Saw the movie; hated the book
August 11, 2009, 3:40 pm
Posted by Margaret O'Brien Steinfels
Apropos of “Eating up the past” (below), I saw Julie and Julia last night. Really a very charming and witty effort. The Julia Child part is based on her memoir written with nephew Alex Prud’homme and sticks close to the original; the Julie Powell part departs from Julie and Julia in that Julie Powell is nowhere near as obnoxious in the film as in her memoir. Got that?
The theater was totally filled so that the wit and humor received hearty and contagious laughs. In addition, I felt surrounded by people who had been making Boeuf Bourgignon for many years. Comforting.
I imagine my tastes in movies differ considerable from most visitors here but figured I’d give my two cents anyway that I rather enjoyed the movie – especially the Julia Child part. I have not read either book so I have no point of comparison there.
I do not recall ever having eaten (or prepared) French food in my life even when I visited France for a week once but I could (and did) watch Julia Child’s TV programs all day long – just love watching her cook – and have read two of her cookbooks. Obviously I’ve never had Boeuf Bourgignon or prepared it but where I was born we used to in in the Spring this dish we called La Pezzata made with pieces of the baby sheep and cooked for the whole day in these clay pots which it has always reminded me of a refined version of our more rustic dish.