Julie & Julia

This dual biopic is adapted from both Julia Child's book about learning to cook in post-World War II France and Julie Powell's book about her quest to cook every single recipe in Child's famed Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Amy Adams is expectedly winsome as un-self-assured housewife Julie Powell. Meryl Streep is better than great as the joie de vivre force of nature known as Julia Child. At its heart, the film is about doing what you love in life, but writer/director Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle) wraps the moral in a tasty pastry coating of raucous humor. 123 minutes PG-13.