Appreciation and solidarity in Eat Pray Love (2010)

Filmmakers rarely show audiences female characters that appreciate each other or show solidarity with one another. One of the things Eat Pray Love (2010) has to offer female viewers is examples of both. For instance, Tuva Novotny says to Julia Roberts, “I am grateful for you, Liz, for helping me appreciate life with all that comes with it—muffin tops and […]” and Roberts says to a group of men and women, “I look at the amazing women I’ve met who I admire so much […].“ As for solidarity, for her birthday Roberts asks her friends to send her money to give to a poor woman in Bali so that she may build a house for herself and her daughter—instead of spending their money on gifts for her. There is an entire scene in which Roberts narrates her email to her friends, explaining why they should help this single mother and her daughter, going into Bali’s sexist divorce laws, etc. During this COVID-19 pandemic especially, when solidarity is crucial, I like remembering these types of scenes. Few filmmakers include them. Eat Pray Love is based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s autobiographical book and the screenplay was co-written by Ryan Murphy and Jennifer Salt.

​© 2020 Alline Cormier