On the way into the Sold Out early show of "Eat Pray Love" (2010), a woman who looked about 60 years of age was on her way out of the theatre. She had just seen the matinee. She told my husband, "You enjoy that movie". Another woman, about the same age, told him "It's a beautiful movie. Life-changing". As we entered the theater and found ourselves a seat, we quickly realized that we were amongst a lot of women, middle aged and better, and just a handful of men.
I have read the book (based on a true story), and overall, I can say that the movie was very good. I enjoyed seeing the characters come to life, and the cinematography was really good, too. Italy, India and Bali were three countries that the main character Liz (Julia Roberts) traveled to, and the scenes in Bali were especially beautiful. Liz's journey of self-forgiveness, inner peace and finding love again was enjoyable and quite moving. There was some comedy relief, too. After telling Liz that she couldn't have any men staying overnight in her rented room in Italy, the woman said to her, "When American girls come to Italy, all they want is pasta and sausage". One of Liz's other quests was to find her "word", much like Rome's word is "Sex" and London's word is "Stuffy".
Weaved throughout the story was a one year "road of transformation". The Ruins in Rome were symbolic in terms of Liz's own life. A failed marriage to Stephen and a failed relationship with David forced to her run to the comfort of food and fun in Italy. She then went to India to see a Guru and lived in an Ashram (spiritual retreat) - and told her new friend Richard from Texas that she "Came for peace". Richard's advice to her was "Forgiving yourself is not that easy" and he told her to "stay in India until you forgive yourself". His last words to her were, "Believe in love again". Liz learned to send "Light and love" every time she thought of her past relationships and Richard from Texas. What she learned in India is that "God dwells within us, as us".
Liz had visited the Medicine Man, Ketut, in Bali for the first time while on a work-related assignment months prior to her transformational journey. He had predicted at that time that she would be back. He explained to her that she didn't want to "lose her balance, because that meant losing power". He instructed her to meditate as she had learned in India, and that she was to enjoy Bali. He asked her to meditate with a smile on her face and even "in her liver". She met a man named Felipe from Brazil, and she was haunted by the notion that "Everyone should have a love affair in Bali". Felipe told her she didn't need a man, she needed a "champion". At the end of the movie, Ketut had helped Liz heal and he told her that it's okay to "lose balance in love". Liz found her word, "Attraversiamo", which she learned while in Italy. Attraversiamo means "Let's Cross Over" in Italian.
I've seen Liz Gilbert on Oprah and she has talked about her real life experience and her book has been read by many and inspired others to live their best life. Hopefully the movie will touch the hearts of many as well. You'll have to watch the movie to find out what it means if your knee cartilage is dry, and you'll have to see how the movie ends. All-in-all it's a great movie if you're into eating, praying and loving and don't mind wiping away a tear or two. The 2 hours and 15 minutes went quickly, and the movie had a nice soundtrack, too.
To see the Eat Pray Love movie trailer, go to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjay5vgIwt4
Have a peaceful day!
~ Angela Gentile
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