'Think Like a Man' success: Are women the film's secret weapon?

theGRIO REPORT - Just like the success of Steve Harvey's book, 'Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man,' the film adaptation, 'Think Like A Man,' is profiting from female support...

Chris Witherspoon

Apr 30, 2012

This weekend the romantic comedy Think Like a Man raked in $18 million at the box office, making it the number one movie in America for the second weekend in a row. According to Sony, the movie has amassed a domestic total of $60.9 million, and has already outperformed several successful black films, including all but two of Tyler Perry’s movies: Madea Goes to Jail and Madea’s Family Reunion.

The film, based on Steve Harvey’s relationship advice book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, follows four couples whose romantic lives are turned upside-down by the bestseller. The women band together to read Harvey’s book, and when the men realize that the ladies are taking his tips, they try to turn the tables on their mates.

Harvey’s book became a huge hit in part because it targeted female readers who wanted to know what men were thinking. The book promised insight into “what men really think about love, relationships, intimacy and commitment.”

Think Like a Man brought Harvey’s advice book to life, allowing moviegoers to see many of the book’s premises and theories play out on the big screen. One such concept is “The 90-Day Rule,” which is the notion that women should hold out on being intimate with the man they are dating for a 90-day probationary period, similar to how companies withhold benefits until a new employee works for 90 days.

The film also brings some of Harvey’s other advice topics to life including “the five questions every woman should ask a man to determine how serious he is,” “how to spot a mama’s boy and what, if anything, you can do about it,” and “when to introduce to introduce your date to your kids.”

Just like the success of Harvey’s book, Think Like a Man, is profiting from female support. During its opening weekend, the movie’s audience wound up being overwhelmingly female (63 percent) and also skewed much older (62 percent over 30 years of age).

Think Like a Man is not the first black film to succeed largely because of ticket sales from a predominately female audience. The Help, which earned nearly $170 million at the box office last year, profited largely from female supporters. Both films started out as widely successful novels that captivated female readers, and translated that success into box office ticket sales for the film adaptations.

With Think Like a Man leading the box office for a second weekend in a row, many are left wondering if female moviegoers could start a new book-to-film trend.

Follow Chris Witherspoon on Twitter at @WitherspoonC