“Eat, Pray, Love” – a Recipe for a Good Life
Title: “Eat, Love, Pray”
Release Date: 2010
Director: Ryan Murphy
Cast: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem and others
Elizabeth Gilbert’s story has been a living inspiration for aspiring artists for years. A woman who tried unsuccessfully for many years to make a name for herself in the literary world and had to take on various jobs to make ends meet, she finally published her autobiographical book in 2006. The success of the publication exceeded all expectations, becoming a bestseller around the world, and Hollywood decided to make a film adaptation. Thus, “Eat, Pray, Love” hit the screens – a story about the search for happiness starring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem.
“Eat, Pray, Love” – from book to film
Elizabeth Gilbert is currently one of the most popular American writers. Her books sell like hotcakes, her lectures attract large audiences, and her views are considered authoritative. However, Gilbert’s road to fame was not strewn with roses, quite the contrary. The artist went through many crises, trying to remain faithful to her writing vocation. For many years, her prose could not find a publisher, and the author herself earned a living as a cook, waitress, and messenger. Her love life was also marked by successive failures. So when she divorced the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with, she decided to go on a long journey to find answers to the questions that tormented her.
Elizabeth Gilbert described the course of this journey in her autobiographical book. “Eat, Pray, Love” was published in 2006 and quickly became a global bestseller. In 2010, Ryan Murphy made a film based on the book, starring an all-star cast led by Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem.
“Eat, Pray, Love” – a woman’s path to happiness
“Eat, Pray, Love” is a distinctly feminine film. The main character and narrator is a woman, her life dilemmas, and above all, her dreams. Elizabeth embarks on a long journey to discover the world and herself, to find out who she really is, whether she will change in different corners of the world, and whether she will look at her choices from a different perspective. The very act of abandoning her previous life for a year and traveling alone to truly exotic places is an act of extraordinary courage and even a challenge. A woman traveling alone encounters many more challenges than a man. Many dangers lie in wait for her. Overcoming each stage of her journey therefore results in greater confidence in her own abilities. What’s more, Elizabeth meets other women along the way from whom she learns a lot. She observes their choices and how they cope with life.
Female relationships are one of the most important elements of Elizabeth’s experience. Wherever she finds herself, she can count on the help of a newly met woman with whom she feels and thinks similarly. The idea of sisterhood as an almost subconscious form of communication and the ability to form bonds is one of the dominant lessons the protagonist learns from her journey. It turns out that survival in a foreign world can be ensured not so much by physical strength as by the ability to form close relationships, which is precisely the domain of women. Intuition and imagination mean much more here than rationality and knowledge.
The film “Eat, Pray, Love” – three pillars of a good life
The most important message of the book and the film is best summed up by the title itself. “Eat, pray, love” are, in a way, the three pillars of happiness that the protagonist discovers at each stop on her journey. During her stay in Italy, she focuses on the wonderful Mediterranean cuisine, indulging in all kinds of Italian specialties. In Indonesia, Elizabeth concentrates on contemplation and prayer, while in Malta she finds true love – Felipe. Caring for the senses and spirituality leads to the third and highest stage of knowledge and experience, which is loving another person. This very simple recipe for a good life is, contrary to appearances, far from banal.
The film “Eat, Pray, Love” is not a great masterpiece, but it is very enjoyable to watch, feasting the eyes with beautiful views and the mind with a leisurely narrative deepened by philosophical reflections. Casting Julia Roberts in the lead role was a very good idea, as it is difficult to deny this actress’s depth of expression, hidden behind meaningful glances, gestures, and facial expressions. Personally, I think very warmly of this title, as a cinematic “reminder” that happiness is hidden in the simplest things, which, with a little attention, are always within reach. The secret to a good life turns out to be simply wanting to live. As Gilbert writes in “The Great Magic of Life” :
“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them”.