Julia

Critics Consensus

Julia is a handsomely crafted and stirringly performed meditation on friendship and political activism, although its tasteful formalism often undercuts the multifaceted passion of these historical figures.

74%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 27

71%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 2,739
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Movie Info

The film traces the lifelong relationship between playwright Lillian Hellman and Julia, a wealthy girl who turns her back on her upbringing to follow her ideals. In the 1930s, while the adult Hellman (Jane Fonda) struggles to establish herself as a playwright with the help of her lover, Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards), Julia (Vanessa Redgrave) battles the exigencies of the Nazi regime. Visiting Julia in Germany, Lillian realizes how much her friend's idealism has cost her, both physically and financially. Lillian is asked by Julia's friend Johann (Maximilian Schell) to smuggle a large sum of money from Paris to Germany, the better to combat the Nazis from within. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and four acting awards, Julia won for Alvin Sargent's screenplay and Robards' and Redgrave's performances, leading to Redgrave's infamous "Zionist hoodlums" acceptance speech.
  • Rating:
    PG
  • Genre:
    Drama
  • Directed By:
    Fred Zinnemann
  • Written By:
    Alvin Sargent
  • In Theaters:
     limited
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    20th Century Fox Film Corporation

Cast

Jane Fonda
as Lillian Hellman
Vanessa Redgrave
as Julia
Jason Robards
as Dashiell Hammett
Maximilian Schell
as Johann
Hal Holbrook
as Alan Campbell
Rosemary Murphy
as Dorothy Parker
Meryl Streep
as Anne Marie
John Glover
as Sammy
Dora Doll
as Woman Passenger
Lisa Pelikan
as Young Julia
Susan Jones
as Young Lillian
Elisabeth Mortensen
as Train Passenger
Cathleen Nesbitt
as Grandmother
Maurice Denham
as Undertaker
Gerard Buhr
as Passport Officer
Stefan Gryff
as `Hamlet'
Phillip Siegel
as Little Boy
Molly Urquhart
as Woman
Antony Carrick
as Butler
Ann Queensberry
as Woman in Berlin Station
Edmond Bernard
as Man in Berlin Station
David Jacques
as Fat Man
Jacqueline Staup
as Woman in Green Hat
Hans Verner
as Vienna Concierge
Christian de Tilière
as Paris Concierge
Mark Metcalf
as Pratt
Shane Rimmer
as Customs Officer, New York Port Authority
Don Koll
as First-Nighter at Sardi's
Jim Kane
as Sardi
Dick Marr
as Sardi Customer
Vincent Sardi Jr.
as Extra
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Critic Reviews for Julia

All Critics (27) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (7)

View All Critic Reviews (27)

Audience Reviews for Julia

  • Sep 05, 2015
    This decent film has a great cinematography and knows how to build tension in a scene that takes place in a train, but apart from that it didn't deserve most of the Oscar nominations and wins that it got and feels a bit unclear about its purpose, reaching an anticlimactic ending.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Aug 08, 2014
    It's got strong enough work from Fonda and Redgrave to keep it watchable, but the filmmakers never really establish the relationship between Julia and Lillian so there isn't much of a investment in what happens to them. Also, I'm unsure of why the film becomes a suspense thriller for about 40 minutes . . . it's so jarring that I briefly assumed I'd drifted asleep and awoke in the middle of a different film.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
  • Nov 15, 2013
    Nicely done piece that brings out the period through good costume designing backed by a faithful interpretation of Lillian Hellman's life.
    John B Super Reviewer
  • Mar 20, 2011
    <div style="width:372px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/julia1977-jane-fonda--vanessa-redgrave-in-julia-11916153"><img src="http://content7.flixster.com/photo/11/91/61/11916153_gal.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com">Flixster</a> - Share Movies</div></div> "Why won;'t you come with me to Russia, Dash? Don't you want to see the RUssian theater?" But Lilly's father sees her off as she boats to Russia...."Buy a Sable coat if you want to Lilly, but remember it doesn't have anything to do with writing." Based on the book by Lillian Hermann. (1987 Directed by Fred Zimmerman) Playwrite Lilian Hellman (Jane Fonda) seeks the advice of her father, Dashel, a famous author (Jason Robards) in his oceanside home. Costars Vanessa Redgrave, as Julia, Lillian's childhood friend now iliving in Paris. These 2 beauties were coming of age just before WW II.. If you enjoy well-developed characters and stories told in flashbacks, you probably might love this movie! It is what I like to call a "meaty" movie. You will feel or relate to the feelings of these characters. For instance, here is a childhood game most of us have played where one person starts the story and the next person adds to it creating a lovely story! "I am Paris and I am a string of beads on a hot dancer and outside it is Renoir and Degau.... or a romantic Frenchman comes into my room, and he carries meoff..." Lillian travels to Paris and visits her delicate yet aristocratic friend, Julia, whose parents take ehr to Cairo.... Memories from their childhood are women in and out throughout as flashbacks. In one flashback Lillian visits Julia where she was studying at Oxford University. Julia tells Lillian when she writes her play she will start to go to the theater again..Julia is stranded in Vienna where Nazi troops have even invaded the university, killing many....<div style="width:454px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/jane-fonda-julia1977-jane-fonda--maximilian-schell-in-julia-12102659"><img src="http://content9.flixster.com/photo/12/10/26/12102659_gal.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com">Flixster</a> - Share Movies</div></div>
    Teresa S Super Reviewer
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