The film is divided into three parts, each concentrating on eating, praying or loving. The first part is set in Italy where Liz (Julia Roberts) starts her journey and rediscovers the simple joys of food and eating.
The second segment is in India, where Liz finds a guru to pray with and learns to forgive and accept herself and her past.
In the last part, Liz she ends up in Bali. There she studies with a "medicine man" she met previously for work and eventually finds a balance between life and love, with Felipe (Javier Bardem).
It would be unfair to compare the movie to the book, which has far more space to provide all the details and suspense that make a truly great story. But the director has done an impressive job of presenting the most basic but important messages in life: forgiveness of yourself and others; passion in life; and the paradox and meaning of love.
The movie is uplifting and will be enjoyed by anyone currently questioning what they want from life. And there is some great acting by a strong supporting cast to boot, including Richard Jenkins, James Franco, and some incredibly warm, authentic, funny Balinese characters.