Julie & Julia

Yesterday I saw the motion picture JULIE & JULIA, starring Meryl Streep as “Julia Child” and Amy Adams as “Julie Powell.” The movie was beautifully written and directed by Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail), and based on two true stories, My Life in France written by Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme and a memoir by Julie Powell. The two stories were uniquely woven together to emphasize their similarities.

“Julie Powell” (Adams) is a modern day woman living in Queens, New York with her husband “Eric Powell” (Chris Messina) and is “supposed to be a writer,” but instead works as a telephone operator at a crisis headquarters office. She loves to cook, and decides to start a blog documenting 524 of Julia Childs’ recipes in 365 days. Apparently, this is the first movie to focus on blogging. I am grateful for the salute, and had fun watching “Julie” prepare meals, with some slight mishaps, on her quest to be like Julia Child.

Meanwhile, viewers are taken to France 1949 to the 1950s to see how “Julia Child” (Streep) lives with her husband “Paul Child” (Stanley Tucci), takes/teaches cooking classes, and decides to write a cookbook. I appreciate seeing the famous chef’s humble outlook on her expertise. Meryl Streep truly takes on the persona of Julia Child. Her performance makes following the story even more enjoyable.

JULIE & JULIA will be in theatres August 7th. For more information visit the Web site http://www.julieandjulia.com/. Be sure to watch this movie with a full stomach. If not, all the food and scenes with characters eating will make you even more hungry than you probably already were before entering the theatre.

Wheel of Knowing

Last night I attended the premiere of Wheel of Knowing in Sacramento, California. This faith-based feature film was originally a short film that won Access Sacramento’s Viewer’s Choice Award in 2007. The screening was presented before a fully-packed theatre audience.

Wheel of Knowing is a story about a woman named Melanie who is married and has two daughters. They are a Christian family whose lives seem very normal. Melanie is a housewife, her husband is a businessman, and the oldest daughter is pretty much a typical teenager with a boyfriend who likes to bend rules. For example, instead of going to a youth group event, he suggests hanging out some place else. At one point he gets caught drinking and driving, so his girlfriend is no longer allowed to be alone with him (according to the Christian school they attend). The experience serves as his turning point and he learns from it.

In the main plot Melanie’s mother passes away. Neither one of her brothers want to move their father into their homes, so she volunteers to take him without discussing it with her husband first. Nevertheless, having her father in their home truly turns their lives upside down. The reason is because Melanie’s father has Alzheimer’s and requires Melanie’s full attention. As a result, the particulars she has paid close attention to in the past are neglected. She receives an in-your-face acknowledgement of this from her teenage daughter.

Wheel of Knowing is a very good story that touches the heart. It is a comedy-drama with a message about the importance of faith and family. I also think it does a good job of educating about the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.