Two women, generations apart, are tied together by the idea of food and cooking. Julia Child (Meryl Streep) broke ground as a chef in Paris in the 1940s before she became a television icon, and Julie Powell (Amy Adams) is a 21st century woman in Manhattan. Both have written books about food, and Julie decides to make every recipe in Julia’s book over the course of a year. Unlike Julia’s marriage to Paul Child (Stanley Tucci), Julie’s culinary adventures strain her marriage to Eric Powell (Chris Messina). Julie’s existence hinges on the imaginary guardian angel and role model of Julia Child, giving her encouragement and inspiration.