And That’s When Things Got Meta

What happens when a food blogger writes a book about blogging, then the book becomes a movie, and then food bloggers blog about the movie about the book about blog? Does the world implode? Not yet, but Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia — the story of an aimless woman who finds herself by cooking and blogging her way through the entirety of Julia Child’s ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ — is still 3 days away.

It may be a sign of the apocalypse, or it may just be the result of too many boring people with too much time on their hands, but one early measure of the frenzy surrounding the film is the 12:01 a.m. screening on opening day. That’s a time slot usually reserved only for flicks with the biggest fanatics — we’re talking Trekkie and Twihard territory. 

So what’s all the fuss?

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Foodieland. It’s well known that foodies are some of the most intense citizens of the blogosphere — just look at the success of sites like Chow and  Eater. In fact, it seems like the newest wave of foodies was perfectly timed (and aided and abetted) by the emergence of the blogging. Now you can’t go to dinner without some asshat blogger whipping out his digital camera at every course.

But this film has stirred up an unprecedented amount of drama for what is, essentially, a chick flick. (It’s also stirred up a newfound reverence for Dame Child, which is definitely something we can get behind.) Last week, Gawker was the first to catch on to the brewing hatestorm, but there’s a pretty clear consensus about the film: Meryl Streep is charming and delicious as she embodies Julia Child both physically and in spirit; Amy Adams’ Julie is an insipid whiner who ruins every second that she’s onscreen. Not only that, but many reviews go on to condemn the real-life Julie, blogger-turned-author Julie Powell. It’s gotta make you wonder? Are Julie’s parts of the film really that bad, or are jealous bloggers just getting their hate on?

 

All this food talk got you hungry? Child’s alma matter Le Cordon Bleu is hosting dinners and screenings at 14 affiliate campuses around the country. Bon Appetit! 

image courtesy of Sony Pictures