---
title: "Julie & Julia"
year: 2009
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/julie-and-julia"
fi1m_id: "julie-and-julia"
imdb_id: "tt1135503"
tmdb_id: 24803
wikidata_id: "Q380848"
fi1m_score: 72
critics_score: 66
critics_reviews: 15
published: "2026-10-01T20:51:23.352878+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-01T20:51:23.924926+00:00"
region: "AE"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Julie & Julia (2009)

Directed by Nora Ephron · 2h 03m · Romance, Drama

## Identity

Julie & Julia

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/julie-and-julia
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** julie-and-julia
- **IMDb ID:** tt1135503
- **TMDB ID:** 24803
- **Wikidata ID:** Q380848
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135503/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/24803, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380848

**Fi1m score: 72** · Critics 66 from 15 reviews

*In a sentence:* Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are such good company that the other half starts to feel like an interruption

> Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci give *Julie & Julia* a funny, affectionate marriage worth spending an evening with. Nora Ephron’s parallel stories are less evenly matched, leaving Amy Adams with the harder job and the film a little overlong.

## Synopsis

Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and Julie Powell (Amy Adams) are two women whose lives become the subject of parallel stories about food. Julia’s husband, Paul Child (Stanley Tucci), shares her part of the film, which draws on the women’s memoirs. Cooking provides the connection between them, while their personal relationships bring other concerns into the kitchen. The film moves between Julia’s experiences and Julie’s account of her own life, following two women for whom making something to eat becomes a subject worth writing about.

## Review

Nora Ephron’s *Julie & Julia* is a warm, uneven film about cooking that is most persuasive when it watches a marriage. Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci give Julia Child and Paul Child an affection that feels established, comfortable and still capable of delight. We recommend it for that company, with the caveat that the two stories do not hold our attention equally. The trouble is built into the pairing of Julia Child’s life with Julie Powell’s account of her own.

Nora Ephron, who also writes the screenplay, wants to give both women their due. That is a reasonable ambition, and there is something appealing about treating cooking as work worthy of a person’s time and a film’s sustained attention. The kitchen is allowed to matter without much apology or explanation. But the parallel construction repeatedly asks us to feel a connection that the individual stories do not always earn.

Meryl Streep makes Julia’s enthusiasm funny without treating her as a fool. The performance is large, but Julia’s humour never cancels out her intelligence, and the warmth lasts after we have stopped smiling. Stanley Tucci helps by giving Paul an affection that does not need to compete with hers. We were moved by their ease together: the pleasure they take in one another makes the marriage feel worth spending time with.

Amy Adams has the less rewarding half, and blaming her for the imbalance would be unfair. Julie’s story has a narrower emotional range, and it relies too heavily on Julia to keep us interested. Nora Ephron’s screenplay needs to make Julie’s experiences compelling in their own right before asking us to spend quite so much time with them. Richard Marks’s editing keeps the two accounts in circulation, but the regular returns to Julie begin to feel dutiful.

Stephen Goldblatt’s cinematography and Mark Ricker’s production design make this an inviting film to look at, though we wanted the food to command more attention. The images encourage us to settle in, and the cooking sometimes feels secondary to the generally agreeable surroundings. Alexandre Desplat’s music adds warmth, occasionally more than a scene needs when the actors have already supplied it. These choices are pleasant in themselves, but together they can make the film reluctant to let anything feel awkward for long.

At 123 minutes, it also stays a little too long. There are stretches when the repeated movement between stories becomes tiring, and cutting back Julie’s share might have helped. Still, the attention given to companionship, appetite and women’s work is welcome, even when the film makes too much fuss about joining them together. Romantic drama often depends on keeping people apart; Julia and Paul’s enjoyment of being together supplies enough interest here.

Anyone coming for a concentrated portrait of Julia Child should expect frustration, since the film insists on keeping Julie beside her. Those willing to accept the imbalance will find humour and tenderness, particularly whenever Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci share the screen. We would happily spend an evening with them, even when the film makes us wait our turn. Allow a little patience for the other half.

*Fi1m score 72, published 1 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean favourable, though enthusiasm for Julie & Julia is less consistent than the praise for Meryl Streep. Her portrayal of Julia Child draws approval across the critical divide for its warmth, humour and conviction. Stanley Tucci also earns praise, particularly for the believable, affectionate marriage he creates with Streep. Supportive critics find the film funny and comforting, with enough feeling in its domestic scenes to give the sweetness substance.

Reservations centre on the pairing of Child’s life with Julie Powell’s story, which several critics find shallow or less engaging by comparison. The spread is broad: some welcome the romance and lightness, while others find the film slow, overlong or too sentimental. Variety offers the sharpest dissent, arguing that the tidy parallel stories trivialise Child’s legacy and leave opportunities for vivid food imagery unexplored. Even the negative reviews, however, make room for Streep’s performance.

## Straight answers

**Is Julie & Julia worth watching?**

*Julie & Julia* is worth watching for Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci’s funny, affectionate portrayal of marriage, and we score it 72 out of 100. We recommend it to those who enjoy warm relationship dramas, with patience required for the less compelling Julie Powell story and a slightly overlong running time.

**How long is Julie & Julia, and what is it rated?**

*Julie & Julia* runs 2h 03m. It is a romance and drama film.

**Where can I watch Julie & Julia in the UAE?**

*Julie & Julia* is available to rent from Apple TV from AED 14.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Julie & Julia, and is it suitable for children?**

*Julie & Julia* has a UK 12A certificate, meaning children under 12 need an accompanying adult at the cinema. The certificate alone does not establish how violent or frightening it is; our review centres on cooking and adult relationships rather than content concerns. We recommend it for its performances and companionship, not specifically as children’s entertainment.

**How does Julie & Julia compare to Babette's Feast?**

*Julie & Julia* offers warm, talkative companionship, but we favour *Babette’s Feast* for the deeper feeling it finds in cooking and eating. The latter rewards patience and leaves room for silence, despite an opening stretch that leans on narration. Choose *Julie & Julia* for Streep and Tucci’s affectionate marriage, accepting that its parallel stories are uneven.

**Is Julie & Julia based on a true story or a book?**

*Julie & Julia* draws on Julia Child’s and Julie Powell’s memoirs, using their accounts of their lives for parallel stories connected by cooking. We find the pairing uneven, but no familiarity with the books is needed to follow it. Our assessment concerns how the two stories work together, rather than how faithfully the film reproduces its sources.

**What should I watch after Julie & Julia?**

After *Julie & Julia*, try [*Babette's Feast*](https://film.one/film/babettes-feast) (1987, Fi1m 86): Cooking carries deeper feeling here, with patience and room for silence. Then [*The Lunchbox*](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox) (2013, Fi1m 75): Food connects lonely lives in a romance that knows when to hold back; and [*Big Night*](https://film.one/film/big-night) (1996, Fi1m 84): Try this for cooking, difficult partnerships and the pleasure of Stanley Tucci.

### Reviews we read (15)

- **Empire**, Angie Errigo (85/100, inferred): Errigo finds the film deliciously funny and warming, with a winning love story. She especially praises Meryl Streep’s performance as Julia Child, calling it brilliant and deeply touching. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/julie-julia-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Russ Parsons (85/100, inferred): Parsons recommends the film and finds it superb on several levels. He especially praises Meryl Streep’s deeply convincing portrayal of Julia Child. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-calcook12-2009aug12-story.html)
- **The Guardian**, Philip French (85/100, inferred): Philip French finds the film delightful, civilised and engaging, with Meryl Streep’s affectionate, humorous portrayal of Julia Child a highlight. He faults the film for omitting British cook Elizabeth David’s contribution to popularising French and Mediterranean cooking. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/sep/13/julie-julia-review)
- **Radio Times**, Stella Papamichael (4/5): The review is positive about the film. It especially praises Meryl Streep’s lively, humorous portrayal of Julia Child. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-5rklgi/julie-julia/)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page was inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint could be verified from the available text. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/julie-and-julia-2009)
- **Screen Daily**, Fionnuala Halligan (64/100, inferred): The available page identifies this as a review, but its critical verdict is not visible. No specific praise or complaint can be established from the accessible text. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/julie-and-julia/5003918.article)
- **Slant Magazine**, Dan Callahan (2.5/4): Callahan finds the film charming but ultimately overlong and too lovey-dovey. He praises Meryl Streep’s lively portrayal of Julia Child and the believable marriage she creates with Stanley Tucci. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/julie-and-julia/)
- **Time Out**, Nina Caplan (3/5): Caplan gives the film three out of five, indicating a qualified verdict. The available excerpt introduces Ephron’s adaptation of two foodie memoirs but does not reveal what Caplan singles out for praise or criticism. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/julie-julia)
- **The AV Club**, Keith Phipps (C): Phipps finds the film uneven, with Julia Child’s story charming and Julie Powell’s side shallow by comparison. He praises Meryl Streep’s thoughtful portrayal of Child and the domestic rapport she shares with Stanley Tucci. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/julie-julia-1798206711)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the film enjoyable but ultimately a mixed blessing, wishing it offered a more nuanced portrait of its women. He praises Meryl Streep’s uncanny performance and the inviting cinematography and score, while faulting the parallel story for diminishing Julia Child’s experiences. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/julie-julia-film-review-93379/)
- **Total Film**, Jane Crowther (2/5): Crowther finds the film slow and unengaging, with Julie’s story lacking a compelling reason to care. She praises Meryl Streep’s spirited, funny performance as Julia Child, supported by Stanley Tucci. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/julie-julia-review/)
- **Variety**, Justin Chang (30/100, inferred): Chang finds the film overstuffed and overly neat in its pairing of Julia Child’s biography with Julie Powell’s story. He praises Meryl Streep’s warm, funny performance but faults the film for trivializing Child’s legacy and missing opportunities for vivid food imagery. [Read](https://variety.com/2009/film/reviews/julie-julia-2-1200475740/)
- **Digital Spy**, Stella Papamichael (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film delightful, clever and substantial, despite its occasionally overly light approach. They single out the fizzing chemistry between Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci as especially warming and fun. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a175706/julie-julia/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Emily Breen (78/100, inferred): The critic finds the film entertaining, amusing, and beautifully told, despite some reservations about its caricatured moments. She especially praises Stanley Tucci’s grounded, tender performance as Julia Child’s husband. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/review-julie-julia/)
- **Paste**, Alissa Wilkinson (75/100, inferred): Wilkinson finds the film a satisfying, warm-hearted meal, though Julie’s story pales beside Julia’s. She especially praises Meryl Streep’s complete inhabitation of Julia Child. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/meryl-streep/julie-julia)

## Details

- **Director:** Nora Ephron
- **Director:** Nora Ephron
- **Screenplay:** Nora Ephron
- **Novel:** Julia Child, Julie Powell, Alex Prud'homme
- **Cinematography:** Stephen Goldblatt
- **Editor:** Richard Marks
- **Music:** Alexandre Desplat
- **Production design:** Mark Ricker
- **Costume design:** Ann Roth
- **Producer:** Nora Ephron, Laurence Mark, Amy Robinson
- **Cast:** Meryl Streep as Julia Child; Amy Adams as Julie Powell; Stanley Tucci as Paul Child; Chris Messina as Eric Powell; Linda Emond as Simone Beck; Helen Carey as Louisette Bertholle; Mary Lynn Rajskub as Sarah; Jane Lynch as Dorothy McWilliams
- **Runtime:** 2h 03m
- **First release (Canada):** 6 August 2009
- **Genres:** Romance, Drama
- **Also in:** [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Nominee, 2009)
- **Budget:** $40 million
- **Box office:** $130 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozRK7VXQl-k

## Where to watch in the UAE

- Apple TV: rent AED 14.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy AED 24.99, sd

*Checked 2026-10-01.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2010: Best Actress (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Babette's Feast* (1987), Fi1m 86: Cooking carries deeper feeling here, with patience and room for silence. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/babettes-feast.md)
- *The Lunchbox* (2013), Fi1m 75: Food connects lonely lives in a romance that knows when to hold back. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox.md)
- *Eat Drink Man Woman* (1994): Family dinners give affection, resentment and appetite equal space at the table.
- *Big Night* (1996), Fi1m 84: Try this for cooking, difficult partnerships and the pleasure of Stanley Tucci. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/big-night.md)
- *Paterson* (2016), Fi1m 84: Another gentle account of making things while getting on with daily life. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/paterson.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/julie-and-julia