The movie created an issue in Rome due to a "creative license" made by the filmmakers. The city of Rome hosts two football teams (AS Rome and SS Lazio), fierce rivals. In Elizabeth Gilbert's original novel (on which the film is based) it is made clear that Mr Spaghetti was a SS Lazio fan. However, due to the limited appeal and knowledge of the "SS Lazio" team outside Italy, the filmmakers decided to made him an "AS Rome" fan. This decision enraged the local SS Lazio fans (who of course became immediately objects of mockery by the AS Roma fans).
Julia Roberts invited her friend Garry Marshall to direct the film, but Marshall declined because he was unwilling to travel outside America to the locations where the film takes place. However, during the meet Marshall offered Roberts a role in Valentine's Day (2010) (on which he was working), which she accepted. This, in turn, allowed Ryan Murphy to step in as director.
When Liz was in the bathtub reading an Italian dictionary, she mispronounced the word Macinapepe (Pepper Grinder/Mill). In the Italian consonants, C before I or E is like the English ch.
When Elizabeth and Tulsi talk over lunch at the Ashram, Tulsi is wearing glasses on her face. In the next shot of Tulsi, from behind, her glasses are on top of her head. In the next shot, the glasses are back on her face.
Liz Gilbert: Maybe my life hasn't been so chaotic. It's just the world that is and the only real trap is getting attached to any of it. Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.
Liz Gilbert: Hadn't I wanted this? I had actively participated in every moment of the creation of this life. So why didn't I see myself in any of it? The only thing more impossible than staying... was leaving. I didn't want to hurt anybody, I wanted to slip quietly out the back door and not stop running until I reached Greenland.
What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Director's Cut?
A
The Director's Cut is about five minutes longer than the Theatrical Version and features five new scenes, for example a new scene with an argument between Liz and David, which motivates their break up later and another scenes deepens the figure of Delia, but generally these new scenes aren't that interesting. One could say, they only speak out what has so far left unsaid. Since both versions are on the same DVD/BluRay there's no need to decide which version to buy. A detailed comparison between both versions with pictures can be found here.