U.S. critics call it "a marvelous, mouth-watering comedy" and "the year's most appetizing movie."  Now, the feel-good film that warmed the heart of America promises to put a smile on the faces of local audiences, as Julie & Julia opens in Philippine cinemas on October 14.

Starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, Julie & Julia seamlessly melds the two remarkable true stories of Julia Child, the woman who forever changed the way America cooks, and pioneer food blogger Julie Powell (who conquered every recipe in Child's cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking") into a comedy that proves that if you have the right combination of passion, obsession, and butter, you can change your life and achieve your dreams.

"It's about love, it's about marriage, it's about changing your life," says Ephron of the themes that motivated her to make Julie & Julia. "I'm obsessed with food, but there were at least eight other reasons why I had to do it, like doing things you care about and finding happiness through that."

"Both stories were going to be about marriage and food, two things that certainly go together in most people's lives," says Ephron. "When you're in the romantic comedy business, the movie ends when people say ‘Will you marry me?' It's very rare to find something about what happens next, where you've got two equally smart people in a relationship who adore each other."

And the critics happily responded to what Ephron was aiming for.  New York Times film reviewer A.O. Scott wrote, "Julie & Julia proceeds with such ease and charm that its audacity is easy to miss."

"A consummate entertainment that echoes the rhythms and attitudes of classic Hollywood, it's a satisfying throwback to those old-fashioned movie fantasies where impossible dreams do come true," praised Kenneth Turan of Los Angeles Times.

For his part, Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly proclaimed "Julie & Julia is the movie American foodie culture has been waiting for. It hooks you up, happily, to your inner top chef.

"It's a light and entertaining treat, with winning performances, sharp writing and some happy surprises," admired Claudia Puig of USA Today.

Finally, Rex Reed of New York Observer said, "This movie is an emerald of enchantment in the current sewer of cinematic trap rock."

Julie & Julia is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.