Nora Ephron has a knack for revealing the heart of a woman. Three of her movies, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail, speak of a woman's desire to love and be loved ... to find that one person who makes the heart sing. Ms. Ephron has hit another cord in a woman's heart ... discovering her passion.
Julie and Julia is based on two true stories of women who questioned the direction of their lives and had the courage to recreate themselves in the process.
In August 2002 Julie Powell began documenting her daily efforts of cooking each of the 524 recipes in Julia Child's class book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her blog, The Julie/Julia Project, was eventually reworked into the book of the same name. Nora Ephron began the movie, Julie and Julia, in March of 2008. The first major motion picture based on a blog opens this weekend and I am excited to view it!
Why am I so excited? First, it is a Nora Ephron movie! Secondly, it stars Meryl Streep as Julia Child and I believe Meryl is a fantastic actress. But more important than these two points, I am drawn to the theme of courageous recreation while following one's passions.
Julie Powell caught a vision and intentionally followed it for a year. She had no promise that working her way through complicated recipes and recording the experience on her blog would have any lasting value ... but she was passionate about the attempt. She caught the vision and labored to fulfill it ... and that is courageous.
Julia Child is an inspiring story of a woman who wasn't afraid to pursue her passions. Julia was born in 1912, a time when most women were limited to the demure roles of wife/mother, secretary, nurse or teacher. At 6' 2", Julia was not a woman to blend in. A graduate of Smith College, she volunteered for the Office of Strategic Services and played a significant part in the communication of top secret documents between U.S. government officials and intelligence officers (translated "spy" for a developing CIA). Julie met her husband, Paul Child,while serving in China.
When Paul was reassigned to Paris, France in 1948, Julia became enthralled with French cuisine. In 1948 (at the age of 36), she enrolled in the world-famous Cordon Bleu cooking school and the rest is culinary history. Her 800 page classic cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, was published in 1961. After her televised demonstration of preparing an omelet, Julia became the star of The French Chef TV series and forever associated with fine foods.
At the age of 50, Julia was willing to recreate her life and venture into a new life. The second half of her life brought great joy, satisfaction and success. Rather staying the course of her first half, Julia had the courage to step into a new world, take the risks and, in the end, reap more than she could ever have imagined possible. She continued to write cookbooks into her 80s and passed away at the age of 92.
That is what An Engaged Life is all about ... believing that the second act of life can be an adventure.
Looking forward to seeing this movie of two women willing to begin new adventures. See ya at the concession stand!
No comments:
Post a Comment