Overview
A seasoned actress grapples with the complexities of love and self-discovery in a changing world.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- sardonic
- glamorous
- theater night
- adult date night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film to be a sophisticated but uneven theatrical comedy elevated by Annette Bening’s captivating, high-energy performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Julia is both a celebrated stage actress and a woman increasingly uncertain of who she is away from performance.
Julia’s affair with the much younger Tom Fennel exposes her longing for renewed desire and validation.
The London theater elite use charm, status, and performance to manage marriage, ambition, and betrayal.
Julia’s disillusionment and dependence on Tom ultimately become a catalyst for reclaiming her own vitality.
Films like Being Julia, and why
All About Eve
shared sophisticated theatrical milieu, female performance, romantic deception, and witty dramatic comedy
The Mother
shared older woman younger man romance, period setting, social observation, and bittersweet self-discovery
Stage Beauty
shared backstage theater setting, identity performance, romantic intrigue, and elegant comedy-drama
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
shared theatricality, marital disenchantment, infidelity, and incisive middle-aged self-reinvention
Movie Details
- Director
- István Szabó
- Release Date
- 2004-09-03
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (125)
Cast
- Annette Bening
- Jeremy Irons
- Miriam Margolyes
- Bruce Greenwood
- Michael Gambon
- Leigh Lawson
- Shaun Evans
- Juliet Stevenson
- Max Irons
- Michael Culkin
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Being Julia about?
- A celebrated 1930s London stage actress turns a destabilizing affair and midlife crisis into an audacious performance of self-reclamation.
- What is Being Julia like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Being Julia as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Being Julia violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Being Julia.
- What did critics think of Being Julia?
- Critics broadly found the film to be a sophisticated but uneven theatrical comedy elevated by Annette Bening’s captivating, high-energy performance.
- Which films are like Being Julia?
- Films with a similar feel include All About Eve, The Mother, Stage Beauty, and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.
- How long is Being Julia?
- Being Julia runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Being Julia?
- In United States, Being Julia is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
