Friday, January 30, 2009

Breakfast With... Julia and Meryl

How about a nice omelette?

True story: Julia Child taught me to make them.

Julia Child in "The Omelette Show" and
Meryl Streep as that great lady in Julie & Julia

They're the only thing I know how to cook but I am a wiz with the eggs. I can make them all sorts of ways and with all sorts of ingredients. I even make new kinds up on the spot with whatever I find in the fridge. Beyond omelettes I leave all kitchen duties to others. It's safer that way.

How this happened is a long story that I won't bore you with but it traces back to Julie & Julia which was a blogging experiment which became a book which is now a movie which will debut in theaters this August. Amy Adams plays "Julie Powell", a blogger who decided to cook her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Meryl Streep plays the famous cook who inspired her. From nuns to cooks. And, yes, Meryl Streep now has an annual summer box office slot. Who does she think she is, Will Smith?

If La Streep doesn't win her third Oscar this year for Doubt, maybe she'll win it in February 2010 for this? We all know that Oscar loves a good mimic and Streep has always had a gift with both physical and vocal shape-shifting. They'll be essential skills if she hopes to capture this very familiar distinctive American icon for the screen.

31 comments:

Hayden said...

I am so unthrilled by this role for Streep. This has "Mannered Meryl" written all over it.

Anonymous said...

sorry....2010 - hillary's back as amelia.

Anonymous said...

I just only hope that Hilary not is going to win again.

NATHANIEL R said...

well it is a biopic ;)

and to think that they tried to get an Amelia picture off the ground forever and at one point it was even Julianne Moore in the role

(sigh)

Anonymous said...

Hayden, me too! I am soo afraid it will the bore the shit out of me! I will watch it ofcourse but my expectations are low. But not because of Meryl's acting choices. It's the story. We'll see.

I don't know why but I don't really want to see my favorute actors doing real people. That is the reason I was glad Winslet is not doing Westwood. I prefer watching them making a book character real. I find it much more interesting. Although Penn's Milk was my favorite performane by him.

Anonymous said...

I would love another Swan win if she's deserving lol. Hopefully Meryl's time will come with a performance of unbelievable greatness.

Also after seeing Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road tonight I actually wouldn't mind her winning an oscar this year, even if it for The Reader (which isn't quite released here yet). Sure some scenes lingers, some dialogue was slightly hokey and a couple of moments of over the top acting, but the majority of the performance was brilliant. From the whole cast actually.

P.S NEVER going to happen but I would laugh if the winners all had 'M' first names.

ACTOR: Mickey Rourke
ACTRESS: Mellisa Leo (or Meryl)
SUPP ACTOR: Michael Shannon
Supp ACTRESS: Marisa Tomei

I think we can agree that would be mostly acceptable (except for heath not winning, and possibly Cruz)

Rich Aunt Pennybags said...

I just only hope that Hilary not is going to win again.

Well, I don't think she'll actually win, but I don't want to say that she 100% won't win. I would say that chances are pretty good that she won't though like 99.9%. I think her second win is now seen as one of those questionable wins, so I don't know if she'll even be nominated that soon after winning. Although I guess she could if they want to do one of those the two times you won just weren't fluke things.

I think they've had their fill of her for awhile though especially as soon as she won her second one she went back to making the schlock that she did after winning her first one. Okay, PS, I Love You may have not have been as bad as The Core, and the teacher movie and the horror movie may have looked good on paper, but it seems like she's at the same place that she was before after her first win vaulted her to the top. She has a very narrow niche, and all the things that she did to expand beyond that niche did not work for her at all either because the movies were bad and/or she was totally miscast.

Of course, Amelia Earhart would seem to fall into that niche, and when she's in that niche she should be one to watch out for awards wise, but I think that they're burnt out on she who must not be named.

Anonymous said...

Swank will not win unless there is an Annette Bening performance to beat. Annette is her boost. :p

But seriously, I think it will be Pfeiffer's time. Somehow, I cannot imagine her get thrilled for winning. She'll only say, "Meow".

Michael Parsons said...

Wow 2010 is looking good already:

Saoirse Ronan
Abigail Breslin
Meryl Streep
Gabourey Sibide
Penelope Cruz
Anna Paquin (almost given up on Margaret)

Plus many other I have yet to research! Bring on the actresses!

Anonymous said...

The thing with Swank is that if Amelia fails i.e. she does n't get a nom or does n't win she's got a couple of other oscar 'bait' roles coming up, chances are she might strike lucky for a third time in the next few years...that really would be a joke.

Jorge Rodrigues said...

Every 5 years the cinephile world gets scared because the Beelzebub (as Nat likes to call her) comes up with another Oscar baity performance...

1999, 2004, 2009... But I really don't think this third one will appeal to the Academy as much as the other two...

She can only do two things: cry and be painful... And since I'm not picturing Amelia in any of these two descriptions... Better luck next time, Hilary :D


Hoping to see Oscar coming Meryl's way very soon... I believe it's Winslet's time this year... but I really hope Meryl can win her third soon... :) And I really hope that she crashes Hepburn's record of 4 awards... Meryl has such a wide range that she can't be compared to no one right now... She's #1... And even in her 60s she continues to surprise us with her performances and the variety of her choices for roles...

Anonymous said...

This, and Meryl's performance, already seem too frightening for words. Probably not in a good way, either.

Streep's third Oscar should've been for Adaptation, which is going down as one of her most natural and wonderful creations. Now she's bound to win for something less than pretty, unless she finds her Lion in Winter or something.

Marissa Skudlarek said...

This post made me think of that great scene in "The Hours" where Meryl Streep has an anxiety attack while separating eggs in her kitchen. When I first saw that scene I thought "My gosh, is there anything this woman can't do? She acts, she sings, she does accents--AND she can separate eggs using only her fingers!"

Anonymous said...

This sounds too lightweight for Oscar, but it's Meryl, so this could be #16 as much as anything at this point.

Anonymous said...

Trivia: The common argument is that Kate Winslet is going to win cause she's due. But between Kate's first nomination in 96 and now, she and Meryl have amassed the same number of nominations without a win: Six

I'm saying Meryl takes it this year. She has the better part, and I think that trumps Kate's momentum.

Anonymous said...

Trivia: The common argument is that Kate Winslet is going to win cause she's due. But between Kate's first nomination in 96 and now, she and Meryl have amassed the same number of nominations without a win: Six

I'm saying Meryl takes it this year. She has the better part, and I think that trumps Kate's momentum.

Cinesnatch said...

1) Or will Nancy Meyers get her to the podium?

2) I SO do not want Swank as one of my nominees in the Actress contest. Nor do I want to regret not picking her if I don't.

3) And, along Jim T's thoughts, I would love if Pfeiffer did part of her acceptance speech as Catwoman. "Oscar's a bitch, now so am I."

Antonio Cuesta said...

I think Streep will win for 'Doubt', no matter what Winslet has won in supporting. It's just a feeling, not my wish (though Streep winning or Winslet winning would make my day).

2009 will be the year of MICHELLE PFEIFFER. And Nat agrees with me.

Anonymous said...

i can see streep losing this year and winning next year either for the julia film of for nancy myers who did wonders for diane keaton.

wouldn't it be good for meryl to win for being funny too.

Anonymous said...

Two words: Nora Ephron!

'nuf said

Cluster Funk said...

It's sad that 'I Was Amelia Earhart' with Julianne Moore never got made. Such a terrific read, and much more interesting than the standard, boring biopic I expect Amelia to be.

P.S. Beelzebub is what he calls HS. She-who-must-not-be-named is reserved for RZ.

Anonymous said...

i believe i saw a tv movie w daine keaton about 10 years ago in which she played amelia earheart.....actually she was pretty good. sometimes she drops all the silly shit - yeah's, la-di-dahs, etc....and she can really be good.

did you know hillary swank grew up in a trailor park? she & her mom lived in a car when they first got to L.A.

Anonymous said...

I don't think Julia Child will be an Oscar role for Meryl but I could be wrong.

But, truth be told, and this will shock anyone who has read any of my long e-mails about Meryl - but if it came down to Meryl or Michelle Pfeiffer next year - by God, I just might pray for Michelle to get it! Horrors!

I miss Michelle so much and I think she's wonderful!

NATHANIEL R said...

y el goya I do not agree with you! ;)

If i hope for such a thing I will be doomed. Or I'll doom La Pfeiffer herself so I'm just assuming she doesn't even get nominated. That's what I'm sticking to. I can't wish for that.

it's too much. I would probably literally die if I had to live through 1989 again when she won everything leading up to but lost the Oscar. My heart wouldn't be able to take it.

Anonymous said...

It occured to me that we take it as very natural that Meryl gets nominated for Julie and Julia. It really is incredible! She has been nominated 15 times, 3 more than the no2s (Jack and Katharine) and the last time was this year. But the circumstances have made us believe that a 16nth nod and right after the 15nth is as natural as a bee flying. Is it exciting (she really is something else) or boring (nominated again? My dog could have guessed that)? I think both!

Anonymous said...

It kind of seemed like I take a 16nth nod for granted. I meant the strong possibility of a 16nth nod.

Marshall said...

I think next year best actress goes to Penelope Cruz for BROKEN EMBRACES or Carey Mulligan for AN EDUCATION. For some reason I think Streep is going to have to wait until her 70s.

Glenn Dunks said...

I'm thinking Streep will miss out next year for a nomination. Although I think the film could be good. I love me some Nora Ephron (let's forget Bewitched, okay).

Everyone should check out Ephron's speech at the AFI tribute to Meryl Streep. it's one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Shepak!

You-G said...

What do you all think of Nicole Kidman's chances in The Danish Girl with Charlize Theron?

Kidman is playing a transsexual so it could be really Swank-ish.

NATHANIEL R said...

You-G

i think this might be the first time anyone's compared La Kidman to Swank !!!

i don't even know what to say.

(i think this movie could potentially be very interesting but I'm always nervous about expecting anything from Kidman since stars of her fame level tend to get attached to many movies all at once and only some of them ever happen. So i'm waiting patiently for more concrete "they're filming" news)

Anonymous said...

I bet she'll be brilliant in that film as always.