Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Lovely Jules

My husband gave me a subscription to Netflix for Christmas, and my first movie arrived today. I was eager to see Julie and Julia, though I thought it might not live up to my expectations, only because everyone has raved about it for months (so watching it seemed a bit anticlimactic) and we all know that I am not a foodie. Still, I really enjoyed the parallels between the lives of the two main characters, the amazing period clothing and sets of the 1940s and 50s, and the struggles with writing that both women faced. I told my husband that I will never cook a Julia Child recipe, but being the great cook that he is, he is welcome to try one anytime.

Babycakes' bath and bedtime routine temporarily interrupted the film, and while I was picking up toys and refilling the humidifier, I was overcome with the thought that I am doing exactly what I have wanted to do for so long. Unlike Julie and Julia, I haven't really struggled with my identity and sense of self, and this was a happy realization to come to tonight.

When the movie was finished, we watched the vignette that accompanies the film on the DVD, and it was interesting to hear from Nora Ephron, the director. At the very end of the short piece, she mentions that she hopes the movie will inspire people, especially women, to find something in life that they love doing, and I smiled to myself, knowing that I am already doing it.

Now, I'm off to bed with a good book and a dab of Jo Malone. And, by the way, I predict an Oscar for Meryl Streep this season.