How to Pick a Summer Blockbuster

I truly adore the cinema. I admit it. I love everything about the experience (except the popcorn, too expensive. I smuggle in peanut M&Ms, only the peanut ones). Now at my uni, we have a weekly film shown in the school’s largest lecture hall…in lecture chairs…on square projector scene…with crappy lecture hall sound system…now people that’s like a layover in Dubai…you do it but that doesn’t mean it’s comfortable.

So obviously while here in DC, I had to crash the cinema with my smuggled food at a less expensive matinee. I'd seen the trailers for this particular film. I read the reviews and I made the choice. This was going to be make me happy and...shockingly it did! I fulfilled my craving for the cinema, my love for stories set in my favorite city of Paris, and this longstanding desire to see a movie on opening weekend. I went to see “Julie and Julia;” center theater in between two popcorn chomping couples.

I loved it. I really did. Normally I don’t blog politics or television but there was something special about this film. It followed two women. 1) Julia Child, following her career diplomat husband (who she married in China when working for the State Department as a secretary) to Paris in the 1950s. She tries hat-making lessons, bridge lessons before deciding to take cooking lessons (she and her husband both agreed she’s so good at eating). 2) Julia Powell, a 2002 mid-range bureaucrat in NYC plodding through a passion-less life, and struggling to overcome a chronic inability to finish projects. She decides to blog her way through Julia Child’s cookbook in one year. A film centered around blogging…that’s one reason I chose this to be my first film to see opening weekend. I thought it might stir some thoughts for my very own blog!

I admired Julia right off the bat. She was good humored, engaging, humble, and completely relished her life a diplomatic global nomad. But then again, I’m completely Julie. I fret about doing something meaningful. I become frustrated when life seems to be sapped of passion, I sometimes feel like I don't deserve the wonderful people in my life and I and procrastinate with tasks like boning ducks.

I deeply admire women like Julia Child who rise to greatness by just being themselves; unassuming and without seeing any glory for themselves. I admire women who don’t turn into men in an effort to prove that women are just as adequate as men or attempt to effect change in their spheres of influence. I admire people like Julie to make tiny steps to bring joy in their lives and later share it with others.

So what’s the global nomad’s lesson from my love of cinema and adoration for this movie? Well, the film was about blogging. I’m going to try and blog more! But the application…make time to do what you love on the weekend. It’s good for the soul and there’s no sense running yourself into the ground. That’s what I’ve learned over the summer and I’ll pass it on.