Posted: 06/07/2010

Eat Pray Love

by

Reviewed by Del Harvey

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Julia Roberts and James Franco, Eat Pray Love is author Elizabeth Gilbert’s “search for everything” across Italy, India and Indonesia. The memoir was on the New York Times bestseller list for over 150 weeks and chronicles the author’s trip around the world after her divorce, and what she discovered during her travels.

Gilbert’s book delves into some pretty dark and emotional territory. At 32 she had a very stark realization - she was educated, had a home, a husband, and was a successful writer. But she was unhappy in her marriage and realized she often spent nights crying on her bathroom floor. Feeling that her life lacked fulfillment and happiness, she separated from her husband and initiated divorce, which her husband contested.

Then she entered into a relationship with another man, but this relationship was short-lived as she attempted to discover herself. While writing an article on yoga vacations in India, she met a seventh-generation medicine man who told her she would come back and study with him. After finalizing her difficult divorce, she spent the next year traveling around the world.

She spent four months in Italy, eating and enjoying life. She spent four months in India, finding her spirituality. She ended the year in Bali, Indonesia, looking for “balance” of the two and found love.

Columbia Pictures purchased the movie rights for the memoir and a film version by the same title is set to be for release in August, 2010. Julia Roberts stars and Ryan Murphy will direct. The film also stars Javier Bardem, James Franco and Billy Crudup. Actor Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner of Plan B, Pitt’s production company, will produce the film.

Del Harvey is the founder of Film Monthly, a film teacher, a writer and a film critic in Chicago.

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