Eat, Pray, Love (Movie Review)

*Updated March 2026

Although Eat Pray Love promises a heartwarming search for meaning, the adaptation unfortunately fails to reach deep enough.

The film is transcribed from the massive bestselling memoirs of Elizabeth Gilbert. It maps out her three-part search for an enriched self following a painful divorce. The first leg of her travels takes place in Italy, where she learns the value of living without a strict roadmap.

The second phase of her quest takes place in India, where she is forced to challenge everything from within. Finally, the last stage of her travels in Bali challenges her to practice these newfound principles simultaneously.

A Cinematic Postcard Missing Its Postage

Director Ryan Murphy does an excellent job visually integrating Liz’s old life into the search for her new one. The transitions between her past and present are what truly make a lasting impression. The art direction and cinematography effortlessly transport you to an authentic and very distinct cultural memory.

However, the screenplay itself does not complete the emotional arc promised by the premise. For the people who have read the book, the original text provided a profoundly spiritual experience. Unfortunately, the screenwriting alters the pacing and hangs on too many clichés that ultimately fail to move the audience.

Gilbert’s path to healing requires a patience that gets lost in translation to film. The runtime feels uncomfortably lengthy at moments instead of carefully drawn out. Julia Roberts brings a placid Liz to the screen, only truly becoming animated in light of her supporting cast.

Javier Bardem breathes necessary, grounding life into the final leg of the movie. It is in Bali that the pieces of the narrative finally fall into place, but it still lacks the lasting mark the novel left behind. Eat Pray Love leaves a beautiful visual impression but loses its heart somewhere along the way.

Watch the Official Trailer for Eat Pray Love Below: