project was, she immediately went into a dead-on
impersonation of Child’s signature high-pitched
voice. From that moment on Ephron knew who her
leading lady would be.
“Julia Child is so vivid in everybody’s mind,” says
Streep. “You can just call up her size, her shape, her
voice, her laugh, her way of breathing. It’s so familiar
to us. In a way, it sort of meant my work was half
done. I didn’t have to make anything up — there
she was.” For many of us who may have known Child
best through Dan Ackroyd’s absurd Saturday Night
Live impersonation, it’s easy to forget what a strong,
inspiring role model she was when she first appeared
on television in the early ‘60s on The French Chef. “She
was a television personality in a pre-television age,”
Streep observes. “People responded to her because
she was a real person and they needed a real person
on television.”
Amy Adams, in portraying Julie Powell, faces
the dual challenge of playing a much lesser known
character than Julia Child and inhabiting the screen
when the scenery-chewing Streep is absent. But the
gifted young actress, who has already deftly handled
major roles in Doubt and Enchanted, more than rose
to the occasion, finding inspiration in Powell’s own
insecurities. “Julie & Julia is about diving in and not
being intimidated by things that seem overwhelm-
ing,” Adams says.
(left) Meryl Streep as “Julia Child” and Amy Adams as “Julie Powell” (above) in Columbia Pictures’ Julie & Julia.
Portraying the supportive partners of Julie and
Julia, Chris Messina as Eric Powell and Stanley Tucci
experience quickly became cathartic—and about that led to her becoming the first American woman as Paul Child demonstrate the ways in which gender
more than just food. A typical Powell post exhorted, to attend the Cordon Bleu cooking school, co-author roles have evolved – and not – over the decades. “It’s
“Julia Child wants you — that’s right, you, the one of a world-famous cookbook and the beloved host of about partnerships and how you can support each
living in the tract house in sprawling suburbia with a television program that would help revolutionize other in good times and bad,” says Streep.
a dead-end secretarial job and nothing but a Stop & American cuisine—and 50 years later, the inspiration Messina, who memorably portrayed Lauren
Shop for miles around — to know how to make good that transformed Julie Powell’s life. When Steel and Ambrose’s last boyfriend during the final season of
pastry, and also how to make those canned green Robinson met to discuss their related projects, the the acclaimed HBO series Six Feet Under, shines in the
beans taste all right.” idea of combining them into one seemed not only role in part because “he is a brilliant eater,” according
Powell’s blog caught the attention of producer Eric obvious but downright brilliant. to co-star Adams. “I don’t know how he does it. He
Steel (best known for the controversial documen- The project attracted the interest of writer/director eats like a man, yet he doesn’t make it look gro-
tary The Bridge, which examines why San Francisco’s Nora Ephron, with her witty sensibility and interest in tesque. It’s a talent.” Messina did indeed spend much
Golden Gate Bridge is such a popular suicide site) food as it relates to life, and producer Laurence Mark of the shoot chowing down on his screen partner’s
and before her book Julie and Julia, a chick-lit-style and executive producer Scott Rudin came on board French dishes, at one point complaining about the
retelling of her cooking and blogging experiment, to shepherd the project. effort. “Nora yelled from the other room, ‘Robert De
was published, Steel had already optioned it Nora Ephron, for one, found the concept irresist- Niro would do it!’ – and that got me back in there and
for a film. ible. “As soon as I heard the idea, I thought, ‘Oh, I have focused for another seven lobsters,” laughs Messina.
At the same time producer Amy Robinson to do that,’” she says. “In 1962 or so, when I first moved Tucci, who did a memorable turn opposite Streep
(Twelve and Holding, The Great New Wonderful) was to New York, everybody was buying a copy of Master- in 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada as Miranda Priestly’s
developing a film adaptation of My Life in France ing the Art of French Cooking – it was a way of saying fashion editor, for his part was in awe of the commit-
about Julia and Paul Child and their life and love in you were intelligent and therefore you were going to ment Streep brought to this role. “It’s not an imita-
post-war Paris. The two settled in Paris after the war cook in a way that a smart person was going to cook. tion,” says Tucci. “She became Julia Child.”
as Paul worked in the American foreign service and, So Julia Child became an imaginary friend for me.” And how does the real Julie Powell feel about the
with her first exposure to French cuisine, Child’s life Soon after Ephron became attached to the project transformation of her online and literary efforts into
changed. Her ardor for fresh, flavorful food made she ran into the prodigiously talented Streep at a big-screen fare? “They’ve made a beautiful movie,”
with joy, instead of the cold, processed “food” fre- Shakespeare in the Park production in New York she enthuses. “About being brave and creating
quently used then in the U.S., started her on a path City. When the actress heard what Ephron’s latest yourself.”
August 2009 | RAGE monthly 13
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88