Daily Archives: April 14, 2012

Saturday Matinee – Julie And Julia

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Julie and Julia starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, and Chris Messina

Have you seen this movie, if so did you like it?

I watched this movie on DVD with my husband last Saturday. The movie moved a little slow for me. It got kind of interesting around the middle, but, I just had a hard time really feeling anything about the story. This is surprising because the subject matters of the movie are things that I sometimes enjoy: blogging, cooking, eating, etc.

Julie has just moved to the city with her husband. She feels there’s something missing in her life and she needs a goal. She finally decides to take a cookbook by Julia Childs and try every single recipe within the span of a year. She’s also decided that she’s going to blog about it. At first, it’s slow going on her blog and she doesn’t get many comments. But, then things start taking off and she’s interviewed for the newspaper and getting gifts from blog readers. Julie is a writer, and it’s wonderful to be admired by readers. However, the blogging and cooking take a toll on her life and her marriage.

This movie focuses on Julie’s life as well as Julia Child’s life. In between Julie’s scenes are backstory scenes about Julia Childs and how she started cooking. Julia’s height was usually the first thing people noticed about her. Julia seemed to have extra time on her hands, so she ended up taking cooking lessons and she collaborated on a cookbook with two of her friends.

If you want to see a simple movie, without a really great moving plot, then you should try this movie. It was a little bit interesting learning about Julia Child’s life, especially since she’s such an icon in the world of cooking.

So, have you seen this movie, if so did you like it?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Do You Remember The First Book You Ever Wrote?

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Photo courtesy of Suat Eman

Do you remember the first book you ever WROTE?

I recall back when I was still in my twenties and I discovered I wanted to be a writer. So, I began penning a romance novel entitled Cavanaugh. Don’t laugh – I named my heroine Cavanaugh. I saw it in a name book at the library. Cavanaugh was a pampered college student. Her mother died when she was a child and she was raised by her father – a wealthy man who owned a successful travel agency (I got this idea since I was working at a travel agency as an accountant at the time). Cavanaugh wanted to be independent and make a name for herself. Her father offered to hire her to work in his travel agency during her summer off from college.

Coincidentally, her father has also hired Evan Sanders to work as an accountant in his travel agency. Evan is a sad, hardened young man because his girlfriend (I think it was his girlfriend, it may have been his wife – I wrote this thing several years ago and it’s kinda hard for me to recall) had died and he was grieving.

As you can guess, Evan and Cavanaugh were attracted to one another.

Meanwhile, Cavanaugh’s father was dating a beautiful woman, Nia, a former model. She was jealous about the attention that Cavanaugh’s father lavished on his daughter. She hated seeing Cavanugh with Evan. Also, Evan had a provocative, shapely, ex-girlfriend (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH HIS DECEASED WIFE/GIRLFRIEND) who was trying to win him back. Her actions wreaked havoc on Evan’s and Cavanaugh’s relationship.

Cavanugh went on a cruise by herself to decide if her and Evan were meant to be together. When she returned, they kissed, and decided that they could work out their differences…

BLAH!

When I think about this manuscript, I shudder. It’s currently sitting under the stairs, in my basement, gathering piles and piles of dust. I cringe when I read those words. At the time, I even had the audacity to hand the manuscript over to friends and family who kindly gave me lofty reviews….

So, tell me about the first manuscript you ever wrote. What was it about? How long ago did you write it?

I wrote Cavanaugh about seventeen years ago. I feel that writing is a craft that can always be improved. Cavanaugh certainly needed LOTS OF IMPROVEMENT.

~Cecelia Dowdy~