I brought Elizabeth Gilbert's book "Eat Pray Love" to the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. I listened to so many women discuss this book at great length. From divorce, to a relationship, to jumping from Italy, to India to Indonesia. One woman's self discovery. I found a year later, more women were discussing this book, but many of them were quite upset or confused as to why so many thought this book was so interesting.
Most of the women asking this question I found were married with children, serious corporate people, in the film business, all of them, hoping for something more substantial. I hate to be the one to burst their bubble, but most mothers would not think of doing this. It's called responsibility.
Guess what? Big shocker: Neither the book or movie are for these women. Why? They can't relate. And if they do, they would never act on it. But us single people, we might.
Then came Rotten Tomatoes. OMG! Men writing about women's movies. Will it ever end? Where are the women reviewers?
Now I agree with some of the male reviewers. The movie is 30 minutes too long. The beginning is slow. Some do not care for the flashback scenes, especially during her meditation. But when you are at the early stages of meditation, what do you think about? I can speak for myself here: Men, problems, etc. We are human.
Perhaps there are a few men that can relate to this journey and I applaud you. But again, this is a chick flick with Julia Roberts. (For those threatened by my statement, why did I see only 3 men in the theater with me? )
So, it makes me wonder, why are people so threatened by the idea of this movie?
Perhaps it is the idea that people are afraid to discover: Themselves.
Scary isn't it?