The recently released movie What To Expect When You're Expecting has plenty of stars (Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Chace Crawford, Elizabeth Banks) and a storyline chockablock with pregnancy and, eventually, birth.
Critics hated it but viewers gave it a somewhat warmer reception.
Elizabeth Banks and Brooklyn Decker in What To Expect: The Movie
The mere fact a movie called What to Expect... got made reflects the strength of the brand of the 28-year-old self-help book that inspired it, What to Expect When You're Expecting.
And it is an awesome brand. WTE is in its fourth edition, with more than 15 million books in print.
The author of What to Expect When You're Expecting, Heidi Murkoff, wrote the first edition of the book with her late mother, Arlene Eisenberg, and her sister Sandee Hathaway, who is no longer involved with the series. Sharon Mazel co-authored the fourth edition.
The WTE franchise also includes books on babies and toddlers, plus a baby-sitter's handbook.
The WTE website now has a page about the movie, including the stars' thoughts about the book. It has all come full circle, which gets to be a little dizzying, if you ask me.
