I just returned from seeing Julie and Julia, a true story looking at the life of cooking legend Julia Child. It was quite good, in large part due to Meryl Streep’s flawless performance as Julia. I am utterly convinced that Meryl Streep could act anything she wanted, and it would be excellent…what makes it even more interesting to me is that she seems to be getting better with age. The film jumps back and forth between Julia Child’s rise to cooking stardom, and the character of Julie, who endeavors to cook her way through Julia Child’s cookbook in one year. A word of warning: do not see the film on an empty stomach. You will see some of the most drool-inducing foods in this film…absolutely delicious looking stuff. Now granted, I felt just a bit odd seeing such a movie, being a guy, and all the associations that come with a guy going out to see a movie supposedly tailored more towards women. But I like the director’s work, and I like Meryl Streep as an actress, so I stepped boldly into the theatre. Amy Adams, who plays Julie, also did a solid job…she seems to play a very normal, down to earth woman…and she’s also pretty cute too.
One of the themes of the film seems to be the importance of relationships, and food’s role in community…I’ve always been fascinated by this, because for as long as most of us can remember in mankind’s history, food has played a role. It is never simply to satisfy appetite, though that is its most basic and instinctual attribute. Food is about community. It is one of the few things we do together…at least, that’s the idea. In our hectic worlds, one of the few times we come together is around the dinner table. I’ve found that, at least in my own experience, the times sitting down eating with family have been when some of the most reflective and deep conversations have occurred. I don’t know if I can say why the reason for this is…I can only say that it happens.
In early America, during the era of the Founding Fathers, meals were a time for conversations and entertainment. In some cases, a meal would simply be a sidenote to a gathering. The real reason to gather would be to share ideas, to listen to others…to be in true fellowship with one another. Ask yourself…does this still happen today? Or have we become so busy that we neglect these precious times of fellowship?
On the way out, Borders loomed in front of me, and I had the urge to pick up my first cookbook, The Joy of Cooking. Yes, folks…I’m going to start learning how to cook. I hope that in the future, the foods I prepare from this book will not simply be to satisfy a hungry stomach…they will be the garnish to fascinating conversations, with unique and interesting people, hearing remarkable life stories.
Historian and Thespian 
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