OK for kids 13+
Tempting Meryl Streep dramedy is OK but may bore kids.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that although this dramedy is ultimately upbeat, it isn't all sugary sweet. The protagonists -- strong female characters played by Amy Adams and Meryl Streep -- both undergo identity crises of sorts and must grapple with all that entails, a theme that may not appeal to tweens and under (though the soul-searching's not too deep).There's some swearing (including one use of "f--k"), and the movie's two married couples are comfortable displaying their physical affections, though there's no nudity or graphic love scenes.
- Families can talk about why Julie felt compelled to set such a lofty goal. Was it just about the cooking? What did she learn besides how to make great food? How is she similar to or different from Julia?
- How do the two characters stack up as role models?
- What's the film's take on women’s roles, both then and now? What aboutidentity? What shapes your identity? Your work, your personal life, orboth?
The good stuff
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Messages: Risk and bravery are rewarded, especially when they're accompanied by persistence and hard work. Both female protagonists have to pay their dues before they achieve success, especially Julia.
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Role models: Two strong women find themselves through sheer force of will and creativity. Their husbands are very supportive, as are their friends.
What to watch for
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Violence: McCarthyism’s insidious reach is a subtext of the film.
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Sex: Married couples fall into bed, but there's no nudity except for the occasional bare shoulder. In a description for a food item, male genitalia is mentioned.
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Language: “Bitch” pops up a few times, as do “damn,” “s--t,” and “hell.” "F--k" is used once. Other words include "c--k," "ass," "crap," "hell," and "oh my God."
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Consumerism: PayPal is mentioned; logos for Salon.com and James Farm butter are visible, as are specific cookbooks.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Social drinking and smoking (the latter occurring during mostly during the Julia Child segments, when it was more era-accurate).
Fan Reviews provided by
4
Entertaining and fun! by ExcursionUSA
Definately worth going to see... Funny and entertaining with lots of great food. Eat before you go, or get a big bucket of popcorn to munch on, as some of the dishes in the movie are simply mouth watering...
Lots of laughs and giggles throughout the entire movie!
5
GREAT MOVIE FOR A CHANGE!!!! by bellaoreo
This movie was a delight to watch. Streep did an Oscar performance. Adams and Tucci did, too. The Julia character just stood out more. Inspirational!! Highly recommend. Eat before you go.
4
She was one of a kind........ by k28dalton
This movie had me from beginning to end, maybe it?s because I loved Julia so much or maybe because I love Meryl so much. Who knows and who cares. Julia was one of a kind and if you watched her show, go see this movie.
If you are having a hard time in your life and can?t figure out what path you want to take, go see this movie.
If you love to cook, go see this movie.
If you want to travel to Europe, go see this movie.
Take your mom, dad, wife, husband, brother or sister but really people this movie is worth seeing!
5
AWESOME!!! by mradlof2
Though the movie was quite long, it was very steady and never seemed to be dull. All the actors were amazing, especially Meryl, but I was surprised to see how many instances that you could see the boom mic, it was rather distracting and it seems that for a movie of this caliber, there shouldn't be any obvious sloppiness like that. BUT I LOVED IT!!!
5
julie & julia by adpro
I saw this film last friday. It was a delightfull experiance. The story line, interacting between the two wonen was handled perfectly. The actors were perfect for the rolls they played, the interaction between the characters, both verbal and physical, was superib and the timing was flawless.The editing, customes, and scene choices were execalent. What happened when the show ended was something that I havent experianced since the first Star Wars came out, the entire audiance burst into spontanious appluse. It was gratifing to know everyone enjoyed the movie as much as I enjoyed the show. The most entertaining film I have seen for a long, long time. If I were to remake this film, I WOULD NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. It was flawless. Thank's to everyone involved for giving viewers a look at superb entertainment.
4
I took one for the team by MostlyTx
The Mrs wanted to see the movie, and she's been good about going to the ones I like, so it was her turn. I was prepared (as the only man in the theater) to suffer through the entire movie - but I actually enjoyed it.
5
524 Recipes of EPIC and LOL! by WiiFreedom
My mother wanted to see this movie and so I came along. I thought the movie would be boring, but I was wrong. Looking on what Julie and Julia cooks tells some similarities of their role of their life. To add to that is the sense of comedy. I LOLed so much cause what they say and do is humorous and funny to watch and listen. You must watch this movie.
5
Meryl IS Julia Child by lnbee
I absolutely LOVED this movie. Meryl's performance is astonishing. I have to admit, I love cookling, I love cooking shows, and I love the mid-century setting (I'm a boomer). So I'm very predisposed to rave about this film. It may not appeal to everyone. I was very entertained.
5
Best movie in years by Ilove_movies12
My idea of the perfect movie, perfectly cast. Meryl Streep IS Julia, living and breathing. She is superb. The men in our group were saying, "Probably a woman's movie; we'll be the only guys there." Were they wrong! They were belly-laughing.
Great for all ages, maybe not the younger children. Nostalgia for the older folks, contemporary for the blogging set. My only question: why was I so deeply moved, tears and all, at the end, besides being sorry it was over? Loved it! Esther (age 83)
4
good stuff by firegirl
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this movie!! Meryl streep did and excellent job as well as the "julie" character. I laughed a lot and that is not easy in this comedy market these days. Some things just aren't funny anymore because they have beaten them to death! So this was refreshingly cute and creative and fun. LOVED IT !!!