'Save the Liver!' Meryl Streep Channels Mrs. Child for 'Julie & Julia'

by Bruce Watson, Posted Apr 21st 2009 @ 5:00PM

Although the film adaption of "Julie & Julia" isn't coming out until August, Julia Child fans are already excited at the prospect of seeing America's most iconic cooking superstar served up onscreen. Following last weekend's sale of the film's props, your devoted Slashfood staff has been searching for images of the upcoming film.

Everything about Julia Child was outsized, from her flamboyant cooking style to her rich, fluttering falsetto, to her famously dry humor. This, after all, was the great chef who started her professional life as a purported spy in the OSS during World War II, became one of the few women to attend Paris' Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, and ended up spearheading a home-cooking movement that transformed American cuisine with her TV show "The French Chef."

Given Child's impressive height (she was 6-foot-2), it's perhaps unsurprising that the majority of her imitators have been men. The most famous was probably Dan Aykroyd on "Saturday Night Live." His repeated exhortation to "Save the liver!" captured Child's forceful personality and occasional tendency toward self-parody. An even better tribute was offered by John Candy, with a spot-on impression of Child boxing with Fred Rogers in "Battle of the PBS Stars" on "SCTV."

Click for more Julia after the jump.

This time around, however, the plum role is going to Meryl Streep, who (according to Entertainment Weekly) wowed director Nora Ephron with her ability to instantly channel Child's dulcet tones. Unfortunately, transforming the 5-foot-6 actress into the towering Child was a little more difficult, and led to an impressive pair of lifts, specially scaled sets and the casting of shorter actors to emphasize Streep's height. Still, between the impressive costumes, exuberant attitude and simmering intensity, these photos reveal Meryl seemingly making the role her own.

Then again, if you can't wait until August, it never hurts to take a peek at the real thing. Here's the actual Julia Child talking about cookbooks in the Library of Congress. Bon Appetit!

Filed Under: Business, Television/Film, On the Blogs, Foodie Flicks, Celebrities
Tags: dan aykroyd, DanAykroyd, foodie-flicks, john candy, JohnCandy, Julia Child, JuliaChild, Julie and Julia, Julie Julia, JulieAndJulia, JulieJulia, Meryl Streep, MerylStreep, summer

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-22-2009 @12:36AM rainey Smith said... I am really conflicted about his movie. OTOH, Meryl Streep and Nora Ephron rarely disappoint and the more I learn about Julia Child the more nutz I am about her (and I remember all her original WGBH programs 'cause I don't think I missed one from the time I first saw her). OTO, who the *h3ll* did they find a story in that book that was boring and self-indulgent?

I didn't read the book. I listened to Julie What's-Her-Face read it in her own voice on the audiobook and I found her as unlikeable and whiny as Julia is charming and inspired. When she got to the part where Julia refused to meet with her I understood exactly why!

I'll see the movie when it appears on cable and hope Streep and Ephron make it worth the effort but I wouldn't spend money to see it even with them.
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