Paris Insiders Guide to Classic Movies – Julie and Julia

Both Julie and Julia captured our culinary imaginations in this classic 2009 movie. If you love French food and Paris you've gotta love this film. Julie and Julia weaves a narrative about Julia Child drawn from two books — Julia Child's autobiography about her time in Paris, My Life in France and Julie Powell's book, Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously about cooking her way through Julia Child's classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

One of the biggest Paris scenes in the movie took days to plan and shoot on the narrow, winding market street of Rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter. For centuries there has been an outdoor market here, one of the oldest streets in Paris. And remember the scene where Julia takes her cooking students shopping? That was shot on the Paris islands, Île St-Louis and Île de la Cité.

Putting Together a Film

It was director Nora Ephron who had the brilliant idea to combine the two stories — Julia Child and her life in France, and Julie Powell cooking her recipes — casting Amy Adams as Julie Powell and Meryl Streep as Julia Child. The other perfect casting is Stanley Tucci, who gives a razor-sharp portrayal of Julia's husband Paul Child. The movie really comes alive whenever Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are on the screen.

Meryl Streep won best actress at the Golden Globes, She was nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards, but was beat out by (can you believe this?) Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side. And we still cannot understand how The Hurt Locker won Best Picture over a movie as good as Julie and Julia! (Have you watched Hurt Locker a second time? Neither have we.) Anyway, let's retrace Julia's footsteps in Paris —

Julie and Julia – The Paris Locations

• Rue Mouffetard, 5th Arrondissement
• Île St-Louis, 4th Arrondissement
• Île de la Cité, 4th Arrondissement
• Restaurant Deux Magots, 6 Place St-Germain des Prés, 75006
• Restaurant Le Grand Vefour, 17 Rue de Beaujolais, 75001
• Shakespeare & Company Bookstore, 37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005
• Restaurant Au Pied de Cochon, 6 Rue Coquillière, 75001
• E. Dehillerin Kitchen Supplies, 18 Rue Coquillière, 75001

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