For one reason or another, many people are unsatisfied with their lives. It's easy to lose focus of what's important. Julia Child felt that her life was empty after the war; she had no interest in continuing to work for the government and she had no interest in being a house wife. The movie Julie & Julia did a wonderful job showing how life can be empty without passion and how cooking can be the passion to give your day some meaning.
After many failed attempts to find her niche, Julia child found satisfaction in enrolling in a cooking school. She knew she would go mad if she was stuck being a housewife. As the only woman among returning WWII soldiers, her path would be easy. She was extraordinarily successful because she loved what she was doing and she had her husband and friends to support her. Julia was lucky she found something.
The movie Julie & Julia draws parallels between Julia Child's struggle to fill the void in her life and a similar struggle felt by Julie Powell. Julie had a horrible job and was relatively unhappy with her life. Using Julia Child's recipes as inspiration and her husband as support, Julie filled the void in her life with cooking. She created this image of Julia Child in her head as a friend and guide, and "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" became like a bible. Both Julia and Julie were able to fill the voids in there lives with cooking.
In some ways, I can relate to filling a void with cooking. I like research and making things, most of which is rather difficult to do at home. Cooking provides me with analytical entertainment and often something yummy to eat.
