Pernell Roberts (1928 - 2010)

Actor Pernell Roberts died Sunday at the age of 81. I loved watching Roberts on the TV series "Trapper John, M.D." when I was a kid. While most of my friends had 'goo-goo' eyes for his costar, Gregory Harrison, I liked Roberts. Guess I had a thing for older men.

Of course, many people know Roberts more for his role as Adam Cartwright in "Bonanza," which I used to watch in reruns as a kid as well.

Roberts was born in May of 1928 in Waycross, Georgia, an area many members of my family also call home. He used to visit the area often many years ago when his mother was in a local nursing home, and even came into the bait shop where my sister-in-law worked to purchase his fishing license. He was a friendly, unassuming man, and if you ask me, one of the handsomest men to ever grace the television screen.

Roberts was proceeded in death in 1989 by his only son, Jonathan, who was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Julie & Julia

OK, after nearly 7 months down, I have decided to resurrect this blog. Why not? I only have 3 others I'm trying to keep going, what's one more? ;-)

The hubs and I recently watched the movie Julie & Julia, and I have to say it was both wonderful and a disappointment. Let me explain.

The movie is of course based on the book by Julie Powell as well as the book "My Life in France" by Julia Child. The movie is often very fun, poignant and thought provoking. You laugh, you cry and you really, really want to start cooking...and eating. The food looks so marvelous. Yummy!!

The sections of the movie about Julia and her start are wonderful. Merle Streep did such a good job in the part of the iconic chef, it was hard to separate her from the character. She sounded like her, moved like her, even looked a bit like her. Her Golden Globe win last night is very much well-deserved.

Amy Adams also did a great job as Julie Powell, the author of the "Julie & Julia Project" blog, as well as the book. She went through the gambit of emotions Julie must have felt during that hectic year; sadness, frustration, happiness, disappointment. I had no problem with her performance at all. The problem I did have was with that part of the story.

OK, Julie Powell really took an interesting idea and ran with it. And for some reason, it really caught on, making her blog one of the most popular out there. Then the book and movie of course. But, if at the time she was anything like she was portrayed in this movie, she was a bit whiny really. That was the disappointing part. I did feel for her somewhat, but not as much as I would have liked.

This is a good movie, and one I would recommend wholeheartedly. But, I wonder what a movie just about Julia Child, starring Merle Streep of course, would have been like. There are a couple details that I would love to have more information about, things that were hinted at in the movie but not fully covered. I guess I will just have to put Child's book on my reading list.