Secret Admirer (1985)

Director:

David Greenwalt

Writers:

David Greenwalt (writer)
Jim Kouf (writer)

Release Date:

14 June 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Toni gave Michael a letter, so he could give Debbie one...

Plot:

On the last day before summer vacations Michael receives a glowing, but anonymous, love-letter. He suspects...

Plot Keywords:

Love Letter | Summer Vacation | Summer | Secret Admirer | Electronic Music Score

Cast

C. Thomas Howell	...	Michael Ryan
Kelly Preston	...	Deborah Anne Fimple
Lori Loughlin	...	Toni
Fred Ward	...	Lou Fimple
Dee Wallace	...	Connie Ryan (as Dee Wallace-Stone)
Leigh Taylor-Young	...	Elizabeth Fimple
Cliff De Young	...	George Ryan
Casey Siemaszko	...	Roger Despard
Geoffrey Blake	...	Ricardo
Rodney Pearson	...	Kirkpatrick
Courtney Gains	...	Doug
J.J. Cohen	...	Barry
Scott McGinnis	...	Steve Powers
Corey Haim	...	Jeff (as Cory Haim)
Michael Menzies	...	Mr. Simpson

Also Known As:

The Letter (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

90 min | Sweden:97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | UK:15 | Norway:16 | Iceland:L | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Trivia:

C. Thomas Howell did all of his stunts in this movie (i.e. jumping fences).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Michael is writing the letter to Debbie the pen he is writing with is yellow with a blue top but in the next shot when he brings the pen up it is clear with a black top.

Quotes:

Michael: What are you guys doing tonight?
Deborah Anne Fimple: Nothing much.
Toni: Kappa Omega party.
Michael: Oh, you mean the homo house?
Deborah Anne Fimple: Well one will crack jokes about others when they are insecure with their own masculinity.
Michael: Oh, I hate guys like that. They're so immature.
Steve Powers: [Steve drives up] Hey beautiful! Want a ride?
Michael: No thanks, Steve. I'll walk.
Deborah Anne Fimple: [sarcastically] Real mature.

Movie Connections:

References Tender Is the Night (1962)

Soundtrack:

The Touch

Fred Ward steals the show!

Lieutenant Fimple ( Fred Ward ) has had a bad day. He thinks his wife is cheating on him so he follows her to a make out point. Then he goes to his mutual friends house and picks her up because the man that he thinks his wife is having an affair with is the woman's husband ( are you following me so far? ). He gets back to the make out point and they are gone. So he drives home his friend and then he gets into an accident. When he gets home, the man's ( who is apparently sleeping with his wife ) son has just finished giving his daughter a good night kiss. " Good evening Lieutenant Fimple, " the boy says, " F*** you! " Fimple replies. It is one of the funniest moments in the film and the film has quite a few of them.

Secret Admirer is one of the slew of teen films that came out in the 80's that was high on entertainment, if you let it do that. It is one of those films that should not be over analyzed. It is simple entertainment and it is goofball highschool entertainment. The characters in the film have fun with the roles they are thrust into and the dialogue is fresh and funny. Look for the part when the mailman comes to Michael's house and is apparently late with the mail. Classic.

I wish they could make films like this as we head into the new millennium. They are here to entertain and nothing more. And that is sometimes all we can ask for.