Wednesday, August 18, 2010

eat pray love

last night my mom and i had a date night.
that is a rare.
she is usually taking my kiddos on date nights so hubby and i can have our own date night.
but last night we switched it up,  treated ourselves to gyros (mmmm good greek gyros) and then off to the movies to see eat pray love.
i have been on the fence about the movie.
i bought the book 3 years ago and have read it 3 times.
i do love it.  i know not everyone does. kind of like ice cream,  some people like vanilla... some like chocolate.  its all good.
the book is visually beautiful to me.  i always felt like i was right there with elizabeth in each place she traveled.  i am sure part of me fell in love with the book solely for that.  the wanderlust of it all. her life so completely and utterly different from mine.  
i knew the movie would have to change it up and skip parts, even change parts.  
i was happy with julia being cast as the main character.  i love julia.  that smile, that great huge laugh she has,  love her.  then i saw they cast billy crudup, james franco and javier bardem....  oh they sealed it with that one.  i DO love a man with an accent.  and his is a good one...  :)
so i went for the pure entertainment of the movie,  nothing more.  i have the book for that.  the movie was good.  i am glad i went.  my mom had not read the book but also thought the movie was good.  i had to take my mind out of the book and just enjoy the movie.  i do wish it had more.  i felt like the movie skimmed too much. i was not feeling the places like i felt the places in the words. i just wanted more...  but there i go sticking my head back in the book... 

oh and 1 more thing.
i loved ketut in the book AND the movie.
he made me smile... "in my liver"  :)


Ham Sa.

16 comments:

Char said...

i have read the book and seen the movie too - i think the thing i missed most in the movie was "hearing her voice" in my head. i saw, but i didn't see it through her eyes like in the book.

Jen at Cabin Fever said...

I haven't read the book and we don't have a movie theater near my house so I haven't gotten a chance to see it either... but I do want to read the book. I'm a firm believer that the books are always better and seeing a movie before I read the book usually ruins the book for me. Maybe that's weird?

Cabin Fever in Vermont

MyFrogs said...

I'm on my 2nd reading of the book and waiting for my bestie from Texas to come into town in a few weeks to see the movie. I LOVE the book too!

beth said...

i read the book twice and just saw the movie....and tried so hard not to nit-pick it to death.

since i was with two non-readers who loved the movie, i think it made me love it that much more....

movies can never be books....and like you, i loved ketut and he made me smile....lots......i did picture him to be so much heavier though...and waylan was not as i had pictured....and i felt that story line flopped compared to the book....

but i did like the movie....and would tell anyone who asked me, to go see it :)

Laurie said...

Is that always the way of books and movies made in some image of the book? I have read the book three times also, each time gaining a bit more. I have yet to see the movie. Still on the fence about seeing the movie.

Unknown said...

My experience is that most movies do not do a book justice....but I am always glad to have a date with my mom....smiles.

Kylie said...

i haven't seen the movie, and wont be able to until it comes out on dvd ... but i am looking forward to it. i love the book and am patiently waiting for my mum to give it back so i can read it again! :o)
but, yah for dates with mums!
x

Amanda :: Grace & Gusto said...

I've been wanting to read this book for a while, thanks for the reminder!

I also agree that books are almost always better than the movie. The only two movies from books that I thought were fantastic renditions are Gone With the Wind and The Hours by Michael Cunningham.

Hannah said...

I loved the book too - it is one of my favorites.
I haven't been able to go see the movie yet, but I definitely plan to.
I have been so excited about Julia Roberts playing Elizabeth, ever since I first saw the trailer.

anrico said...

haven't seen the movie yet, but read the book a couple years ago and inspired so much then I went for a year trip to half of the world:) very inspiring and exciting book. One of my most favorite book!

Erika said...

"In my liver"

That just made me crack one too!
thanks.

Unknown said...

i read eat pray love as an audio book so i got to hear elizabeth gilbert speak the words.... and like you i can't bring myself to break that wonderful spell of her vividly written/spoken imagery.

who knows? maybe some rainy sunday afternoon i'll break down and watch the movie.

did you also read her book "the last american man?" SO good!

Liza B. Gonzalez said...

I also enjoyed the book and slightly disappointed with the movie. I think Julia Roberts distracted from the original feeling.

spread your wings said...

i'm looking forward to seeing the movie. it's good to hear that you enjoyed it. it's not always that way after you have read a book that you enjoy so much.

Paula said...

This was how I felt about the movie version of The Secret Life of Bees. Didn't do it for me. Conversely, Fried Green Tomatoes was the best movie version of a favorite novel ever. You win some you lose some. I LOVE this photo, by the way.

Miss C said...

I loved both the book and the movie. I did find myself disappointed when certain parts were skipped over and things were made to seem a tad easier than they were in the book but all in all the movie was gorgeous and the book is gorgeous and I'm so glad it came out that way.


I'm C by the way, newly stopping by your wonderful blog.