Julia
This documentary about the legendary cook is a feast for the soul.
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“Julia was more than a cook. She was a cultural force.”
“Julia” brings the legendary chef to life through never-before-seen archival footage, personal photos, first-person narratives, and interviews with culinary A-listers. The delightful 95-minute visual feast follows Julia from growing up among Pasadena's gardens and lemon trees to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), where Paul Child introduces her to the carnal pleasures of food and love. They married in 1946 and moved to Paris, where their lives changed forever.
Captivated by French food, Julia began cooking in her late 30s. In 1950 she became the first woman to attend the famed Le Cordon Bleu school, training under the expert supervision of Chef Max Bugnard. Following morning classes, she'd create savory lunches for Paul at home. Their erotic afternoon escapades were as infamous as their comedic holiday postcards.
Frustrated by the inadequacy of typical cookbooks, Julia partnered with two friends and began writing a French cookbook for Americans. There were no shortcuts, and she approached every recipe as a chemist, rigorously creating and recreating them over and over until they were perfect.
After 12 years, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" was published and would become the biggest selling cookbook of all time. In an age of quick meals and TV dinners, Julia introduced style and imagination into American kitchens.
At the time, television featured women as background objects — cleaning the home, tending to their men, and fulfilling the stereotypical roles of the early 1960s. Fascinated by the success of her cookbook, WGBH, a public television station in Boston, aired a few episodes of "The French Cook," an educational show featuring the 6'3” Julia as she prepared her famous dishes.
The show was a hit, and audiences were captivated by her wit and creativity; she brought entertainment to educational programs. Whether you cooked or not, Julia introduced adventure into viewers' homes and changed American cooking forever.
She became a celebrity, appearing on dozens of magazines covers and flirting with late-night talk-show hosts. No one brought flair and flavor to televised cooking demonstrations like Julia.
Chefs were honored to host her at their restaurants and frequently asked Julia to tour their kitchens. Once inside, she'd ask, "Where are all the women?" She never cited herself as a feminist, yet her fight for place and prestige generated success and opened-up career paths for women in all areas of the culinary industry.
“Julia” reprises the captivating stories we've heard before but also explores the icon's passion for teaching and her final years with Paul. The film spotlights her work with Planned Parenthood and dedication to AIDS awareness and research after her longtime lawyer and friend, Bob Johnson, died from the disease.
Perhaps it’s the sense of safety it brings to the viewer, the permission to laugh and relate to unforeseen changes, that is the film’s most redeeming quality.
At some point in the last couple of years, most of us faced the challenges of starting something new — a career, relationship, routine, or life. Beginnings require us to leave our comfort zones, the safety and security of the familiar. Fear of the unknown can paralyze the strongest among us but is needed to manifest the courage necessary to proceed through undiscovered terrain.
Beginning something new later in life can be terrifying since age presents unique obstacles of its own. At age 40, Julia started from scratch, overcoming numerous objections, attending the most prestigious culinary school in the world, fighting her way through a male-dominated industry, and competing for opportunity and relevance over and over.
Julia's story is more relevant today than ever. Somedays the bravery required to put one foot in front of the other demands fresh strategies and a salty sense of humor. We can all benefit from her example: follow the recipe, find the funny, celebrate your success, and roll with the punches.
And, if you’re so inclined, a little wine and butter make the process so much sweeter.
“Julia” opens in Indianapolis theaters on Nov. 24th.