Message in a movie

KARACHI: Film studios have started to make self-help books into self-help films and the latest book on this list is the best-seller Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray which was first published in 1992. Self-help books instruct readers on how to improve their lives and sort out problems through their own efforts. This genre became popular around the mid-19th century and is still all the rage today.

The idea has been picked up Hollywood film studios which have started making self-help books into self-help movies which deliver a message to viewers. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus is being turned into a film by Summit Entertainment. The book is a guide to understanding the opposite sex and is based on years of successful counselling of couples and individuals.

The book has helped millions of couples transform their relationships by stressing the differences that exist between men and women and how important it is for a couple to communicate with each other. Other films which have been based on self-help books include He’s Just Not That Into You, The Secret and Mean Girls. He’s Just Not That Into You He’s Just Not That Into You was published in 2004 and was written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. The book aims to help women understand men without making excuses about their behaviour, in Behrendt’s words “If a (sane) guy really likes you, there ain’t nothing that’s going to get in his way.”

The film version was was released in 2009 and followed the love lives of about a dozen characters and a starry cast including Drew Barrymore, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck. The movie shows Gigi (Goodwin) trying to understand the mixed signals men give and failing miserably. She meets Alex (Long), the character who most resembles the book’s teachings and who believes he knows the ins and outs of dating. The Secret The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is a book that promises one money, health, great relationships and happiness and has caught the interest of media figures including Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Larry King.

The Secret says that the secret to attaining your goals is to use the Law of Attraction to draw good things to you; it is to think positively and become a magnet for your goal. The film version was released in 2006 and was produced by Prime Time productions. The film was made in a documentary format to show the Law of Attraction and consists of a series of interviews related to the idea of positive thinking. The Secret describes the Law of Attraction principle which states that positive thoughts can attract events. Mean Girls The romantic comedy Mean Girls is based on Rosalind Wiseman’s Queen Bees and Wannabes. Wiseman encourages adults to view the world from a daughter’s perspective and urges parents to be a positive role model for their children. Mean Girls, scripted by Tina Fey, was released in 2004.

The film shows how female high school social cliques operate and the effect it can have on girls. The film shows Cady Heron (played by Lindsay Lohan) change from a sweet girl into the evil ‘Queen Bee’ of the ‘Plastics’, an exclusive group that boasts of the most popular girls in school. The film was a massive hit.