Spartan Times

“Eat Pray Love”: Gotta love it

By Katie Stefanek

Reporter

“Eat Pray Love” hit the theaters this summer. Starring Julia Roberts, this movie really sparked drama and romance, leaving audiences like myself with a better perspective on finding true love and accepting yourself for who you are.

Director Ryan Murphy (“Nip-Tuck”, “Glee”) portrays the story of Elizabeth Gilbert, a woman who learns lifelong lessons by overcoming any and all obstacles in her way, such as a divorce, weight gain, and denial of the fact that true love DOES exist.

Roberts stars as Elizabeth Gilbert, a woman who is struggling through a divorce and is simply trying to find herself in the midst of it all after being married to her husband for many years. In the relationship, neither were abusive towards each other, nor did they cheat on each other. Simply, Elizabeth falls out of love with her husband.

While some see this as a bad excuse to leave someone, I see it differently. I admire how truthful she is and how she deals with “falling out of love,” whereas others might possibly cheat instead.

Elizabeth realizes she had pushed her goals in life aside, and decides to take the opportunity to visit three countries she has always wanted to experience: Italy, India, and Indonesia.

Italy is the first stop on her journey.  While there, Elizabeth learns how to speak Italian, meets some great friends, and by finding an interest in Italian pasta, she learns to eat guilt free. I especially enjoyed watching Elizabeth try to squeeze into her skinny jeans after eating tons of pasta and then having to go buy fat jeans. I think many woman can relate to this at some point in their lives of wanting to let go and eat!

Elizabeth next takes her journey farther to a spiritual center in India known as an Ashram. Elizabeth enjoys the peacefulness of India and loves the variety of gorgeous architecture.  She realizes in India that she has to challenge herself in learning how to forgive herself for walking away from her marriage, and finds that there is a lot of comfort and hope in the quietness of prayer.

Elizabeth ends her journey in Bali, a beautiful lush country where she grows deep respect for an elderly medicine man who teaches her wisdom, kindness, and love. While having daily discussions with him, she learns that not everything should be taken for granted and that simply giving to someone who isn’t as blessed can be a start of a beautiful new life. I personally admire this trait that Elizabeth has in wanting to give back to someone in need.

In Bali, she is also tested with fears of falling in love again, but something about this handsome yet fearful man strikes Elizabeth. She learns that she and this man and also have a lot in common since he too is recently divorced. Together they find themselves falling in love and realizing there is truth in second chances.

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