Listen, I don’t harbor Wendie’s all-consuming hatred for Julia Roberts, but Eat, Pray, Love is one of my favorite books ever, and I’d never pictured Julia Roberts in the lead role. I was thinking of someone younger, someone more playful, more malleable. Maybe a Kate Hudson or a Rachel McAdams or a Charlize Theron. Definitely not Julia Roberts.
It occurs to me that what I’m doing here is exactly what sometimes bothers me about my own readership — I found a book that I love, that I relate to, that speaks to me, and of course now I want the main character to be exactly like me, and I’m upset that she might not be. It’s something I see in the (fabulous!) hate/complaint emails I get from my own readers. I read why they’re upset, and then it occurs to me that, mostly, they’re disappointed because I’ve said or done something that makes me less similar to them. This is what I’m doing here. I’m disappointed, because I wanted Elizabeth Gilbert to be just like me, and that’s not how Julia Roberts is going to play her.
Anyway. The bright side? Javier Bardem is going to play Felipe. SWOON! I hope he’s all like “HEADS OR TAILS LIZ???” and then shoots Julia Roberts in the head.
lol
maybe speak for yourself
I share your disappointment with JR’s casting. She is just going to be jammed down our throats because there is someone somewhere who believes this unctuous bitch is “America’s Sweetheart” she’s not, and if you can’t get women in a movie theater with Clive Owen, it’s not going to happen with her carrying a movie on her own.
Most women hate her. Most women won’t pay to see her, most men won’t either. Sad she’s been allowed to ruin this story too.
I LOVE JULIA !!!!!!
I think julia does need to eat.
Search for any other god and culture other than praising and elevating her own.
Isn’t Julia too old to play this role? By about 10 years?
I don’t think that book needs to be made into a movie. It’s pretty boring when it gets to the pray part. I lost all interest after she left Italy.
I SO AGREE
OMFG, ahhahahaha
Mad props for this statement- hilarious!!! In “No Country” I thought Javier Bardem was the scariest guy on the planet and that if I saw him in subsequent roles I would never be able to forget him as Anton Sigur. Happily, in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, he was nothing but sexy and charming. A very good actor.
1. that book is about the most self-indulgent, selfish girl ever. i do think her story about over coming depression was well written though. 2. can’t stand Julia in ANYTHING.
sfgirl – actually i think the most self indulgent book ever was that awful “prozac nation” book. but “eat pray love” is pretty snotty, too. and julia roberts makes me want to hurl. javier bardem is way too good to be in this tripe.
I almost liked the book. Almost…until I just began to get annoyed at how completely self absorbed this woman is and how EVERYTHING WAS OK ONCE SHE FOUND A MAN (but given some of Beet’s comments, I can see how she relates to that)
And the pray part was the only GOOD part. The only time she actually tried to heal herself by looking inward, rather than outward.
So yeah, the movie will suck and be a romcom. I don’t give f*** whose in it.
You wanted the character to be like you so you pictured Charlize Theron or Kate Hudson? That’s funny!
Julia was wonderful, and she will elevate the character to somone other than,,, well… like the author of the story…
she was warm and gracious to those around her, and her energy is a good and loving one… unlike … well … the yang of those that envy that…. This will be a classic.
I don’t care anything about the book, i love julia and whatever the role she plays, she’ll be great…
I MISS HER ON THE SCREEN… I’M A HUGE FAN…
XOXO
I think Julia Robert is a great and loving actress to watch at the movie theaters always.I miss her not playing so much because I just love the way she acts in movies.I can’t wait to see her in February! Have a great new life expression in 2010 with love from my heart.
Julia Roberts is the best actress I have ever seen.I Think she should play in alot of movies with how wonderful she plays in movies. I cannot wait to see her play in Valentine’s Day this year. Hope Julia has a real nice and Happy New Years with new and exciting things to happen in her life. If you can I would to have a picture of Julia mailed to me. Julia is a great all-star actress I love always!
I just saw the movie, and having never read the book, I TOTALLY agree. She was much too old, much too thin, way to affected, and NO chemistry with Javier. Rachel Mccadams would have been precious in this movie, or Scartlet Johanson!
I read the book and found it boring and pretentious, and I’m not a particular fan of Julia Roberts. But I have no problem with an actress in her early forties (who is very attractive and could easily pass for a few years younger) playing a 35 year old. For those who dispute the author’s age, I direct you to the first page of the book where she describes herself as a woman in her mid-thirties. Both Scarlett Johansenn and Rachel McAdam are too young. I wondered if I didn’t relate to the book because I’m a little younger, but some of fans of the book posting on this board seem to be younger. However they also seem ignorant about the book and kind of self-absorbed. I guess that makes sense, though, since that’s how the character seemed to be.