When this film first came out, three years ago, I saw it four times, I was so captivated!!!!! One of those times was on a visit to Florida, where I took my then 94 (and still thriving now, at 97) year-old father, to see it, and he was charmed. I wrote it about it extensively on this blog, at the time, and I resolved to do more cooking, not because I wanted to emulate Julie Powell, but because I wanted to expand my horizons.
I am still looking to expand, darlings. And I had not thought about "Julie and Julia", or the whole thing, for awhile, until yesterday. Monsieur and I spent a rather un-glamorous Labor Day, because we were apartment bound, due to the fact that Vinnie was coming over to do the kitchen. To do so, he had to turn off the electricity in the kitchen, which killed it in the living room, so, we were confined to the bedroom, and, thankfully, the TV was working!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, before I go on, I know what all you girls want to know!!!!!!!! What about Vinnie???????? Worker comes to fix kitchen; I can see all your fantasies out there going right now! Well, let me bring you up short! Vinnie was very nice, tall, lanky, not a bad body, but not much in the looks department. Though, judging by his lankiness, fingers and foot size, I would guess him to be hung like a horse!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I am not about to find that out, darlings!!!!!!!!!! First, I love Monsieur!!!!! Second, would Sister Simplice do such a thing??????? And, third, I leave all that to my girls out there!
Not to mention I am pretty certain Vinnie was straight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, yesterday we were holed up, watching television. By 3PM, even I was having my fill of "Investigation Discovery," and I began to channel surf. I discovered that "Julie and Julia" was about to start, and, as neither of us had seen it in three years, or ever watched it together, since the film was released the year before we met, we opted for this more cheerful selection.
This was my fifth viewing, and while the big things were as astounding as ever, the little things got to me, this time. Like the performance of the Powells' cat. Or the brilliant way Meryl, with just a look, a glance, conveys the depth of Julia Child's one regret--never having (or perhaps not being able to) a child! There are two scenes related to this that had my in tears. And Meryl barley lifts an eye!!!!!!! Darlings, that is why she is MERYL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At the time of its release, I was in thrall to the Julie Powell part of the film. First, because of Amy Adams--radiant, as always! Second, because of all that food she cooks!!!! And third, because this part really got it right about living in New York--fighting your way back and forth on the subway, coming home late, cooking, getting up again to work the same day to day job....darlings, I saw this segment of the film as representative of my life!!!!!!!!!!!!
But this time, I realized I was looking at it, still feeling this, but through very different eyes. For starters, I am no longer in Queens, but Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. For another, in the film Julie has Eric, who stands by her through cooking and blogging. At the time of the film, how I longed for my own Eric, never certain I would ever find one.
Well, loves, I have, in the guise of Monsieur, and, of course, the wait was worth it. In the fall of 2009, when Julie Powell came out with her recent book, "Cleaving," I went to a reading she gave at Barnes and Noble. I recall there was actually some old and ignorant codger, who got mad because she was not Amy Adams; he expected Julie Powell to look like that! She handled it with much more equanimity than I ever could! Still single, then, I asked about cooking romantically, and when I presented my book to be signed, she wrote, "Good Luck, with the husband hunt!!!!!"
It paid off, Julie, in dividends I cannot begin to enumerate!!!!!!!!!
As far as the day to day grind, the film is still somewhat representative. But, as I watched it this time, at one point, I said to myself, "This is why I am the Raving Queen!" When I started this blog, in 2007, I really wasn't sure what to do with it; I had originally intended it to be a repository for whatever fiction I had written--which would take some time to transpose on here. When I first saw "Julie and Julia," and heard Amy Adams say, "I could have a blog!", I thought the same thing. Except, I already had one,. As 2009, and my viewings of this film, dragged on, the blog began to morph into this Gay chronicling you see before you. By the end of 2009, I found I had written more in that year than in '07 or '08. And this year I think may outdo last year.
And I owe it all to "Julie and Julia". So thank you.
But there is that cooking thing. The first time out, I never got around to the things I wanted to attempt--Beef Bourguignon, Chicken With Mushrooms In White Wine Cream Sauce, and Raspberry Bavarian Cream. Watching the film yesterday fueled me up to do this again, only I am going to follow an example set by Amy Adams in the movie. I am going to give myself a deadline.
Like Julie Powell, I am giving myself the deadline of one year. By Labor Day, 2013, I expect to have prepared each of these recipes, written about and photographed them, for all my girls!!!!!!!!!! One year, and three recipes????????? I should be able to do that; I have neither the stamina or the culinary experience of Julie Powell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But this???? I think I can handle it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, wish me luck, darlings!!!!!!! And, thanks again, "Julie and Julia." Not to mention Meryl and Amy. You all keep me going in your own ways!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yummy, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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