I finally broke down and rented "Eat Pray Love." I had read the book a few months back and really enjoyed it, but I was nervous that the movie would ruin the story that I had loved.
It didn't ruin it. BUT it was only a shadow of everything the book was for me. When dealing with a person's journey to self-discovery, it is supremely difficult to show all the reflection and self-realization accomplished along the way. And that is the whole beauty of the story!
The highlights: Julia Roberts was surprisingly good playing the role of Elizabeth Gilbert. The scenery of each country visited was gorgeous and inspiring. The basic essence of the story remained intact
The problems: Too many noticeable changes for "the sake of the movie." Trying to subtly show the changes happening within the character (I really felt like they needed a narration to help clarify the self-reflection). Too much emphasis on the love story at the end --- the story is about the WHOLE journey, not just to find a hunky Brazilian man in Bali.
So the way I feel about the book/movie comparison remains the same..... the book wins.
More about TKP (the kelly project) in the next post.
You didn't find the book extremely whiny? That's why I enjoyed the movie more...they took out the whine. I would actually say that this is pretty much the only instance in which I enjoyed the movie more than the book. But as a rule I love any movie with Javier Bardem.
ReplyDeleteI think the whiny-ness made it more realistic. Gilbert isn't a perfect person. She is a normal (sometimes annoying) person looking for some understanding in her own life. I think everyone can relate to that. And the fact that she isn't some all-around lovable person makes the whole story more REAL. I mean, I know that I can be pretty obnoxious at times. :o)
ReplyDelete