THE SECRET: DARE TO DREAM

US, 2020, 107 minutes, Colour.

Katie Holmes, Josh Lucas, Celia Weston, Jerry O'Connell, Sarah Hofmeister, Aidan Brennan, Chloe Lee, Katrina Begin.

Directed by Andy Tennant.

This film is based on a popular self-help book by Australian-born, Rhonda Byrne, published in 2006, with a documentary film made from it to which she contributed. She also contributed to this feature dramatisation of her book.

This is the kind of film that is easy for critics to deride but which becomes popular with a public. As it illustrates the power of positive thinking, it presents various scenarios which sceptics would be very critical of. However, it also shows the effect of people thinking positively and acting positively.

Katie Holmes plays Miranda, a widow with young children, her husband dead in a plane crash, an engineer. She tries to manage, working for a friend, Tucker (Jerry O’Connell) who is, more or less, her boyfriend. This arrangement is encouraged by her mother in law played by Celia Weston.

The main part of the story comes from the appearance of an engineer, Bray, played by Josh Lucas. He comes with a mysterious envelope for Miranda but she is not home, they have a slight crash on the road, Bray helping with the repairs, coming home, and helping with the repairs on the house. He is looked on with suspicion by the mother in law.

There is a revelation that he worked with Miranda’s husband, and suspicions that he had stolen a patent. However, a copy of the patient was in the envelope which he was delivering to Miranda when the accident happened. Miranda except Tucker’s proposal but is angry with Bray – until it is revealed that he had good intentions and was bringing her the gift of the patent. And a positive happy ending. The film was directed by Andy Tennant (Ever After, Anna and the King, Hitch – and, more latterly, The Kaminski Method for TV).

1. The title? Based on the self-help, inspirational book, The Secret (and the documentary film of the title of 2004)?
2. The power of positive thinking, optimism, knowing what you want before you ask for it…?
3. The Louisiana setting, the weather and the oncoming storm, the water, fishing, the market, restaurant? Home, interiors? The countryside? The flashbacks to Vanderbilt University? The musical score?
4. Miranda, age, widow, three children? At the market, bargaining, tough stances? With Tucker, friendship, work? Eventual proposal? The dentist and the cost of root canal? Insurance? Broke but not poor? Bess wanting a pony?
5. Bray, the mysterious envelope, the encounter with Greg, their secret, the envelope? Miranda crashing into him? His reaction, reassuring, offering to help, following the family home, his solution for the repairs, the achievement? His motivations, explanations of his philosophy of life? The later revelation about his sadness, wife, divorce, her infidelity? His coping, his aphorisms and their being quoted? His hesitation in giving Miranda the envelope, putting it in the letterbox, its being washed away by the storm, the later recovery and the document?
6. Miranda, the children, driving them home, Missy and her 16^th birthday party, Bess and the lie at school about the pony, Greg at home, is inventiveness? Family life, meals? The response to Bray? The discussion about pizza, its arriving – sent by Tucker?
7. Bray, the hotel, the room, the view, friendly with the receptionist and encouraging her studies?
8. The storm, electricity, the tree coming through the house, the family sheltering in the bath tub? The aftermath, Bray and his offering to help, the summary of the costs, the material, his work, the skylight?
9. Bobbie, mother-in-law, intervening in Miranda’s life, favouring Tucker? Suspicious of Bray? The invitation for the family to stay with her? Her reaction to the rebuilding of the roof? Her advice for Miranda to sell? The party, her presence, Tucker and his proposal, Miranda taken aback, consenting? Her reconsideration, telling the children she should have consulted them, giving Tucker back the ring, explaining to Bobbie?
10. Missy, discussion with Bray, what she wanted, the toffee making, the balloons, the visitors, her joy, the toffee?
11. Bobbie, googly, the truth about Bray, Miranda upset, the flashbacks, Bray with Miranda’s husband, the invention, her accusations? Sending him away? Bray returning home? The scenes at home – suggestion that Jennifer was his wife, teasing the audience, his sister?
12. The document delivered, the truth about the patents, the finances – and Miranda paying off debt, teeth fixed… Her decision to go and visit Bray, his coming to her, Miranda and the discussions with Jennifer? The phone calls on their travels?
13. The happy ending?
14. Audiences and the response to hope, romance, positive thinking? Other audiences dismissing the film as schmaltzy, cheesy…?