Julia Roberts' new move "Sit Pray Yawn" comes out today.

[Swede]

I think I'll give it a pass.

[Richardo]

1. Does she play Julia Roberts in this one?

[Heidi]

3. !!!!!!!!

Exactly. "Look into my gums. Not around my gums! Directly into my gums! *SNAP!* You're hyp-mo-tized!"

[Richardo]

6. "And now, I shall bray my patented shriek-laugh."

[Heidi]

8. "...while simultaneously poking out the cameraman's eyeballs with

my collarbone angular beauty."

[Richardo]

9. It's better with the strikeout

:P

As is Julia's dialog, now that I think about it.

[deutsey]

73. lol n/t

[Fire Walk With Me]

17. ...

:thumbsup:

[proteus_lives]

2. I work at a theater and helped move the print last night.

It's over two and half hours long.

It's like the Titanic of chick flicks.

[Phentex]

22. the book was so small yet it seemed to go on forever...

:boring:

[Tommy_Carcetti]

4. Let's see....a person at crossroads in his/her life takes a spiritual journey to...zzzzzzz

zzzzzzzzzz.....

Sorry, where was I?

Oh, the only thing that would make this movie sound boring would be if Colin Firth was in it.

Wait, is Colin Firth in it?

[Swede]

5. SSSShhhhhh

People are trying to sleep.

[Fleshdancer]

7. I like the book, but....

I just don't see how it would make for a good movie. A person's self discovery is difficult to translate on film.

[Yavin4]

10. Upper Middle Class White Woman Has Enough Job Security and Cash

To take a year off, travel the world, and find love with men like Javier Bardem and James Franco.

Iron Man's story line was far more believable.

[KamaAina]

32. Should have been subtitled "How A Privileged White Woman Got Her Groove Back"

Save the nine bucks or whatever and just play the only redeeming feature. I refer, of course, to The Song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOyfLBYtuU

[mnhtnbb]

11. Oh, so snarky. I loved the book and I'll see the movie regardless of what you think.

BTW, the sequel to the book, Committed, is an interesting exploration of the institution of marriage.
It also contains the incredible story of how Felipe was detained when entering the US with Elizabeth,
and the couple was given the choice of getting married or he would never be allowed to come into the US again. Quite a story.

[Swede]

12. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz,,,,,,,,,

I'm sorry,just not my cup of tea,I guess.

[Heidi]

14. Sweet dreams! (nt)

[LisaL]

19. So what did she do? Did she marry him or dumped him to the curb?

[mnhtnbb]

31. She married him--but they had to live outside the US for 10 months

while all the paperwork could be processed for them to get married.

They'd been living in the US--he on a 90 day visa, leaving and returning after a few weeks on a new 90 day visa--when he was refused entrance on one return trip because, according to Homeland Security, he couldn't do that.

It's quite the story.

[RadiationTherapy]

13. a 5-pound fruitcake of a movie.

[Pool Hall Ace]

15. OMG, I'm always up for a good laugh

and you provided one for today. Thank you! :applause:

[Lucian]

16. Yep. Same here.

Yawn.

[supernova]

18. What's with all the "guy" hate on a "girl" film?

:wtf:

So you don't like the movie, big deal. Or JR. :shrug:

I haven't read it, but lots of people are fans of the book. I might read it. Being of that bent myself, I'm a big fan of "spiritual growth" journeys, real or not.

It just seems silly to me to be hating on something you say you aren't interested in and have no intentions of seeing.

[MorningGlow]

21. Series!

:wtf: indeed. Misogyny much? Maybe a female should start an attack thread about The Expendables, which also opens this weekend. Howboutit?
Me, I can't be bothered with that level of venom. Yikers. :scared:

[mix]

20. absurd book, absurd movie....pass nt

[TK421]

23. It's nice to see Julia Roberts getting back into what she does best

yeah, I'm still thinking what that was

[REP]

24. Eat, Spend, Whine?

Just the synopsis of the book made Tonstant Weader fwow up.

[petronius]

39. There was a hilarious discussion on NPR (?) a few days back about the

huge number of commercial tie-ins that have come with this inner-self-finding movie...

[flvegan]

25. Somewhere, there are a number of men, dragged by their mates to this snoozefest

wishing they were home watching football, baseball, paint dry...

[supernova]

26. Just remember...

if you sit through the film, i.e. doing something that makes her happy, you probably will get laid.

So, Suck it up boys!

[flvegan]

29. You should see

the things I do to "make her happy" so I've got no real worries.

Though, admittedly, if she REALLY wanted to see it, I'd sit through it with her. Not because it would get me laid, but because that's what you do.

[edbermac]

27. 38% on RottenTomatoes

Not a good sign.

[bigwillq]

28. Hated the book

I like Julia, she could probably make it interesting. I will wait for NetFlix, though.

[txwhitedove]

30. Silly men. Your women are going to see James Franco, Billy Crudup,...

Javier Bardem, all the other fine men and exotic places in the movie. Sometimes we just want a pretty movie with a pretty woman living a pretty fantasy. It doesn't have to be serious or life changing. My daughter and I are going to see the movie Saturday, a girls night out away from little children, and I am looking forward to it.

:thumbsup:

[DevonRex]

71. Ooooh, Billy Crudup is in it too???? Well, then. That's a must see.

I was already gonna go see it because of yummy Javier but I'll go sooner because of Billy.

[woo me with science]

33. Misogyny? Huh?

I'm a woman and have no desire to see what I believe from the previews promises to be a faux-"deep" navel-gazing extravaganza.

I'd rather clean the bathrooms. It doesn't take as long.

[sammytko]

34. female here also, and I'd rather poke my eye out than go

see it. Just for the record, I love When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and some other funny chick flicks. This one just doens't seem interesting. The movie with Diane Lane buying a house in Italy was good - I even bought the DVD.

[skygazer]

36. Another female who agrees

Never had any use for Julia Roberts who plays the exact same character in every movie and the idea of sitting through 2 1/2 hours of someone's emotional angst fills ME with emotional angst. No thanks. I'll stay home and continue reading my nice, entertaining non-fiction account of the fall of Berlin at the end of WWII.

Why do people scream misogyny at the idea that stereotypically vapid and empty-headed schlock is just that? Women are supposed to be defending the fact that this is what's aimed at women? Really?

[tigereye]

41. she was good in Charlie Wilson's war-

but generally I agree that she usually plays the same character over and over and over :boring:



I have not read the book, so I'll reserve comment on it's content.

[Brickbat]

38. Didn't read the book, because the cares of privileged white women who want to find themselves are

across-the-board boring.

[MorningGlow]

40. I'm female and I'm not interested in seeing the movie either, but I stand by the "misogyny" claim

I just don't see the point in starting a thread just to bash something that the OP hasn't seen yet, based on the fact that it's about a woman's personal life journey. I mean, I despise the superhero movie genre, but I don't go out of my way to start threads making fun of the latest graphic novel crapfest just so like-minded people can join in in a pig-pile of an insult-fest.

[woo me with science]

52. Wow. Pig-pile?

I will let that remarkable comment stand all on its own.

I hope you feel better soon.

[MorningGlow]

54. Oh stop

It's a commonly accepted term referring to "ganging up". Don't make it more than it is.

[woo me with science]

56. Uh huh. Let's review.

We are on a discussion board where people routinely express opinions, both positive and negative, about movies, books, actors, restaurants, etc.

You for inexplicable reasons got offended that others posted a different opinion than you. You then broad-brushed people who don't like this movie or actress as woman haters.

When actual women chime in to say that they don't want to see it either, you accuse them of a "pig-pile."

The data suggest that we are not the ones with the problem here.

Take care, MorningGlow.

[MorningGlow]

57. Wow, way to miss the point

Or was that intentional? You know, the ol' "cue the righteous indignation and seize on some fringe aspect of a post instead of actually discussing the point in question"? Not that that EVER happens here. :sarcasm:

Yes, let's review: We are on a discussion board where lots of people really enjoy jumping on a topic without knowing much about it--in this case, a movie most everyone who has posted on this thread hasn't even seen--and make it the punching bag du jour without actual evidence that the movie is, in fact, as horrible as they all say it is.

I do stand by the term "misogyny" because the movie is ostensibly about a woman in search of happiness in her life, and that point alone has drawn plenty of mockery--again without actual evidence that it is worthy of so much venom.

Once AGAIN, this movie is also not my cup of tea, and I do not intend to see it, but I find it incredible that too many DUers enjoy slamming something "chick"ish merely because it is about a woman.

I don't care if people don't like it and mock it...if they actually bother to go SEE it first. Do you understand now?

On edit: missing word

[woo me with science]

60. Oh my.

So for THIS movie, as opposed to all the other movies people decide not to see based on the previews, we are obligated to go see it first before forming an opinion about whether we'll like it, because it is about a WOMAN. And since we didn't, we are woman haters!

LOL.

Thank you. I have been amused by a lot of knee-jerk victimhood on DU, but I think you just won a prize.

[MorningGlow]

61. Gimme a break

You can twist what I write all you want--knock yourself out. From now on you'll be playing your silly game by yourself.

[woo me with science]

62. No, MorningGlow, this was not my game.

I simply gave my opinion on a movie preview, along with many others. You are the one who could not tolerate criticism of a movie trailer just because the movie is about a (gasp!) woman. You are the one who began calling people woman haters.

Good luck trying to enforce your ridiculous rules that apply only to movies about women. As a feminist, you might want to think about the irony of them. :)

.

[WolverineDG]

43. Another woman checking in

no way am I at all interested in watching Julia Roberts discover food.

dg

[LisaL]

46. I have no desire whatsoever to watch it either.

[pink-o]

35. Hey, y'know what I think is misogynistic????

When Hollywood idiots sit in boardrooms and figure they're gonna get chick dollars with shlock like this. Such an original idea: stick Julia Roberts in some soul-searching romance with a bit of geography and women everywhere will drag their dates to see it.

It's the same mentality that got us Sarah Palin...people who think they can manipulate us just cuz we have 2 X chromosomes.

I'm a chick who HATES these movies. Best film I've seen in a long time is "The Girl who played with Fire", subtitles and all. When Hollywood can give us a fascinating female character like Lisbeth Salander, maybe I'll start going back to "Chick Flicks".

[tigereye]

42. well, I just saw Girl who Played with Fire- quite good

and The Kids are All Right- excellent film about women and families. Loved it. So Julia would not be my pick when I can watch Annette and Julianne act...

[lunamagica]

37. Another woman who has no desire to see this movie

Let me see.....this is about a woman who for some reason is unhappy and with her lige despite having a great job, a loving husband, health, money. She leaves husband for a "spiritual journey" she wants to "find herself" true happiness and inner peace. Does she find it by helping her fellow man? By trying to make the world better?

No.

She does it by eating, meditating, and of course, discovers that for a woman self-fulfillment and true joy and peace comes through romance; she sees that a woman can only "find herself" in the arms of a man; when she's in love. I, as a woman, find the whole thing insulting. Why does Hollywod believes that women only think and care about romance?

The fact that Julia Roberts stars in it doesn't help. I may be wrong, but I think she pretty much resembles the character she plays in the movie.

I wouldn't pay a dollar to sit for two hours listening to her horse-laugh and shaky-cry

I'd rather see paint dry

[Yavin4]

44. Why Do Movies Aimed At A Female Audience All Seem to Center Around Mass Consumption?

From "Sex and the City" to this movie, it seems like that all women want to do is shop and travel.

[undeterred]

45. I thought it was "Shit, Lay Down"

A dog movie.

[rug]

47. Thoughtful of them to put a review in the title.

[applegrove]

48. I didn't like the book that much so I think I'll skip it.

[rainbow4321]

49. Saw it today...not worthy enough to be as long as it is

For the most part it was ooookkkkkk, but it is NOT one of those 2+ hr movies where you go "OMG, it needed to be that long, I can't think of anything that they could have left out and still have gotten the story across"

The beginning had too many teeny tiny scenes where it looked like the literally 5 second shot was cut out and then randomly put back in a "let's stick it here" kind of way..if that makes any sense.

The theater was paaackkkked BUT I found out from my daughter who works at the theater that they could only use their 2 smallest seating theaters to show it because they were NOT sent the digital version of the movie so they couldn't put it in their largest seating/ screen theaters since their 2 largest seating screens ONLY take digital. She works at a 24 screen theater so they have options to show a movie on 2 or 3 screens depending on how popular it is.

If it doesn't do well this weekend they may be in trouble cuz it is not really one of those word of mouth movies where friends will tell friends and there will be a rush in the coming weekends.

[Kerrytravelers]

50. So many experiences one can have in life that I have yet to explore.

Exploratory surgery.
Being repeatedly run over by a car.
Having a rabid dog gnaw on my limbs as I cling to life.
Being tossed into an ant colony covered in honey.


And all of these experiences sound more fun than sitting through endless hours of Julia Roberts giggling, squealing and whatever it is that she does to get paid ridiculous amounts of money.


Television Without Pity had a field day:
http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/mwop/moviefile/2010/08/eat-pray-love-step-right-up-to.php

Julia Roberts plays the film's main character, a woman who is inexplicably miserable because, even though she is in her late 30s, she has no idea what she wants out of life or who she is. So she sets off around the world to figure out why that is. And it's true -- it is very hard to understand why she's so miserable! She is a rich, talented, privileged, white, skinny, arguably beautiful person with amazing, close friends and an adorable husband who just loves her so much. But he's not perfect, so being the immature monster she is, she decides she's not happy and divorces him and leaves everything behind to go on vacation for a year (she is that rich -- she can just up and go on an international vacation for a year) to "be happy," which, ugh.

Domestic dissatisfaction is a very real thing that happens to real women validly, but this character is not exactly Betty Draper -- she had every resource to work on her marriage and herself without making this the rest of the world's problem. An adult doesn't need to mop floors in some spiritual Indian retreat for rich Western assholes to find out that husbands can't possibly be 100% perfect, and that it's unrealistic and unhealthy to expect to be "happy" all the time. This woman doesn't need India; she needs some damn perspective. This woman sucks.

And the whole world-travel thing is just done so shallowly and half-assed that she just kind of wanders from country to country, speaking in bumper stickers about how fulfilled she is from the experience, but since this movie has no soul, it's all telling and no showing. And though I haven't read the book, I'd believe this woman is really like this, because I know a zillion New Yorkers like this. The way she acts in this movie is exactly why people hate rich white people -- "Oh how lovely of you all to cure me of my addiction to superficial bullshit with your interesting little cultures and charming wise men with no teeth!" It's so condescending and, even worse, offensively disingenuous. Originally, I was going to compare her to Carrie Bradshaw in the way that she is way too old to be such a petulant child, but at least Carrie Bradshaw owned her shallow, immature existence by devoting all her time to putting on $5,000 tutus and giant flower bows and shit. That girl may not have known what she wanted, but at least she didn't have to insult entire countries to try to figure it out.

Sounds like a delight. I'll take the ten bucks I could have spent on this movie and buy a broom instead. Then I'll take the handle and beat myself in the head for two and a half hours. Sounds like more fun.

[woo me with science]

53. "...cure...my addiction to superficial bullshit with your interesting little cultures...

and your charming wise men with no teeth!"

Bingo.

[6000eliot]

51. I think it should be called Puke, Curse, Hate.

[Capt.America]

55. Go see Expendables :)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

65. Too right-wing. Go see Predators. -nt

[xchrom]

58. the sequel will star a bitter drag queen --

searching the world for better pumps.

[Kerrytravelers]

59. Kinda been done already... Kinky Boots.

We were in the test audience and thought it was a nice little story about people coming together.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinky_Boots_%28film%29

[SwampG8r]

68. loved it great movie

[Flaxbee]

63. Jesus H. Christ, people, why so much hate and condescension?

It was NOT a bad book, in fact, she's actually a pretty damn good writer. There are some very funny passages in the book (yes, I read it. Ooooh, I guess I am a decadent navel-gazer). Apparently, according to the book, she lost most (all) of everything she had earned when she divorced (having been a pretty successful writer / having had some books optioned into movies - Coyote Ugly is one of them). Because of this success - and do we begrudge people here their successes, even if they gain such success creating something we don't like? Not something that hurts anyone, but just something that isn't to one's taste? But because of this success, her publisher advanced her $200K when she pitched this idea for a book.

Goddamn, I'd do what she did if I could. Who WOULDN'T want to take a year off and travel the world? In her 30s, she didn't know what she wanted from life. Is that a crime? I'm 40, and I still haven't been able to do with my life what I want to do (or think I want to do), for a variety of reasons, mostly financial. But do I resent Ms. Gilbert? No. Do I think she's a tad bit introspective? Yes. But isn't that what we all do here on this board? I did this, I like that, look at my work, pay attention to me! Gilbert just produced a well-written, long Facebook page and got paid handsomely for it.

Do we think that just because someone is rich and educated, they can't be unhappy or want to change their lives? That they MUST be happy because they have money or are fortunate in where and when they live?

Maybe this book gave some very unhappy women a few ideas about how to change their lives for the better. Just a few ideas, that's all.

You know, we're all trying to make it through one day at a time. For some people it is easier than others. But most people here on this board do realize money doesn't equal happiness. Makes life easier, yes. But happy? Not necessarily.

We can't make the whole world happy. We can try to make ourselves happy, and in doing so, perhaps we can improve the world a bit. Incrementally. I can tell you my husband and my family and my friends are unhappy when I am unhappy. When I'm happy, they're happier. Vice versa: if my loved ones are unhappy, I am miserable, I'm not productive, and I, too, am unhappy. Happier people usually do better things with their lives, which in turn often makes the world a better place.

At the very least, this book didn't hurt anyone. Nor will the movie. And while I didn't think so before I started reading this thread, I now do think there is a healthy dose of misogyny going on, especially in the reviews that are "clever" (snarky does not equal clever) and o-so-superior and state for some reason that women - rich women? thin women? white women? blondes? New Yorkers? what the f*ck is it? - don't deserve to take a break from their lives or leave a bad marriage without trying to "make it work". Women have fought for the right to have no-fault divorces - and one reviewer seems to think Ms. Gilbert should have stayed in a life that was making her unhappy - FOR WHATEVER THE REASON - to try to make the marriage work. Excuse me? Yes, let's go back to the old days, when women had to make the marriage work. Yes, please, let's take away the ability to get out of a bad situation. Let's dump on a woman who decided to get out of, what was for her, a bad marriage. She did not hurt anyone, aside from the emotional wreck left after a divorce, but if we despise people for divorcing then at least half this board deserves derision and hatred.

It seems to me that there is a huge rush by women to declare that they'd never do something frivolous, or self-indulgent, or silly, or not intellectually demanding or socially worthy. As if a woman can't be taken seriously if she isn't out curing cancer or reading Goethe or marching for equal rights or saving baby seals or doing something "worthwhile". And you know what? That thought is more dangerous, more misogynistic, more harmful than anything you'll ever find or think you've found in Eat, Pray, Love.

I suspect Ms. Gilbert is liberal. Julia Roberts is, too, from what I can tell. Perhaps they are both annoyingly self-satisfied with their lot in life. But if you don't like the way the person writes or acts, they don't read or see the content. I don't understand the need to tear the work down and declare that you'd rather be eaten by dingos than see a movie written by or starring either of those women. Oh really? Really.

Why don't we attack someone else - perhaps a man - who is also very smug and satisfied with his life, who is rich and can do whatever the hell he wants to do with his time. How about Richard Branson for shtuping a 20 year old model on his private tropical island? How about Jon Krakauer who actually writes about his decadent, sinful, self-indulgent life mountain climbing?

On second thought, let's not. Let's save the energy and vitriol for Republicans and conservatives who really ARE selfish and harmful.

Yes, I do know this is the Lounge. But the amount of derision spewed in this thread about a harmless book and perhaps silly movie really isn't funny.


Edited for a variety of reasons.

[Throd]

64. No, actually it is funny.

[msanthrope]

66. Read 'Eat, Pray, Spend" and understand why the book isn't 'harmless'.

It's anti-feminist and disgusting.

"Let Them Eat Kale

Eat, Pray, Love is not the first book of its kind, but it is a perfect example of the genre of priv-lit: literature or media whose expressed goal is one of spiritual, existential, or philosophical enlightenment contingent upon women’s hard work, commitment, and patience, but whose actual barriers to entry are primarily financial. Should its consumers fail, the genre holds them accountable for not being ready to get serious, not “wanting it” enough, or not putting themselves first, while offering no real solutions for the astronomically high tariffs—both financial and social—that exclude all but the most fortunate among us from participating.

The spending itself is justified by its supposedly healthy goals—acceptance, self-love, the ability to heal past psychic wounds and break destructive patterns. Yet often the buzz over secondary perks (weight loss, say, or perfect skin) drowns out less superficial discussion. Winfrey, again, is a chief arbiter of this behavior: As Stories of Oprah contributor Jennifer L. Rexroat points out, Winfrey presents herself as a “de facto feminist” with a traditional American Dream background who refuses to succumb to wifedom and enjoys pampering herself. Sometimes that involves espousing the works of spirituality writers Gary Zukav or Eckhart Tolle, who both appear regularly on her show. Sometimes it means talking about weight gain and self-loathing. Sometimes it necessitates buying a diamond friendship pinkie ring.

It’s no secret that, according to America’s marketing machine, we’re living in a “postfeminist” world where what many people mean by “empowerment” is the power to spend their own money. Twenty- and thirtysomething women seem more eager than ever to embrace their “right” to participate in crash diets and their “choice” to get breast implants, obsess about their age, and apply the Sex and the City personality metric to their friends (Are you a Miranda or a Samantha? Did you get your Brazilian and your Botox?). Such marketing, and the women who buy into it, assumes the work of feminism is largely done. Perhaps it’s because, unlike American women before them, few of the people either making or consuming these cultural products and messages have been pushed to pursue secretarial school instead of medical school, been accused of “asking for” sexual assault, or been told driving and voting were intellectually beyond them. This perspective makes it easy for the antifeminism embedded in the wellness jargon of priv-lit to gain momentum."

More at Link---
http://bitchmagazine.org/article/eat-pray-spend

[ceile]

70. Riiiight

And this article isn't?

"It’s no secret that, according to America’s marketing machine, we’re living in a “postfeminist” world where what many people mean by “empowerment” is the power to spend their own money. Twenty- and thirtysomething women seem more eager than ever to embrace their “right” to participate in crash diets and their “choice” to get breast implants, obsess about their age, and apply the Sex and the City personality metric to their friends (Are you a Miranda or a Samantha? Did you get your Brazilian and your Botox?). Such marketing, and the women who buy into it, assumes the work of feminism is largely done. Perhaps it’s because, unlike American women before them, few of the people either making or consuming these cultural products and messages have been pushed to pursue secretarial school instead of medical school, been accused of “asking for” sexual assault, or been told driving and voting were intellectually beyond them. This perspective makes it easy for the antifeminism embedded in the wellness jargon of priv-lit to gain momentum."

Why doesn't the author just come out and say "you women are idiots who can't think for yourselves"? The most riduculous thing I've read in a long time....

[txwhitedove]

67. Thanks, Flaxbee. Agree and appreciate you putting in words all

I was seeing here but afraid the pig-pile would land on me if I dared disagree.

We actually saw the movie this weekend. It was good, not great, and way too long. Liz didn't go traveling to find love, a man did not save her, and she paid her own way with earned money - so how does that imply privilege? My son works just so he CAN travel 6 to 10-months at a time, and we certainly aren't privileged. Anyway, good movie to watch at home, and not worth all the vitriol spewed here.

I LOVED movie of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and cannot understand why Americans think the movie needs to be remade in English. For the record, this female can watch Lifetime and Spike TV, without either skewing my brain or politics.

[DevonRex]

72. Best reply in this thread. Thank you. nt

[KamaAina]

69. Review: Eat Pray Love? More Like Sit Stare Yawn

You were this close...

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/movie_reviews/b195119_review_eat_pray_love_more_like_sit.html

Director and cowriter Ryan Murphy (he who begat Glee) certainly knew about the book's controversy, and instead of staying true to Gilbert's foolhardy persona, he decided to make a Serious movie. The trailer shows all the funny parts—the rest of Eat Pray Love consists of Julia Roberts, one of our most vivacious actresses, gazing contentedly/wistfully/sadly out to the horizon/ocean/table full of wonderful friends she has just made in a foreign country. The goofy laugh and big smile are in hiding most of the time.