Heartland: ReelBob: ‘Julia’ ★★★½

With the proliferation of cooking shows and food networks, it’s difficult to remember a time when food — and cooking — were taken for granted.

It was that way for generations. I remember in the mid- and late 1950s my mother placing frozen dinners in the oven for our supper.

It was a time when women were expected to be homemakers, taking care of the house and children, and going to the grocery store, butcher and bakery to buy the necessities.

That started to change in the 1960s because of one woman — Julia Child. This astonishing woman made preparing food look like fun and offered easy recipes to complement her philosophy.

The new documentary, “Julia,” produced and directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, chronicles the life, career and impact of this remarkable cook, who came to her vocation at a time when schools teaching cooking and restaurant kitchens where meals were prepared for customers were considered masculine domains.

Child’s impact on our culinary culture has a far reach, and this movie explores all of that.

Child, born in 1912 in Pasadena, California, came from a well-to-do conservative family. She was expected to marry and raise a family — nothing more.

In 1930, she enrolled in Smith College, graduating in 1934. From there, she never looked back.

World War II transformed her life. She worked as a clerk-typist for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor of the CIA, where, in 1944, she was sent to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

There, she met her future husband, Paul Child. From Ceylon, she and Child were transferred to China, where Child introduced her to the local foods.

He opened up other worlds for her, a friend says.

The couple married in 1945 and, after the war, Child, who worked for the diplomatic corps, was transferred to France.

It was in France that Julia Child found her calling. “One taste of that food and I never turned back,” she said.

The couple lived in Paris where, under the G.I. Bill, Julia eventually enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu, the French cooking academy.

She learned that, as in architecture, the French were very specific about food preparation. They had codified the fundamentals of cooking — the pots and pans to use for certain dishes and the specific ingredients needed to create a perfect dish.

While in France, Child and her French friends, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, began collaborating of a cookbook to show American women had to cook French food. “Mastering the Art of French Cooking, eventually became a best-seller and Child’s career took off.

By this time the Childs had returned to the United States, settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

When Julia was invited to appear on a local educational TV show, she cooked a simple omelet. That, led to her getting her own program on Boston’s educational (later PBS) station.

Her show, “The French Chef,” became an immediate hit and Child’s influence in the culinary world began to soar.

It was a joy of cooking, her almost scientific approach to her recipes, that earned her viewers and readers.

“Julia” credits Child’s popularity with helping to build and spread public television as well as changing the landscape of food in America.

Because of her, cooking became more of an enjoyable experience than a chore. Plus, her books and TV shows inspired young women to enroll in culinary schools and consider careers as chefs.

What the movie does best is capture Child’s spirit — not only her joy of cooking, but her positive attitude and charm, her love of meeting people and of sharing her knowledge of food with others.

The film touches on a few of Child’s more controversial stances — her pro-life support of Planned Parenthood and her work to raise money for AIDS research. Overall, though, “Julia” is a standard biographical documentary that does not take many risks.

The movie is at its best showcasing how Child as a pioneer in what has become our national food culture.

“Julia” will satisfy your appetite as it provides appetizing pieces about Child’s art and impact. Those who want to know more about Child will have their appetites satisfied.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

JULIA
3½ stars out of 4
(PG-13), language, sexual references, thematic elements