If someone were to ask, “Should I see Julie & Julia in the theater or wait for the DVD?”, I’d answer, “Sure, it’s theater-worthy, especially a matinee, but you’d also be okay waiting.”

The movie turned out to be almost exactly what I expected: good, not great, had me grinning wildly in some parts, frowning in others.  Does Julie & Julia join the list of best food movies? Probably not, but an enjoyable two hours nonetheless.

I don’t want to give too much away for those who haven’t seen it yet or read the book, but here’s what I liked:

Meryl Streep
Duh.  No shocker there.  But this was a tricky performance that with any other actress, could have been a disaster.  Streep not only mastered Child’s unique sing-song voice, she captured Child’s joie de vivre without turning her into a caricature. Predictably, the Julia Child scenes are the strongest of the movie, and it was fascinating to follow along with Julia as she discovered her purpose in life: food.

The Supporting Cast
Stanley Tucci already stars in one my favorite movies, Big Night, and he’s great here as Julia’s decent, funny and encouraging husband, Paul.  Their touching relationship is the backbone of the film.  And who knew he and Julia had such a raging sex life?

Jane Lynch (good in everything she’s in) is also a breath of fresh air in a brief role as Julia’s equally-tall sister, Dorothy.

And I have to mention Mary Lynn Rajskub, as Julie’s friend.  How disorienting is it see Rajskub in any role other than Chloe from 24? I kept waiting for her to whip out a laptop and “set up a perimeter” while Kiefer Sutherland screamed in her ear, DAMMIT CHLOE, WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!

Paris
Can I build a DeLorean and travel back to post-war Paris? Please?  The movie makes it seem as though it was all outdoor markets, boulangeries and gastronomic delights.  Okay, so this was like EPCOT Paris, but I don’t care, I bought it.

What didn’t work as well…

The Julie Storyline
I already wrote what I thought of the book, so I knew going in that I’d find the Julie storyline less interesting.  But poor Amy Adams just got on my nerves; I can’t decide if she was miscast, or whether the problem was the script and direction.

Either way, her doe-eyed, earnest Julie doesn’t come off as a real person — she certainly doesn’t feel anything like the Julie from the book, who I may not have liked, but at least had some personality and ooomph.  Amy Adams’s Julie is a sphere — no hard edges.  And I swear, in a few scenes she’s directly channeling Meg Ryan’s performances from When Harry Met Sally and You’ve Got Mail, and not in a good way.

The irritation factor culminates with Julie finding out a certain person doesn’t like her, and asking her husband, “Is it because I say the F-word sometimes?” Please. By this point, I found it hard to believe that perky Julie would ever utter a “Damn,” let alone drop an F-bomb.

Ultimately though, whether you’re a food nut or not, it’s hard to dislike a movie that’s so life-affirming.  Julie & Julia celebrates the idea that passion and self-discovery are their own rewards, regardless of whether a book is published or a blog becomes a megahit.

Plus, the movie celebrates Julia Child, whose Mastering the Art of French Cooking is on top of the New York Times bestseller list for the first time ever; people are gobbling that book up.  In a way, she’s teaching everyone to cook all over again. That’s pretty cool.

Oh, and a final food for thought: Julia and Paul Child drank, smoke, and ate prodigious amounts of cheese and butter.

Paul Child died at the age of 92.  Julia Child, 91.