Okay, if I wasn’t married I wouldn’t even have gone to see the movie, but I am, and I did, and after reading Roger Ebert’s review (see Tiny URL below), I have to speak up.
Now, everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but that said--I was extremely disappointed in Mr. Ebert’s review and felt he gave the movie short-shrift. I’m not saying it was, but his review almost appears...well, I won’t say what it APPEARS TO BE to me...but it definitely smacks of it. Heavily.
And let me emphasize: this is all my OPINION. Nothing more.
In his review Mr. Ebert jumps on Julia Child and Julie Powell for being too focused and driven in both their endeavors.
You’re kidding me, right?
That was his biggest complaint? Really?
Look at all these action movies out...with GUYS being driven and focused and obsessed. And, really, let’s throw in whoring while we’re at it! What’s wrong with two women having the same drive and determination and ambition to do something equally as well?
And the two husbands being...saints?
PATIENT men? DEVOTED men?
That’s their downfall?
What’s wrong with a husband supporting his wife’s endeavors? Adoring their wives? The movie wasn’t about the men--it was about the women. Maybe these two guys weren’t portrayed as most men are in movies, or as they are in real life, I don’t know about Nora Ephron’s Whys and Wherefores, but Mr. Ebert’s take on them did not do them nor the movie justice.
And Mr. Ebert’s discussion about Mrs. Child’s height difference with her husband?
Good lord! I’m sorry, Mr. Ebert, but if you weren’t TRYING to be You-Know-What, it certainly didn’t come across that way to me. The whole review smacks of a massive role reversal you apparently found extremely distasteful--and if that’s your opinion, fine--but why not just come out and say it? I really liked the movie; yes, I had issues with things, like not portraying the weight gain they HAD to have gained through all their eating--they never exercised, but sat around all day (okay, one person having a fast metabolism fine, but not all four of them! I have a fast metabolism, so I know where I speak)--the fact that Mr. Powell’s main role did appear to be one of a ravenous, consummate, bottomless pit (probably because they ate so late in the day, as portrayed in the movie and as Mr. Ebert pointed out, but to which, again, I WAS [a “bottomless pit”] up through my early forties, so I CAN empathize...)--who’s employment was an absolute mystery to me until near the end (unless I missed something early on), and the non-resolution of the Julia Childs’ negative comment toward Julie Powell. But to take issue with focused, determined women, with saint-like husbands who support and love their wives...I just don’t get it.
Two things I really LIKED about the movie was the juxtaposed parallel time scenes between past and future Julia and Julie. Cool. Really liked that. Then the Dan Akroyd Saturday Night Live skit spoofing Julia Child’s performances--I’m glad they put that in there! THAT’S a piece of comic history (“SAVE the liver!”)!
I’m not saying Mr. Ebert IS You-Know-What, maybe he didn’t even realize what he’d done (if this is indeed what he’d done and not just my interpretation of his actions), but it just appeared to me to be so...but whatever his intent, he apparently did not like it, and this IS his right.
I’m just extremely disappointed in you, Mr. Ebert.
