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Before Paula Deen added more butter…before Emeril Lagasse said his first “Bam!”…before Gordon Ramsay started berating young chefs…there was Julia. With her distinctive voice and her ability to breeze through any kitchen disaster, Julia Child became an unlikely celebrity. And the documentary Julia takes a closer look at the making of the kitchen sensation.
Julia explores the life and loves of America’s first real celebrity chef, whose books and TV series inspired a nation of TV dinner eaters to enjoy cooking again. The film takes a look at her childhood in California and follows her into the military during World War II, which led her to the two loves of her life: food and her husband, Paul Child. Together, the two explored the food of the Far East before moving to Paris, where Julia’s life as a chef began—and where she began work on her groundbreaking book, The Art of French Cooking.
From her first TV appearance in the 1960s, this tall, boisterous chef managed to chop, sauté, and charm her way into American homes. But while she quickly became a lovable cooking icon—and while the idea of a female chef on TV seems commonplace today—her career was quite remarkable. Her story here is told by the friends and family members who knew her, by the chefs who were inspired by her, and by recordings of Julia herself. And together, they explain the trials that she faced along the way, repeatedly overcoming the challenges of being a middle-aged woman in a typically male industry—both as a chef and as a TV personality.
More than just a story about food, though, Julia also explores the relationship between Julia and her greatest supporter: her husband, Paul. In a time when men insisted on being the head of the home, the king of the castle, this quiet intellectual was there, behind the scenes, through every step of the journey, encouraging and supporting his wife’s successful career.
Tied together with plenty of footage of chopping and cooking dishes that you can almost smell through the screen, these stories about Julia’s life and career may not be shocking or especially in-depth, but they do paint a portrait of a fascinating woman: a wife, a chef, and an unlikely trailblazer.
You don’t have to know how to whip up Julia’s recipe for Quiche Lorraine to appreciate this look at the celebrity chef’s life. Julia is an entertaining, inspiring, and often mouth-watering documentary about a woman who broke through barriers with her bouillabaisse and bourguignon.
Julia is opening in limited release on November 24, 2021. Check your local listings for theaters in your area.
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