Lionsgate Home Entertainment sent me The Secret: Dare To Dream Blu-ray in late September. The film is loosely inspired by the self-help book and documentary The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, which I'm not too familiar with besides the law of attraction theme. Roadside Attractions and Gravitas Ventures were going to release the film to theaters in April 2019, but it got delayed due to the COVID-19 pademic. Instead it received a VOD release during the summer.

Anyway, instead of watching the film upon receiving it, I made the mistake of reading a few of its reviews. And, well, there were many negative thoughts about the movie. Nevertheless, I eventually made time to watch it, and, surprisingly, I enjoyed it.

Co-written and directed by Andy Tennant, the film centers on Miranda Wells (played by Katie Holmes), a down-on-her-luck widow & mother of three children who runs into a kind stranger, Bray (played by Josh Lucas), by accident on the eve of Hurricane Hazel. The next morning she crosses paths with him again, and he insists on repairing the roof to her house. What seems like a good gesture by a kind man turns out to be something else. Bray wasn't in the right place at the right time. (Actually, he kind of was, but the situation is complicated.) It turns out he was looking for Miranda when their lives intertwined.

I'm going to stop here before I end up spoiling the whole plot for everyone. It's a romantic movie, so you can take a wild guess how it ends.

Rounding out the cast are Jerry O'Connell, Celia Weston, Sarah Hoffmeister, Aidan Brennan, and Chloe Lee.

Final Thoughts

There are two ways to watch The Secret: Dare To Dream.

1. As a spinoff of self-help novel The Secret.

2. As a goodhearted Hallmark-style romance.

I don't understand the negativity that the film has received, besides the fact the plot has nothing to do with the "law of attraction." Down to its core, the movie is a charming, family-friendly romantic movie. For the most part, the acting is way above average for this type of film. Josh Lucas and Katie Holmes both give good performances. Jerry O'Connell does a decent job as "the boyfriend," but the role a bit too small.

The picture and sound qualities on the Blu-ray are excellent. The only Special Feature is the featurette "The Secret on Set." The combo set comes with a DVD and Digital Code.

Overall, The Secret: Dare To Dream is a well-made, sappy romantic flick. It's not perfect. I could do without the corny ending, but it's still an enjoyable movie.