Written by Sevyn Michaela-Rose, Photo courtesy of CNN Films
No longer is food purely sustenance, but rather, pure joy. Julia Child introduced this concept to America in the ‘60s. For most, Child’s name evokes visions of the quirky chef as seen on television. A dynamic, unpretentious woman with a cooing chortle that made cooking sound fun. They recall the silly ways she’d slap a raw chicken around on the cutting board or picture Dan Akyroyd’s comical impression of Child slicing off her finger.
Child is an icon. She helped popularize French cuisine in America through her cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” and families all across the country cooked from their homes alongside Child whose show aired for over 60 years on television. She replaced Spam with dishes such as Boeuf Bourguignon and Coq au Vin. She prepared Chicken Waterzooi instead of microwaving a frozen dinner tray. In short, her impact on the American kitchen was a revelation.
Presented at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, “Julia” expertly moved beyond the persona of Julia Child and explored the many stories that made up this endearing woman. Not only was Child a chef, author and television personality, but also a wife, an intelligence officer and constant student seeking to learn. This documentary served as a vessel for Child’s humanity and greatness to shine.
As I watched “Julia,” I couldn’t help but feel moved by Child’s courage. At one point in the film, she said, “Cooking is one failure after another, and that is how you finally learn.” It’s a simple statement that can easily be overlooked; however, I find it to be an integral part of Julia Child’s character. She welcomed failure like it was the best teacher of all. She was resilient in the face of opposition. When she realized her conservative society would never allow her to be more than a housewife, she enlisted into the army. When she discovered she had breast cancer, she immediately ordered the doctors to perform a mastectomy. When she had her first taste of French food, she enrolled into the male-dominated cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu, and never looked back.
I want to imagine what the world might look like if we all shared this kind of courage. The courage to choose joy. The audacity to say yes to our dreams. The nerve to embrace failure. Child said, “This is my invariable advice to people: learn how to cook. Try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun.” Child fearlessly followed the convictions of her heart and even more than that, she shared them with the world. This is the legacy Julia Child left behind.
