought about a critical part of the movie...

I met Julia Child some years ago at her true favorite restaurant, Panne e Vino, in Montecito. I got her autograph and spoke with her at length.

She's certainly an outspoken woman and quite glib.

I thought about her comment she made in the movie to the reporter ("She doesn't take it seriously") in response to the reporter's question about Julie's Blog about Julia's cookbook.

I'm pretty sure that Julia Child, at the time, didn't know a "blog" from a bologna. Anything that wasn't a "culinary" view of her cooking concepts couldn't be thought of as serious. I think the movie portrayed her perfectly in that she took her craft seriously but never took herself seriously. Had she met Julie, she would have had a friggin' blast.

Joe

I will give it two thumbs up.

I liked the fact that it was based on two true stories that revolved around that book. I was expecting something pretty bad based on the local review that I read. You really did think you were watching Julia Child after a little while. Quite a testament to Meryl Streep.

Just saw it today, too. Great. Loved it all. Amy Adams has gorgeous eyes, doesn't she?

Glad to hear it's getting good reviews from y'all. The ones on the net are all over the place. Sounds like Streep has pulled another one off. I hope to see it in the next couple of weeks.

David

Joe, I wondered about that part of it as well. It seemed to me when the reporter told Julie that Julia was ''being kind of a pill about it'' (isn't that what he said?), that it was probably much less about Julia's perception of Julie's blog, and more about the reporter trying to stir the pot for a story. Who knows if she really had any comment at all? I wouldn't trust any reporter who was dying to share, IYKWIM!

claire:

The piece made for quite the dramatic anti-climax point in the movie and I think it was used for that alone.

Any number of scenarios could have been true. The reporter stirring the pot with provacative or leading questions (to Julia). The reporter stirring the pot with provacative comments (to Julie). An innocent comment from the reporter blown out of proportion by an already-emotional Julie.

I think even Julie admitted later in the movie (?) or in her real blog (?) that Julia might have said anything or meant nothing. But it made for good movie.

Julia Child, in person, had a certain zingy-dinginess to her. Affected? Maybe.

Joe

DH & I saw it this afternoon & enjoyed every second of it!

The movie is worth seeing for Streep's performance. She accurately captures the endearing goofiness of Julia, even down to the awkward body language and that weird voice that sometimes would drift into an unmodulated screech. Stanley Tucci is excellent as well.

I found the structure of the movie a tad strained, though. Putting those two stories together--well, the parallels seemed artificially strained at times, or at the very least unbalanced. The portion of the movie dedicated to the lives of a couple of struggling NYC yuppies just isn't as interesting as the story of a diplomat and his feisty wife (who will soon revolutionize American cuisine) living in postwar Paris. If the Streep scenes are fresh figs and Sauternes, the NYC scenes are Fig Newtons and skim milk. And, when the movie drifts away from cuisine into some political/social commentary, it does so in Hollywood's typical preachy hectoring tone.

But that's a minor cavil. Fred Astaire movies weren't known for consistency and logical plots, either, but they were enjoyable. Have a glass of decent bubbly before the show and enjoy this confection. As Julia would say, "Bon..." oh, you know the rest.

arley - just have to say how much I enjoyed reading your review.

Still haven't come out of the woods since it opened (we're at the lake) but as soon as we get back into town I'm going!