by Ben Miller
An Uncanny resemblance
Last year it was Richard Nixon and Harvey Milk, this year it will be Julia Child’s turn to be portrayed by a famous movie star on the big screen. In Child’s case, her imitator will be Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia. Written and directed by Nora Ephron, the film combines parts of Child’s memoir “My Life in France,” with the story of Julie Powell (Amy Adams), who spent an entire year cooking all of the 500-plus recipes in Child’s seminal cookbook, The Art of French Cooking.
If the picture to the left (or another here) is any indication, then the impression certainly seems well done. But I have to admit I’m concerned the movie could be more about the romance than the romaine. I guess we’ll see when the movie opens on August 9.
The Internet Food Association 
Wasn’t she a spy?
She worked for the OSS, the early version of the CIA. I don’t know if what she did qualifies as “spying”, specifically.
Interestingly, I heard Judith Jones (Julia’s editor) say (on NPR, I think) that Julia hated this book. I thought it was mediocre – definitely worked better as a blog than as a memoir.
That said, I love Amy Adams, I love Meryl Streep, and I love Julia and Paul’s love story (as well as the story of Julia’s love affair with France), so I’ll be lining up, for sure.
And, yes, Julia was involved in intelligence work: http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/August-08/Julia-Child-s-Secret-Ingredient-Was-Espionage.html
All 500? I am still just working on the omelets!
The cookbook was called Mastering the Art of French Cooking and I thought the blog/book about cooking all the recipes in a year was hilarious.
For more of Julia Child’s life I recommend the biography, Appetite for Life. Her life story is pretty fabulous. For the hard core fan, 3/4 of her home kitchen is in the Smithsonian (Museum of American History–re-opening soon from renovations). The other wall (with all her French copper pots) is at the Copia Center in Napa, CA.
I read and loved both those books! I didn’t know they were being turned into a movie. If only I could find the time and motivation to learn to cook like Julia Child!
I’m with Judith Jones. Julia Child was an amazing person and that book and this movie are cheap and nasty efforts to profit from her name.
Anyone who respects Julia Child’s legacy will avoid both.