Sick Day: Live-Blogging “Julie & Julia”

I’ve had this cold for almost two weeks. I’m pretty sure bronchitis is in the mix. Should I go to Urgent Care? Maybe. Instead, I took a sick day and slept for four hours.

My usual sick day movie is “When Harry Met Sally,” and I was thisclose to watching it. But for some reason I have a DVD of “Julie & Julia,” so I’ve decided to watch that. And because I’ve read Cleaving and don’t like Julie, I’ve decided to live-blog it as well. Because I am nothing if not timely.

I have read Julie Powell’s book about her blog, and I have read Julia Child’s My Life in France, so here we are.

DVD cover of Julie & Julia

We open the movie on a woman who is delighted to be just where she is (Julia Child) and then move to a woman who is miserable where she is. This is kind of the whole point.

Julie’s friends are awful. Why are they friends? Did they go to college together? I don’t care. I never want to see them again.

Oh, wow. She got “Single and Fabulous?“ed. By one of her alleged friends. Urgh.

I like Julie more than I expected to, based on other reviews. And on Cleaving.

How did they make Meryl Streep look so tall? I’m sure there’s an article that explains the technique.

Oh, god. That was the best “I love my life, but oh, I so wish we could have a baby” moment. This is why Meryl Streep is Meryl Streep.

Mary Lynne Rajskub needs bigger roles. She’s great.

Well, who DOESN’T want Julia Child’s life at this point? I mean, it sounded incredible in her book, and seeing it recreated? Magical.

Julie got 12 comments, and none of the readers were people she knows. I know just how that feels! It’s a good feeling.

This lobster sequence is everything.

Full disclosure: I have never killed . . . err . . . cooked a lobster, either.

“I think you should do the PayPal thing. That way we can have more lobster.” I’m with Mary Lynne Rajskub. Says the woman who has intentionally not monetized her blog. I know.

“Like if I didn’t write, they would really be upset.” Is this where you started to go wrong, Julie Powell?

Aspics sound awful. My mother, who was a good cook, took to one aspic recipe for a while. It was underwhelming.

Is there anything more delightfully happy than Julia Child and her sister Dorothy reuniting? I can’t imagine.

Dorothy is pregnant. Oh, Julia. I know.

I have never wanted to make beef bourguignon so much, and the one time I had it, I didn’t care for it. Possibly because I don’t like wine.

Surprise: I don’t like Eric.

After Julie’s New York Times article, there are 65 messages on her answering machine. It’s 2018, and my answering machine won’t hold 65 messages. Yes, it’s 2018 and I have an answering machine. I know.

I think Julie got some new friends. Good. Only Mary Lynne Rajskub was worth keeping around.

She made it! And so did she!

I liked this movie more than I expected to. It’s a good sick day movie. But I’ll probably watch “When Harry Met Sally” next time.