Sometimes, it is better to leave spiritual books as books.
Author Elizabeth Gilbert / Photo: jurvetson
I recently learned they are filming a movie version of the much-loved spiritual travel memoir, Eat, Pray, Love.
Have to admit, as soon as I saw it is a big Hollywood affair with Julia Roberts as the star, I cringed.
For those who haven’t read the book, author Elizabeth Gilbert goes on a spiritual-quest-of-sorts to Italy, India, and Indonesia after surviving a painful divorce. Many people have been inspired by both her travels and the lessons she learned along the way.
I have no doubt that Gilbert will fair well monetarily from the big screen version of her book. But I’m afraid that the authenticity, and well, spirit, might be sucked right out of it. Hey, that’s Hollywood’s forte.
Turns out I’m not the only one who is worried, though this group has much more at stake than I do. According to an article on Yahoo! India, there are “concerns among Indian yogis and Hindu leaders about whether the film will portray Hinduism and yoga authentically.”
The leader of the Universal Society of Hinduism, Rajan Zed, is a bit worried that the movie will get Hinduism wrong once again. With Mike Myers’ recent film Love Guru, who can blame him?
Misrepresentation of Religion and Land
There is also the possibility of the misrepresentation of the country often thought of as synonymous with Hinduism – India. For some, even Slumdog Millionaire was a much more a “foreigners’ concept” which, in actuality, “demeans” the country, rather than being a celebration of its people.
Of course, there will be some who will think the film version of Eat, Pray, Love, is a great adaptation, and others who will believe that the production got it all wrong.
But as Zen added:
The people of India will be anxious to see how perfectly Roberts does her job of cleaning ashram floors as a part of her devotional duty, trying to recite 182- verse Sanskrit chant, and going through grueling hours of meditation, while being feasted on by mosquitoes.
It certainly will be interesting to see how much time the film gives to this part of Gilbert’s trip.
Do you think Hollywood will do justice to Elizabeth Gilbert’s book? Share your thoughts below.
Feature photo: Emuishere Peliculas
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24 Comments... join the discussion!
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I wasn’t thrilled with the Julia Roberts casting – I think someone like Laura Dern would be a better choice for such a tough part – but overall, I like the looks of the movie. Richard Jenkins and Javier Bardem are great picks for the supporting roles, I think. As for India, well, if they stick remotely to the source material they should do okay on the yoga front – and since Gilbert hardly leaves the ashram, I’m not worried about the country beyond its doors being misrepresented.
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Ugh, I loved this book despite going into it with cynical thoughts of “oh, this book wants to inspire me.” But it did! I enjoyed reading Gilbert’s story much more than I had planned on.
I’m not thrilled with Julia Roberts. I hope it doesn’t get marketed as a typical Julia Roberts movie. I do like Javier Bardem and Richard Jenkins a lot. They could save it for me.↵ -
I was mortified when i found out that hollywood had got their hands on Eat,Pray,Love.
Elizabeth Gilbert did a brilliant job writing this memoir. it was such a personal journey, how can that be portrayed on the silver screen?
i understand that Julia Roberts is a brilliant actress – but she wasn’t there, she cant possibly feel what Liz was feeling because she is not Liz!, i dont think they can make this film authentic.↵ -
Since so much of Gilbert’s journey is inside her head, how can an American public watch a movie that doesn’t say most of what it’s about captivate the audience? That’s my question.
I guess we’ll see what Hollywood comes up with. Too bad they never made a movie from “who moved my cheese?” That would have been cute. Kidding, I think.
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It won’t matter to me one way or the other who’s cast as the author or how Hollywood adapts Ms. Gilbert’s work. This is what Hollywood does and they can’t beat what I see in my mind as I read the book.
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While I enjoyed the first part of this book, I didn’t find it nearly as inspiring & life changing as the hype would suggest. It will be interesting to see how it plays out on the big screen… if Roberts can pull off ’soul-searching’ without seeming quite as self-absorbed as the book was, it could be really good. If they turn it into some kind of romantic comedy… I could vomit.
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Pollyanna checking in, here. I WANT it to do well. After reading the book, I craved more. (You know how some books do that for you… You put it down for a few hours just to keep the ending as far away as possible, then have to pick it up again, unable to wait to see where she goes next.) Julia Roberts likely has the ability to do this story justice. Whether she WILL or not is something to hold my breath over. Fortunately, though I’ve rarely enjoyed a screen adaptation of a favored book as much as the original, sometimes it’s possible to separate the two and try to see the movie as a completely different story. Two for one! (Okay, yea, it’s a stretch, sure.) Suspecting we’ll have to do that, here, too. My fingers are crossed that this version will still offer a compelling story. Hoping, hoping…
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I agree completely! well said!
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In the minority, I know, but honestly, I couldn’t stand the book. It was so tritely written, her writing style hollow and bland, I put it down shortly after she arrived in Italy. I’d imagine the movie will be just as flat, but it’s gotta really stink to send me out of theater 20 minutes in.
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I think the Yogi’s have a genuine concern about their culture and religion being misrepresented as some sort of quick fix spirituality. But, in my view, the book has already reached so many people, adding a movie onto it is sort of moot.
My question: will Julia Roberts be as whiny as Elizabeth Gilbert? Or will they make her much more likable? I know everyone loves this book, but that’s the #1 complaint from folks who don’t. I’ll be curious to see how they handle it. Will Julia Roberts be crying on the bathroom floor or begging her lover to stay?
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Thanks for your comments, everyone. Gotta admit, I’m not a huge Julia fan, and that might be part of where the cringe came from when I found out about the movie. We’ll see what happens.
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One hope for a movie this high-profile – maybe it’ll help turn the trend of people dismissing clinical depression – a certifiable medical condition – as whining or self-pity. I know that’s the number one complaint from folks who didn’t like the book, but that’s my number one complaint about the complainers, the total disrespect for a medical condition that can be very, very serious. One of the best things about the book, for me, was the way Gilbert captured the inertia and hopelessness of depression. I was so mad a few months ago when I saw a couple of comedians “diagnose” Elizabeth Gilbert with “excessive whining.”
(Sorry, Christine, don’t mean to snap at your comment – Just the straw that broke the camel’s back or whatever!)
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So what’s new…
Nice article, stating the obvious.
The masses and the media almost always “miss the true spirit” behind any religion.
But if it inspires just one person to seek something deeper, then it’s a hit in my book.
Mr. Twenty Twenty
That guy who really did change his name to the number of perfect vision because you living your vision matters.
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So what’s new…
Nice article, stating the obvious.
The masses and the media almost always “miss the true spirit” behind any religion.
But if it inspires just one person to seek something deeper, then it’s a hit in my book.
Mr. Twenty Twenty
That guy who really did change his name to the number of perfect vision because you living your vision matters.
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Am I the only one who really didn’t care for this book?
I found it as a total fluff piece. I feel as though the editors dumbed it down for the general mass and made it a “reader-chick-lit friendly” book instead of a story about growth through the journey of traveling.
I just wasn’t impressed. It felt as though it was written FOR Hollywood, however, I agree with the above comment, Laura Dern would have been a FAR better choice.
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I don’t understand the fuss — a commercial book is being made into a commercial movie.
This is not a criticism of EPL — it is a fine memoir and a good read. The problem is that many people are construing it as a spiritual tome. If you are unaccustomed to reading spiritual books, it’s understandable: EPL is like a spiritual book with training wheels.
But there are many many excellent non-commercial spiritual books available that will NEVER be made into a movie with Julia Roberts. Here’s a few (India inspired):
- Bhagavad Gita
- Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
- the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharishi
- anything by J. Krishnamurti
- anything by Sri Aurobindo
- Autobiography of a YogiAnd from western writers who have visited India as seekers:
- Empire of the Soul by Paul William Roberts
- A Search for Secret India by Paul Brunton
- A Rope in the Water by Sylvia Fraser
- anything by Joseph CampbellTeachers:
- Ram Dass
- Mark Whitwell
- Desikachar
- BKS Iyengar
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
- Sai BabaThis is off the top of my head. If you want to know more, I write regularly about books on or about India at http://breathedreamgo.com/
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I was dissapointed that Elizabeth Gilbert sold the movie to Hollywood. It really cheapened her book I think. Lost some respect for her, and her story–another quick and easy way to make a buck.
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I’ve been living in Ubud Bali, where the third section of the book is set for the last nine months. They’re filming the movie here at the moment and I’m very interested to see how it portrays Bali. I’ve travelled in India too and if anything I think Bali is even more of a religous/spiritual place. They practise a unique form of hinduism here which is an integral part of daily life for every Balinese person. The book seemed more focused on India as the ’spiritual destination’ so it’ll be interesting to compare Hollywood’s version of Bali to the reality.
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Loved this book! Huge fan of the author! As with all top selling books these days, it is inevitable that a film would come next. I welcome the opportunity to see Elizabeth Gilbert translate her experience once again in a new writing format and medium! Regarding the lead casting, I am more then a bit dissapointed. A lot of the themes in the book were inner strength, dimensionality and breakthroughs in self awareness. It would have been nice to see someone less obvious and expected showcasing their strengths as Elizabeth Gilbert. Laura Dern, Kyra Sedgwick, Emily Mortimer…
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I really don’t think the movie will do justice to Gilbert’s book. I think it will be just a nice movie, like many others that has been done in the last decade. Not at all close that it could be. First of all, it’s so obvious that Julia Roberts is playing Gilbert. Laura Dern or Laura Linney would be so much better, because the image of Julia Roberts is so defined, so imediately associative with a big movie star (even enjoying the acting work of Roberts anyway). Also, Gilbert, now a forty year-old woman, at the time of the journey she was 34-35 year-old woman, which is crucial to the story because the point was the thirty year old thing that Gilbert was going through, trying to have kids, but she wasn’t sure about it, and then the broken marriage and everyting else…
Second of all, I just love Javier Bardem, but for God sakes, he’s spanish, Felipe is a brazilian guy who lives in Indonesia, I wonder if Hollywood took geographic lessons… Spain is Europe, Brazil is South America, a completely different country that gives to the role a whole new perspective. And I talk this as a brazilian. We have down here great actors who could play this role in a brilliant way, shame on Hollywood, so ignorant expecting the audience to not distinguish the distint accents… I look forward to see Bardem talking brazilian words (altough I think he is a great actor). About the Indian thing I agree with all that was said here, superficial and stereotypical way to see these cultures that Gilbert tells us in her book.I apologize my english, it’s not that good.
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I’m horrified Julia Roberts will be playing Elizabeth Gilbert in the movie version of Eat, Pray, Love. It just isn’t a Julia movie. I loved the book and was hopefully a movie would be made though I don’t know if I will go see it now that Julia cast in the lead role.
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You guys just don’t get it, Julia Roberts BOUGHT the rights to this movie… she wasn’t just cast into it! I was not very happy about it either, what with her track of bad career choices and shallow roles, but who knows this might not be a refreshing exception in the likes of Pretty Woman, Steel Magnolias and Erin Brokovich? As for the book, I really loved it, even though Elizabeth Gilberts writing technique could get a little repetitive at times. But only those who have been there, as she puts it, in the bathroom floor, can possibly relate to this. To the others, who have been complaining about her whining, all I can say is this: GOOD FOR YOU. Depression is something I would not wish even to my worst enemy…
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Fearing dearly that this will be a super grand production, highlighting the romance, with a little bit of friendship and travel and too little about the spiritual journey itself.
As for the Julia Roberts issue I believe that could really go either really well or monumentally poorly. She is great, I just can not be sure!
Someone mentioned Laura Dern…that would have been a better choice Id reckon.
When one tryies to picture a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship, many shapes might come to mind…but…Javier Bardem? as Felipe? Seriously???? No Brazilian actors available? Or even some Latin-Australian looking fellow? Plus isnt Felipe meant to be light, a breath of fresh air in her life? Intense Javier Bardem?
The remaining of the cast sounds just as dubious. I was pretty glad to know the book would be turned into a movie, I imagined taking this great journey visually, but this is shapping to be the complete opposite of what I had been expecting.
Sounding too much like a disaster in the making.↵
