When I first heard that Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Eat Pray Love, was being adapted for film, the first thought that ran in my mind was, “How could that book be made into a movie?” The book seemed too big for a single movie. I thought, perhaps a mini-series could encapsulate all that is required to fully tell the whole tale, but not one movie. Also, for me, the most interesting parts of the book are Elizabeth’s honestly-raw yet oft-humorous introspections and thoughts and I just couldn’t imagine how thoughts could translate well on film without producing one hell of a dull movie.
When I found out Julia Roberts was cast as the main character of Elizabeth, my interest was piqued, so, I looked forward to seeing the movie despite my initial hesitation.
Eat Pray Love opens this Friday but I had the chance to view the film early at a screening tonight. As I had feared, Ryan Murphy’s film adaption of the book is flawed, at best. The short synopsis of my review before I give away spoilers is: You should not see this movie if you do not L-O-V-E Julia Roberts or if you have not read the book. As to the former, Julia is the only saving grace in this extremely prolonged movie–her natural charisma and charm are the only reasons I don’t say run and run fast away from this movie. But even she cannot make this movie good given its many flaws. As to the latter, if you have not read the book, you just won’t get what happens in the US, Italy and India. You all will probably enjoy the scenes in Bali, but then again, that doesn’t justify seeing the movie in its entirety.
(Spoilers ahead.) The parts of the book which made the reader relate to Elizabeth on any level are entirely absent on film. Gone is any explanation of the breakdown of the marriage between Elizabeth and her husband, Stephen (played by Billy Crudup) or the prolonged struggle Elizabeth experienced before abandoning her marriage. There is no mention of the fact that Stephen wanted to start a family and Elizabeth’s repulsion of the idea. There is no talk of both partners having witnessed the breakdown of Elizabeth into a “madwoman” or that they had been “fighting and crying” or that they had “the eyes of refugees.” They are simply shown as a normal couple, living the high life in NYC until Elizabeth decided to leave Stephen.
Also painfully absent is any intensity, addiction, passion or heartache experienced with her boyfriend, David (played by James Franco). If you see the movie without having read the book, you will not understand why Elizabeth leaves this relationship either. She just looks like a shallow, pleasure-seeking, escapist.
Other major themes of the book are entirely stricken. You are never told that Elizabeth got an advance for her book and that is how she paid for the year-long trip or that she practiced celibacy on purpose on her trip to self-discovery. Like the major events in the States, the ones in Italy and India are equally rushed and glossed over. What’s worse is that the movie lacked spirituality which is the underlying theme of the book.
At this point, I am running out of steam of how else to convince you that this movie is not very good – I think this movie sucked my energy. So, I will leave you with: See it if you love Julia or have read the book. Otherwise, go see something else.
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