The Secret: Dare to Dream is based on a self-help book, which is turn based on a pseudocumentary. I have not read the book (nor will I ever), but judging from the movie, it must be a lot like Brian Griffin’s Wish It, Want It, Do It – complete with the 50 blank pages.

The first thing the movie does is instruct me that there are two ways I can live my life; one is as if everything were a miracle, and the other as if nothing were. But if everything is a miracle, then nothing is a miracle; the very concept of ‘miracle’ would not exist. Let’s put it this way: if everything were a miracle, then many of the things that Jesus does in the Bible would no longer be special.

The only gospel, however, that TS:DtD preaches is the New Age Gospel. God’s name is invoked only once (when Einstein is misquoted as saying that “Coincidence is God’s way of staying anonymous”). The film revolves around the Law of Attraction, a pseudoscientific belief that positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person’s life.

The most curious thing about all this is that the movie stars Katie Holmes; this doesn’t mean that she believes this nonsense, although it’s no secret that she’s not very picky when it comes to choosing belief systems; either way, I sincerely hope this is not what she left Scientology for.

According to IMDb, “Miranda (Katie Holmes) [is] a young widow trying to make ends meet while raising her three children and dating her boyfriend (Jerry O’Connell). A devastating storm brings an enormous challenge and a mysterious man, Bray (Josh Lucas), into Miranda’s life. Bray reignites the family’s spirit but, unbeknownst to Miranda, also holds an important secret – one that will change everything. With its timeless messages of hope, compassion, and gratitude, The Secret: Dare to Dream is an inspiring and heartwarming film that shows how positive thoughts can transform our lives.”

The message is that if we think very hard we can all have a huge house, a pony, and a Mac computer. Of course there are caveats; sometimes you think of Matthew McConaughey and the best the Universe can come up with is Josh Lucas. And what about Tuck (O’Connell), Miranda’s boyfriend – briefly fiancé – whose engagement ring she returns, breaking his heart? Weren’t his thoughts positive enough? Or maybe he just looks too much like Tom Cruise for her taste.