Typically bestsellers adapted to the big screen don’t quite live up to expectations. That was my mindset walking into Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of “Eat Pray Love.” However, within the first 15 minutes into the movie, I was hopelessly smitten. After all, it IS Julia Roberts who proves that she’s still got it, in one of her most poignant performances to date.
And what’s not to love about Italy, India, and Indonesia, all three countries lending their unique landscapes, cultures, and healing powers to protagonist Liz Gilbert’s journey to self-discovery, after a heartbreaking divorce and failed relationship with her rebound.
Liz (Julia Roberts) seemingly has it all—a charming husband, a beautiful house in the suburbs of New York, and a thriving career. But deep down, she leads a hollow and unfulfilling existence. She reaches out to God, listens to her gut, and decides to leave behind her “life” (neatly packed into a New York City storage center).
First stop—Rome, Italy, where she learns Italian, finds pleasure in doing nothing, and eats her way out of heartbreak. Next stop—an ashram in India, where she prays, learns to find peace within, and forgives herself for leaving her husband. Liz then travels to Bali, where she begins to harmonize and balance her life and ultimately finds true love.
The film stays true to the book and plays out almost exactly as I’d envisioned it when I read the book. Ryan Murphy’s direction and skillful screenwriting adaptation brings the novel’s charm, poignancy, and emotion to life in such a way that it lingers with you even hours after leaving the theater.
And what’s not to love about Italy, India, and Indonesia, all three countries lending their unique landscapes, cultures, and healing powers to protagonist Liz Gilbert’s journey to self-discovery, after a heartbreaking divorce and failed relationship with her rebound.
Liz (Julia Roberts) seemingly has it all—a charming husband, a beautiful house in the suburbs of New York, and a thriving career. But deep down, she leads a hollow and unfulfilling existence. She reaches out to God, listens to her gut, and decides to leave behind her “life” (neatly packed into a New York City storage center).
First stop—Rome, Italy, where she learns Italian, finds pleasure in doing nothing, and eats her way out of heartbreak. Next stop—an ashram in India, where she prays, learns to find peace within, and forgives herself for leaving her husband. Liz then travels to Bali, where she begins to harmonize and balance her life and ultimately finds true love.
The film stays true to the book and plays out almost exactly as I’d envisioned it when I read the book. Ryan Murphy’s direction and skillful screenwriting adaptation brings the novel’s charm, poignancy, and emotion to life in such a way that it lingers with you even hours after leaving the theater.
