Rick Wilkes - Thrivingnow.com

Well, count me as someone who savored the book and laughed out loud enough in Starbucks each morning that people asked what I was reading. I work everyday with (mostly) women who are on a spiritual journey. Some have endured abuse, disrespect, serious trauma, or “just” lack of healthy physical and emotional boundaries. What is described in the book–while it covers three countries and more distinct “venues” than most people experience–aptly described what so many of us go through.

The tearing down. The reconnecting to Source, to inner guidance. The exploration of sensual pleasures with deep mindfulness. The awakening of kundalini energy. The experience of Oneness that becomes our Knowing to carry with us during all the other moments where we feel not-quite-One-with-the-Universe. The “becoming safe again” with our power and sexuality in relationship with another.

I’d give the book a 9. The movie a 2.

Why? Well, Julia Roberts was asked to portray someone who I felt had a very different energy in the book. Julia is older, Julia HAS three children, and frankly she has the mommy tattoo on her face (to quote the book).

What has bugged me the most, perhaps, is the way they portrayed both Richard and Felipe. Richard was, in her time in India as she portrayed him in the book, a man who HAD forgiven himself. He helped keep her grounded through humor and the kind of loving pokes that brought her back to her core issues over and over. The Richard of the movie was much more unhealed. Indeed, the story they spun on the roof totally changed the dynamic of that situation for Liz to one where she was being TOLD (!) by Richard to stay up there until you forgive yourself… when movie-Richard  had not forgiven himself yet! It was off. And not true to either the book or the authentic healing situation that lead her to that spiritual connection and release.

Felipe in the book was older, by 17 years if I recall. He felt to me like a confident, spiritually mature man… and like most Brazilians very comfortable and natural with sex and sexuality. Felipe COURTED her. He created safe spaces for her to be honest. He respected her boundaries, and also felt a mutual attraction bringing them together. To me he modeled the kind of man that, by 52, a man should be who has been through those life experiences and done his own work. Liz conveyed to me that she could feel his desire for her… as well as his willingness to give her space. They went from yes… to Yes… to YES… to YES YES YES!

Movie Felipe was portrayed as Liz’s age. (The actor Javier Bardem is 42, Julia Roberts almost 43). And his son (not in the book) says it is time for Dad to break his 10 year celibacy. Add to it this weird beach confrontation between them, followed by the Runaway Bride Revisited, and it didn’t leave me feeling particularly good about their relationship… when in the book the flow was far more healing, natural, and as she even said, fairytale like.

Add to that, perhaps, that in the book she refused to detail her ex-husband’s antics. It felt to me like she was honoring that neither of them were at their best in that duel. In the movie, he is portrayed as DERANGED. “My client would like to…” when he was representing HIMSELF. Perhaps that was what really happened. But jeesh, just showing that he wasn’t willing to let her go even if she gave him everything would have been enough to make it clear to the audience his hurt-vindictive state of mind.

All that said, I loved the book. Spiritual journeys are hard to capture in writing, and I certainly enjoyed following hers.

Rick