Julie & Julia, one of my favorite scripts and films from 2009, is a wonderful illustration of how much information, empathy and emotion can be revealed very quickly in an opening sequence without ever resorting to on the nose, “announcing” dialogue. Nora Ephron’s screenplay also introduces two equal heroes in a way that creates immediate empathy and emotional involvement – even though both are everyday characters.

Julie and Julia are given equal screen time, and both are introduced separately, in the first 10% of the script – essential principles if you’re creating two heroes.

Each hero is introduced with what I call a “new arrival” opening:

In the first sequence we see an American car lowered onto a dock; a super reads FRANCE 1949; a license plate reads DIPLOMAT; we hear the voices of two people practicing French; and the car drives past a sign reading 26 ROUEN. We then see Julia Child for the first time as she and Paul step from the car, finishing their French lesson with the words “Bon Appétit!” – a phrase that will echo through the entire film. They swoon over a lunch of fish sautéed in butter, then drive to their new apartment, where she introduces herself to their landlady with, “Je suis Julia Child.”

In this short (3 ½ minute), simple introduction, we know that the hero’s name is Julia Child, her husband is a diplomat, they have just arrived in France (most likely from the U.S.), are moving to Rouen, they love food, clearly love each other (notice his loving, understanding, and almost comforting reaction to her speechlessness over the taste of the fish), and are happy to be there. We also immediately begin to empathize with Julia – she is friendly, likeable and funny. And we immediately get hints that her journey will involve her passion for French food, though right now she is speechless – she hasn’t yet found her voice, her way of truly expressing herself and her passion.

Nora Ephron then cuts to her second hero, and we immediately see the close parallels between the two women. A new super tells us we’re now in QUEENS, NEW YORK 2002. The first shot of Julie Powell shows her packing a copy of Julia Child’s book Mastering the Art of French Cooking – the book that will unite the two heroes’ outer motivations. And like Julia, Julie is also driving to a new apartment with a loving and devoted husband.

But the contrast between the two situations is also revealed immediately. Instead of an elegant Buick with wood panels, Julie and Eric drive what looks like an old jeep. Julia and Paul drove past a beautiful, ornate tower and up to a magnificent old building; Julie and Eric drive past an ugly water tower and up to a small, dingy apartment above a pizza parlor. Julia oohed and ahhed over her lavish new apartment; Julie drops the silverware drawer, complaining that “everything is falling down”, and asking, “What are we doing here?”

So our empathy with Julie is based initially on sympathy (her likeability will be revealed when we see that her job is helping victims of 9/11). While Julia hasn’t yet found an outlet for her passion, Julie hasn’t even figured out what her passion might be. And neither woman has yet found the courage to stand up for herself and declare who she truly is. These will be the parallel arcs for the two heroes.

- Michael Hauge