Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Comes to Hollywood

“The Pardon Formula” is breaking new cinematic ground by taking the audience along with the protagonist into a cognitive behavioral therapy (“CBT”) session. The film is an adaptation of Spencer Lord’s “Brain Mechanic” book, which explains a basic concept, or “formula” of CBT, and is being re-released in a new paperback edition next month. The writer/director claims the movie does the same, and possibly a lot more, but will it entertain?

“It will knock your socks off” Says Spencer, who is currently the world’s foremost thought leader on teaching CBT concepts in film and music. “How they howled at the idea of reusable rockets. The whole world ridiculed, or ignored, or laughed at it. Meanhwhile, SpaceX will deliver more than 80% of of all earth payload mass to orbit in 2023. So who’s laughing now?”

The writer of the book and the adapted screenplay has some pretty big ideas: “What if by teaching CBT in film and music, you could actually lower rates of domestic violence in a measurable population? What if you could alter depression or suicide statistics, and it was measurable, wouldn’t that something worth doing? That’s my reusable rocket. In twenty-five years it will be commonplace, and we did it first. We’re the SpaceX of CBT in film and music.”

The movie’s story follows a hot-headed teacher who has to overcome a criminal record to find a job, and whose world is transformed with the help of a cognitive behavioral therapist. The production company is also garnering some buzz for the crew it’s assembling: calling all Los Angeles for filmmakers with stories similar to the main character. A small army of filmmakers with criminal records is assembled and ready: 170 people, with twenty-two cameras, five tons of grip equipment, and combined post-production facilities that would make small production companies blush, and this is for ‘one’ film.

“This movie will thrill, and entertain, and make audiences of all ages laugh and cry, but it will also teach them some of the most valuable thinking skills they will ever learn, and every fan of CBT will want to see it again and again. A true Christmas classic.”

Shooting is scheduled to begin in Simi Valley, CA, in July 2025. Follow @pardonformula on instagram, and facebook, and join the mailing list at www.pardonformula.com