The Secret of My Succe$s (1987)

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writers:

AJ Carothers (story)
Jim Cash (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 April 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

There's no such thing as an overnight success. Brantley Foster took two weeks.

Plot:

A talented young man can't get an executive position without rising through the ranks, so he comes up with a shortcut, which also benefits his love life.

Plot Keywords:

Corporation | White Collar | Cheating Husband | New York City | Deception

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Michael J. Fox	...	Brantley Foster / Carlton Whitfield
Helen Slater	...	Christy Wills
Richard Jordan	...	Howard Prescott
Margaret Whitton	...	Vera Prescott
John Pankow	...	Fred Melrose
Christopher Murney	...	Barney Rattigan
Gerry Bamman	...	Art Thomas
Fred Gwynne	...	Donald Davenport
Carol Ann Susi	...	Jean (as Carol-Ann Susi)
Elizabeth Franz	...	Grace Foster
Drew Snyder	...	Burt Foster
Susan Kellermann	...	Maureen
Barton Heyman	...	Arnold Forbush
Mercedes Ruehl	...	Sheila
Ira Wheeler	...	Owens (as Ira B. Wheeler)

Also Known As:

The Secret of My Success (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Italy:T | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

101 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Rastar Pictures

Trivia:

Michael J. Fox was, at the time this movie was filmed, a heavy cigarette smoker. Evidence of this is noticeable when his character Brantley (a non-smoker) puts his feet up on the desk and reveals dozens of burn marks from extinguishing cigarettes with his shoe.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Christy and Brantley are fighting in Christy's room, Christy takes a vase off the mantle and smashes it on the wall behind Brantley. Then when the camera goes back to Christy the vase is back on the mantle.

Quotes:

Vera Prescott: Why haven't I met you before?
Fred Melrose: Maybe you ain't been hangin' out in the mailroom.
Vera Prescott: Oooh, the "male room." I like that sound!

Movie Connections:

References The Graduate (1967)

Soundtrack:

SOMETIMES THE GOOD GUYS FINISH FIRST

There is little secretive about this film so the title is kind of silly

This is a typical role for Michael J. Fox as a young ambitious businessman who leaves his Kansas farm for the big apple with a job lined up and he has plans to make it big. The movie was a big hit for Michael J. Fox and it is a good movie but it is a formula movie where the good guy wins and you have the typical misunderstandings, the farcical moments and double entendres that are typical in such a movie.

It is funny overall but there is little that is laugh out loud funny. This is essentially a perfect movie to go along with Michael J. Fox's formula for success at the time which was his boyish charm and know how on screen to have the most appeal. He plays the same character he did in Back to the Future, but that one was better.

The acting is as good as can be expected, Helen Slater does a good job as the key love interest, Margaret Whitton does good as his aunt, John Pankow is very good as his friend, Gerry Bamman does a nice job as his boss, but there is one actor I should mention as well. Richard Jordan was a great stage actor who did many character parts. Here he plays the not too nice boss of the company where Fox works.

I liked the message of the movie. In the end you can see that people that are rich and poor can live together, and you see someone can make it against odds if they really want to, you also see corporate America in a not too good light. But one good message out of the film is that money does not matter one hundred percent.

We see this as Fox's character sets out to do nothing but make money and his priorities change. Fred Gwynne who many would remember as Herman Munster has a very small part and should have been in it more. Nonetheless he was in a part with less than ten lines and got top billing. This is a good role for Fox he does a good job and make the best of at standard script.