By Pam Parry
The wonder of life is often lost in its frenetic pace, but openness to self-discovery can restore balance and even happiness.
That’s the message of “Eat Pray Love,” a movie that has already earned more than $60 million in American box office receipts since its mid-August release. Based on the New York Times bestseller by the same title, “Eat Pray Love” showcases Julia Roberts as a woman who leaves her husband to find happiness. The journey takes her to Italy, India and Indonesia on a quest for balance in life and the ability to love herself.
The movie is part of an “Eat Pray Love” tidal wave that has swept the nation. More than 7 million copies of the book are in print, according to author Elizabeth Gilbert’s website. “Eat Pray Love” merchandise is flooding retail stores nationwide.
Directed by Ryan Murphy, the movie is beautifully filmed. The cinematography transports the audience to exotic locations and woos them with spectacular images of delectable cuisine. The film imparts a hunger for pasta and for life.
In one of her best performances, Roberts’ emotions run the gamut from despair to exuberance, but with nuance. Scenes that call for her character to smile are, of course, accentuated by Roberts’ trademark grin. I found myself smiling in sync with her, as if I were her traveling companion.
In addition to taunting the viewer with a variety of Italian fare, Roberts’ character, Liz Gilbert, seeks answers in an ashram in India and from a holy man in Bali. In an early scene, she searches for answers in the first prayer she offers God, suggesting that she understands spirituality to be key to her journey. Tightly wound and ambitious, she struggles with the serenity, work and commitment required for meditation, but she finally masters them, acquiring what she describes as balance.
The quest’s love component primarily focuses on her romantic relationships, but she discerns that self-love requires consideration and love for everyone.
Although the “Eat Pray Love” journey focuses on broader spirituality and Buddhist traditions, the main character grapples with common conditions and concerns that are relevant for a Christian audience. Christians are as susceptible as anyone to the rush of carpooling, overtime and soccer practice, allowing the immediate to overtake the important. Faith in Christ does not mitigate daily pressures without intentional living and concerted effort.
The movie may provoke Christians to ask several critical questions: How can Christians, particularly Christian women, meet the demands of their life without losing the joy of their walk with God? How can Christians “be still and let God?” How can they love others without losing themselves? Is losing oneself a requirement for Christian love? Is balance a worthy goal for Christians? What does that mean?
A central theme centers on the path to transformation. Standing amid ancient ruins, Roberts’ character concludes that the adaptive nature of the ruins can be a means of transformation. Applied as a metaphor, this recognition can be provocative for Christians, who view Christ as the way to such metamorphosis. In that light, what might “ruin” mean? For me, it means an abandonment of an old life in favor of a new one in Christ. The question is worth contemplation and exploration.
On her journey, the main character encounters prejudice because she chooses to divorce her husband and travel abroad for a year. Because she is roving the globe alone, an elderly Italian woman questions her sexual orientation, prompting an immediate rebuke from other female characters. They assert that a man would not be asked such a question just because he was traveling alone. Women, they unanimously agree, have fewer choices in society. The female characters accept this premise as a given.
The Christian moviegoer may wonder whether the Christian faith constrains women today. Do Christian women have fewer choices than their male counterparts because of the manner in which people practice their faith? If so, what’s the remedy? How should Christian women respond if they feel restricted by the church or by society?
In short, people of all faiths can find compelling issues in this movie, which itself is a delightful voyage.