Julia, showing this weekend, November 6 and 7, at the St. Louis International Film Festival, is from Julie Cohen and Betsy West, the team that created the Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary RBG.
Child’s life is, in many ways, very well-documented, but for many, she’s little more than a face they remember from television, as well as the immortal Dan Aykroyd Saturday Night Live skit. (Child loved the Aykroyd bit, by the way, and sometimes played it for guests.) The film offers never-before-seen photos and film, as well as insights from friends and more expected bold-face names.
Like nylon stockings and early computers, Julia Child is a product of World War II. It’s not hard to imagine her living a different life, perhaps the president of Smith College, her alma mater, or a beloved high school history teacher. She very nearly had a life as an upper-class suburban matron in southern California. But the Julia Child that the world came to know left the rut of her traditional life to help the war effort. She went to work for the the Office of Strategic Services, met Paul Child and moved to France, and the rest is gastronomic history.
Child's evolution from a household where food was never discussed to the American doyenne of French food is a singular one. It’s notable that she was 50 years old when she first appeared on television. It took 12 years for Mastering the Art of French Cooking to make it to print, and that brought her to a Boston TV station, where she did a cooking demonstration. Interviews with people from that appearance and how it evolved into The French Chef are among the most interesting finds in the documentary, which includes hidden-behind-the-kitchen-counter film clips. There are the expected faces, such as Jacques Pépin and Ruth Reichl, but thoughtful remarks from José Andrés are a fine addition. Charles Gibson, who met her late in life, while helming Good Morning, America, makes an appearance. There's not enough material about Child's time in the south of France, alas, though there is some discussion about her rapport over time with Mastering the Art of French Cooking co-author Simone "Simca" Beck.
The documentary doesn't just focus on food, though. It also recounts how Julia and Paul had run-ins with McCarthyism. Former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards discusses Child's work to support the organization. Child's views of the LGBTQIA+ community changed remarkably in the mid-'80s, during the AIDS crisis, and she hosted numerous benefits for the cause.
On a lighter note, the film also includes some eye-catching food photography, of course, as well as a charming score from Rachel Portman.
As the film comes to St. Louis, perhaps it will whet appetites to learn more, taste more, and cook more.
