MovieChat Forums > Eat Pray Love (2010) Discussion > Something deeply disturbing about this f...

Something deeply disturbing about this film and its message

posted 13 years ago by intotrance
68 replies | jump to latest

Qualifier one: I am a male.
Qualifier two: I did not like the "message" in this movie (derived from the book content), so I therefor disliked the movie as a whole. I will be commenting on the message.
Qualifier three: I have not read the book.
Qualifier four: I am not, nor have I ever been married, but I have had serious relationships.

Let's start with the bedroom scene. "I don't want to go to Aruba" is followed with "I don't want to be married" .. really? After your brief moment of clarity in the other room, you know you don't want to be married? Cool.

But you'll go shack up with some artist type eventually.

You want to go around the world to "places of enlightenment" because that is where you think you will find spirituality? You think spirituality is the cure to the selfish darkness within you? Cool.

You feel guilt over your previous relationships (deservedly so) and all it takes is a few proverbial, common sense words from a "holy" man to fix you up? Cool.

I cannot for the life of me see what is inspiration or fantastic about this story. The main character is horribly self-absorbed, egocentric, narcissistic, and weak. The only thing that matters to her, is her; "what can this holy man do for me?", "what can this Italian family and way of life do for me?", "what can these geographical destinations do for me?", "what can a potential life without the husband, with all his faults and mistakes (none of which could be malicious or evil in any way), who I swore myself to, be like?"

If you'd like to counter with something contextually juvenile like "but happiness is important! we have only one life to live!" or "marriage and commitment only works if both partners are happy!" or "spirituality is real! you must find it or you are incomplete!" or "women deserve to be empowered as well as men!" .. don't (although I will grant you that there gender unfairness is truly a pattern within society). Spare us, please. You make a commitment, you honor that commitment until all avenues are exhausted.

You live YOUR life authentically and sincerely. You look down upon the world from the top of the Wynand building or out into the Mediterranean sea from a sun-drenched Algerian beach, and you marvel at your accomplishments on the world and the way you've lived your life.

[–] FlyingSaucersAreReal 11 years ago

"women deserve to be empowered as well as men!"

I doubt women would consider it "empowering" if a man did what she did. I think they would have a different opinion of a man who did that.

[–] Red1 (33) 4 years ago

This is sad.. But true.
The degree of blindness and denial that women have is simply unbelievable.

[–] beat 11 years ago

brilliant post by the OP.

[–] diorlouboutin 11 years ago

I am not sure what you being male has to do with the themes of this film.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] HenryCW 10 years ago

I agree with the OP. I don't see why anyone should spend two and a half hours watching an unhappy privileged, self-obsessed middle-aged woman taking a "spiritual journey" round the world to "discover" herself, while all the time wallowing in self-pity because (she thought) other people – including the man she had just discarded – did not understand her needs. She was so selfish and self-absorbed that at no time did she even consider the possible adverse consequences of what they did on other people. Also, she and the other characters were apparently so well-off that they could spend months abroad relaxing, doing meditations and – as the title says – to just eat, pray and love (meaning sex). The only thing they did not have to do was work. People like Liz do not seem to be aware that there are poor and less fortunate people everywhere in the world, who have no time for such petty concerns, not to mention finding the proper "therapy". Instead, they have to work or fight for their very existence everyday.

We don't need yet another book or film justifying the actions of rich bored people. In the real word, Liz would be a truly unlikable and even despicable person. In the film, I hope Sugar would just put a bullet through her head and end her misery.

[–] Prelude-in-C-maj 9 years ago

Yep. I'm only 25 minutes into this flick and I'm still reeling in disbelief at the scene where she's crying and praying and "in serious trouble"......about her mild mannered hubby and stable marriage....

Holy crap, I could tell this character some things about being in "serious trouble" in a relationship that would knock some cold light of day into her.

I get that many people feel bored or restless in their comfortable existences, but her extreme reaction to hers was more fitting for circumstances of abuse, violence, living with a psychopath, and /or someone ruining your life.

An insult to women who have truly had to get away from a desperate situation.

[–] Red1 (33) 4 years ago

UP UP UP
What a great comment you wrote SIR.
I totally agree with you... 👍