Eat Pray Love, which was released in 2010 is one of Ryan Murphy’s most loved movies. The movie is biographical and tells the story of – Elizabeth Gilbert, (also the author of the book – Eat, Pray, Love) who goes on a journey of self-exploration and self-discovery soon after her divorce.
This film is a wonderful story about her journey around the world, in search of love and meaning. In this article, we have tried to find some movies like Eat Pray Love which you can watch during your free time at home.
Elizabeth, played by Julia Roberts, takes a break from her life which always feels rather empty, despite the number of friends and well-wishers she keeps in it. She is a tall,
good looking blond who is easily loved by men but cannot seem to love them back. She decides to travel the world, seeking enlightenment- a fact which she unhesitatingly tells everyone she befriends. Julia Roberts has made one of her rare appearances in the movie which, coupled with the romantic beauty of Italy,
Bali, and India, creates a loving atmosphere that can only be seen in inspiring films like Eat Pray Love.
Check out the list below to find movies that have succeeded in creating a similar vibe and story-
Paris Can Wait
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There is nothing better than a road trip that takes you through France and helps reawaken your senses. Paris Can Wait, written and directed by Eleanor Coppola- is the women’s anthem for self-examination, love, and self-analysis.
The movie follows Anne, played by Diane Lane, who reaches a certain crossroads in her life during her journey from Cannes to Paris.
She is accompanied by her husband’s business partner- Jacques (Arnaud Viard), who drives her around in blue Peugeot and takes every chance he can get to stop at every food stop or rendezvous along the way.
The movie is similar to Eat, Pray, Love, and includes picturesque views, fine dining, and wine. The movie talks about spontaneity, enjoying life, and taking note of the finer things in life.
Wild
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Just like Elizabeth’s Eat, Pray, Love- Wild is a biographical drama directed by Jean-Marc Vailee. The screenplay written by Nick Hornby is based on Cheryl Strayed’s memoir: Wild- From Lose to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Cheryl (Reese Witherspoon) is also at a strange juncture of life, having just been divorced with more than a couple demons to overcome.
To give herself the needed confidence boost and head-start her life, after a messy divorce, she decides to put herself in an apparent insurmountable physical ordeal.
This true story follows Cheryl as she goes along the Pacific Crest Trail across the continental US. Obviously, this movie is about self-exploration, but it also talks about mental fortitude and physical endurance.
Tracks
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This is a 2014 drama film starring Mia Wasikowska and Adam Driver. Just like the two wonderful features mentioned above, this movie is also based on the real-life memoir of Robyn Davidson.
The movie features the scenic beauty of the Australian desert, and unlike most travel movies that rely on lively and colorful encounters, this movie features the real dirt and struggle in barren lands.
The movie shows Robyn, a young woman from Brisbane, who sets out to walk all the way from Alice Springs to Western Australia’s coast. Our heroine has no idea of the challenges which she will have to face and the number of things she will be able to discover about herself.
The movie is truly inspirational and explores the theme of solitude, solo travel, and self-affirmation.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
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If you like Eat Pray Love then there is no chance that you haven’t already heard of this cult classic. In case you haven’t watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, then you should consider fixing this error immediately.
The movie has the same theme as the movie in consideration and delves into the ideas of exploration, growth, and introspection through travel. The movie is based on a fictional story and stars Ben Stiller as Walter Mitty- a negative asset manager in the Life magazine.
Walter is caught in the rut of life and feels suppressed in the American corporate world. A romantic encounter pushes him to turn his far-flung adventure fantasies into reality. The man goes on the search of a photographer but what he finds instead turns out to be much more life-changing.
Everything Is Illuminated
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This 2005 feature is based on the much-loved novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer. The movie is also biographical in nature with some rare blends of drama and humor.
The movie begins with slight goofiness and towards the end takes a tone of memory and silence. The perfect direction of the movie takes you along its journey from one side to another.
The movie shows a deeply personal quest of a man for meaning. Alex, our hero, takes off from his home in the US and travels to Ukraine to find the woman who rescued and protected his grandfather at the time of the Holocaust.
Along his way, the man is made to confront his past pains for once and for all. The movie tries to answer the question and significance of personal history on the present and future, making it one of the best life-changing movies on our list.
The Tree
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The Tree was released I 2017 and starred Joicie Appell, Laura Kirk, and Kip Niven. The movie has been inspired by the actual friendship shared between the director’s mother and her best friend and tells a heart-warming, poignant tale that has been wonderfully directed by Stephen Wallace Pruitt.
The movie has received some of the most positive reviews among travel dramas. The movie aims to prove that it’s never too late for an adventure.
It tells the story of headstrong 88-year-old- Dorothy, who aims to travel the road back home to Indiana from Kansan in her own way. The movie does not have anything fancy- it is pure and subtle, dealing with conflicting issues like independence and aging. The tone is soft and relatable, with some amazing performances by the actors.
Midnight in Paris
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This movie is perfect for romantics. Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, which was released in 2011 gives you a tour of the beautiful city from the eyes of a couple.
This movie is a visual feast that comes with a rousing soundtrack. If you have had the chance to visit Paris, chances are that you will recognize ad number of locations featured in the movie. However, there is a twist in the movie. The two lead characters have a lover’s spat, causing Gil to walk the streets of Paris alone.
While out in the night, he is caught in a time warp which takes him back to a Paris of another epoch. Part romantic comedy, part fantasy- this is a uniquely memorable movie that talks about passion, love, and the beauty of being able to get lost.
Away We Go
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Verona and Burt come to the realization that they are going to have a baby- their first. Following this, they decide to go on a search across America to discover a place where they can raise their child.
The movie is similar to Eat Pray Love, Away We Go was released in 2009 and talked about the search for clarity anytime you are presented with a difficult question by life.
The couple goes around the country, visiting relatives and friends, they slowly begin to understand and appreciate the true meaning of the word ‘home’ and how it is a rather fluid concept in the modern world.
This indie movie is a lighthearted comedy starring John Krasinki and Maya Rudolph has been written by Dave Eggers and directed by Sam Mendes.
Chocolat
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Unlike Eat Pray Love there isn’t a lot of traveling in this classic movie, however, the redolent setting of Chocolat will easily transport you to a small town in France.
When Elizabeth begins to learn Italian and suddenly feels more grounded in her surroundings, we feel a certain bond with her adoptive community. Chocolat, released in 2001, also gives us a similar feeling of connection.
The story shows Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and her daughter moving to a small, conservative village in France where they decide to open their chocolate shop.
They struggle to win over the taste buds and hearts of their neighbors, finally succeeding in ingratiating themselves within the community. The movie also stars Johnny Depp- the perfect romantic element that we need in a movie.
The Puffy Chair
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This is a low budget Duplass brothers film, with Mark Duplass playing a struggling musician who happens to win a puffy chair on eBay. He decides to pick it up and deliver it to his father on his birthday.
This would mean a two-day trip and Mark decides to make the most of this cross-country adventure by inviting his dopey brother and girlfriend.
This is probably one of the best mumblecore on road movies. The Puffy Chair is a humorous relationship drama that weaves twists and turns with the needed amount of drama in a way that keeps the plot epic and authentic.
The movie is an unusual comedy of human manners and a very successful debut by two brothers who have supplied a breath of fresh air to the genre.
Under the Tuscan Sun
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Much like Eat Pray Love, this movie is also based on the real-life memoir of an author who decides to transport herself to the other side of the planet with the hope that it will transform her life.
Like the name suggests, Under the Tuscan Sun- released in 2003- is set in the Tuscan countryside, which provides the perfect backdrop for an adventure such as this.
Frances Mayes, played by Diane Lane, leaves her past with her cheating husband in San Francisco behind. She joins a group touring Italy in hope of finding some inspiration.
She ends up buying a whole villa and beginning her life in the small town of Cortona. The place has an eclectic bunch of people who have reached there from all around the world and they all end up teaching her important lessons in life.
A Walk in the Woods
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You all must have heard about the seminal travel author- Bill Bryson. A Walk in the Woods, released in 2015, is a transformation of one of his books into a very famous travel movie.
The film draws on the memoir written by Bryson in 1998, bringing to life the overland journey that he took along the beautiful Appalachian Trail.
Bill does not wish to take the entire hike on his own and asks an old friend to come along. Things are not pleasant, however, since the two butt heads immediately but eventually solidify their friendship.
Just like other inspirational travel movies on this list, A Walk in the Woods showcases physical endurance and has a lot of wisdom to pass on about the human spirit and how we must carry on even when times are hard.
And So it Goes
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And So it Goes was released in 2014, under the direction Rob Reiner, with a screenplay provided by Mark Andrus. Reiner has taken care to gather an amazing cast with Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton starring as the main leads.
The movie shows Oren Little as a cynical realtor who has not recovered from the death of his wife and estrangement from his only son.
Leah (Keaton) is his tenet with whom he becomes unexpectedly involved when the two of them find themselves taking care of his granddaughter. The movie has been filmed in some of the most scenic sections of Connecticut.
Reiner, as well as his team, have been able to show some of the best character developments seen in a movie which ends up giving us a life lesson or two.
Vicky Christina Barcelona
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Have you ever imagined what you would do if a tall, dark, strikingly gorgeous stranger offered to take you and your girlfriend away to spend a weekend in the beautiful Spanish countryside? Well, this is the kind of question which Vicky and Christina have to answer at the very beginning of the 2009 feature- Vicky Christina Barcelona.
This is our second Woody Allen movie on the list. It is a simple but extremely entertaining feature. Juan Antonio is one of the wisest characters in all of Woody Allen’s movies, delivering wise anecdotes throughout the movie.
The star cast of Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson, and Rebecca Hall create a romantic and hilarious atmosphere that keeps you engaged throughout the movie.
Dare To Be Wild
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One of the latest movies that have the same vibes as Eat Pray Love but are not known that well is Dare to be Wild. Released in 2018, this movie received mixed reviews with a number of people calling it cliché.
However, we prefer to view it as a movie which meets all the required standards, other than that you can judge for yourself.
This movie is also based on an incredible story. It shows an episode in the life of Mary Reynolds, an environmental activist and landscape designer of Irish descent. The movie shows environmentalist Christy Collard and Reynolds joining forces to change the world view about nature.
They travel to Ethiopia looking for inspiration, with the final destination being London, where she hopes she’ll be able to realize her dream of showcasing at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show.
The Darjeeling Limited
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There are only a couple of movies that have been able to come close to the romance and nostalgia created by Wes Anderson in his 2007 movie The Darjeeling Limited.
Part personal quest and part overland journey, the story shows three brothers who travel across India by train in an effort to find spiritual enlightenment and improve their interpersonal relationships.
The soundtrack is wonderful, with a rather romanticized depiction of traveling in India. We are sure that after you watch this movie, India will become one of the prime places in your bucket list. The movie is a great insight into loopholes in modern families and how they can overcome the same when facing a crisis.
Conclusion:
When you are sitting at home, trying to discover things about yourself, any help becomes highly necessary. When you want to find some inspiration, but can’t seem to find the right kind of content, you can always depend on self-exploration movies like Eat, Pray, Love.
One of the most important reasons for watching movies is their strange ability to transport us into a world which is absolutely different from our present surroundings. The search for our inner selves always leads us to movies about self-love and discovery which can help us to better understand the workings of our own heart.
If you like Eat Pray Love we are sure that you will also take a liking to the movies mentioned in our list above- which are some of the most refreshing reels produced in recent times.