MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

Julie & Julia Rated PG-13

Directed by Norah Ephron.  Starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams.



Photo ©Sony/Columbia Pictures
Movie Review by Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

After all of the Bible verses are memorized and theological theories of atonement are defended, it must be said that most of us have become Christians because of the example of those who have modeled the faith before us.  Indeed, the incarnation is God’s invitation to see what God looks like in human form.  Jesus is the example par excellence of love and, as we struggle to grow into his likeness, it is a difficult and challenging journey that will last a lifetime. 

Julia Child (Streep) was an American who (after serving overseas in the OSS during World War II) decided to learn the art of French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu and succeeded in mastering the intricacies of fine cuisine.  She would write a cookbook (“Mastering the Art of French Cooking”) and host a public television cooking show that would become a phenomenon. 

Julie & Julia not only tells Child’s story, but also the true story of Julie Powell (Adams) a frustrated office worker and aspiring writer who decides to cook every recipe in the first volume of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and then write a daily internet blog about her adventure (that would later be expanded and published as a bestselling memoir). 

As the film progresses, we move back and forth between the two stories, which not only show us the love of cooking but also offer a view of marital love and support that is charming and positive. 

Julia’s husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) and Julie’s husband Eric (Chris Messina) stand by their wives’ passionate dedication with faithful constancy (which, in Eric’s case, will require a tentative separation). 

If Julie’s project seems like a gimmick compared to Julia’s education, it can be said that growing Christians learn their faith from the saints who have gone before them, rarely achieving the same level of spiritual maturity but benefiting from a master teacher. 

Julia Child inspired thousands of cooks to reach for a higher level.  May our growing faith pay tribute to those who have gone before and serve as inspiration for those who will see Christ in us.

Pitchfork Rating:
Three halos. (A celebration of creativity and the ways in which we find inspiration by example.)
One picthfork. (Brief swearing and subtle hints of marital lovemaking.]

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