Julia (film)

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Julia

original film poster
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
Produced by Richard A. Roth
Written by Alvin Sargent
Starring Jane Fonda
Vanessa Redgrave
Jason Robards
Hal Holbrook
Rosemary Murphy
and
Maximilian Schell
Music by Georges Delerue
Cinematography Douglas Slocombe
Editing by Marcel Durham
Walter Murch
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) October 2, 1977 (USA)
Running time 118 min.
Language English
IMDb profile

Julia is a 1977 film drama made by 20th Century Fox. It is based on Lillian Hellman's book Pentimento, a portion of which purports to tell the story of her relationship with her lifelong friend, "Julia," who worked as an anti-Nazi in the years prior to World War II. The film was directed by Fred Zinnemann and produced by Richard Roth, with Julien Derode as executive producer and Tom Pevsner as associate producer, from a screenplay adapted by Alvin Sargent.

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[edit] Synopsis

The young Lillian and the young Julia, daughter of a wealthy Jewish family being raised by her grandparents in the U.S., enjoy a childhood together and an extremely close relationship in late adolescence. Later, while medical-student/physician Julia attends Oxford and the University of Vienna and studies with such luminaries as Sigmund Freud, Lillian suffers through revisions of her play with her mentor and sometime lover, Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards, Jr.) at a New England beachhouse.

After becoming a celebrated playwright, Lillian is invited to a writers' conference in Russia. Julia, having taken on the battle against Nazism, enlists Lillian en route to smuggle money through Nazi Germany which will assist in the Anti-Nazi cause. It is a dangerous mission, especially for a Jewish intellectual on her way to Russia.

During a brief meeting with Julia on this trip, Lillian learns that her friend has a child named Lily, living with a baker in Alsace. Shortly after her return to the United States, Lillian is informed of Julia's murder. The details of her death are shrouded in secrecy. Lillian unsuccessfully looks for Julia's child in Alsace and also discovers that Julia's family wants nothing to do with the child, if she exists, probably for financial reasons.

[edit] Production

Faye Dunaway turned down the role of Lillian Hellman.

The film was shot on location in England and France.

Meryl Streep made her feature film debut in this.

[edit] Principal cast

Julia features the first film performances of Meryl Streep and Lisa Pelikan.

[edit] Awards

Julia won Academy Awards for:

It was nominated for an Academy Award for:

It also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film.

[edit] External links

Awards
Preceded by
Annie Hall
BAFTA Award for Best Film
1979
Succeeded by
Manhattan