At the New York premiere last night of Eat Pray Love – she’s always had great, looooong legs. Apparently she’s a runner now too having completed her first half marathon last Christmas so it was a toned Julia Roberts who was on display last night with that big famous smile, hoping for a good result this weekend as she carries a movie on her own for the first time in several years.

Curiously enough however, at press time, as noted during our liveblog yesterday, no reviews have been released. We’re less than 2 days away from the open and still the embargo is intact. The Inception embargo didn’t even last this long. Will those who loved the book go see the movie, and Julia, even if the critics hate?

I’ve not, as mentioned, read the book. I avoid those books. I avoid Oprah Winfrey. Her ministry and these so-called spiritual self studies don’t interest me, particularly when they’ve been funded by a publishing house before the actual journey. You do know that Elizabeth Gilbert’s “trip” was paid for by Viking, right?

I guess this isn’t unusual, to pitch a story idea and then go live out the story... but then again, where’s the line between authentic and contrived, especially if you’re expected to write a book by the end of it? Thanks to @angelica1941 for forwarding this amazing article on “Priv-lit” and female enlightenment in the age of Oprah. A fascinating read, a must-read, particularly for its amazing analysis of the Church of the Mighty Opes and the relationship between empowerment and old fashioned spending. Click here for the piece. Send me your thoughts.

As for Julia Roberts – well you know to me she’s a Movie Star, and I am campaigning to save the Movie Star...even if it means suffering through 2 hours of ChickenSoupness? I haven’t decided. Sigh. Sometimes I wish you could just write a cheque and drop it off at the box office without actually having to go inside. And I don’t mean buying a ticket and just not going because you want to be able to tell the difference between a ticket sold and a straight up donation, to distinguish between a career you support and a certain project that you don’t.

Am sad that Javier Bardem did not bring his new bride.


Photos from Wenn.com and Demis Maryannakis/Janet Mayer/Splashnewsonline.com