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Secretary
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Secretary (2002) More at IMDbPro »

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Secretary (2002) -- A young woman, recently released from a mental hospital, gets a job as a secretary to a demanding lawyer, where their employer-employee relationship turns into a sexual, sadomasochistic one.
Secretary (2002) -- Theatrical Preview

Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   25,896 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 12% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Steven Shainberg
Writers:
Erin Cressida Wilson (screenplay)
Mary Gaitskill (short story)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Secretary on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 November 2002 (Israel) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
Assume the position. more
Plot:
A young woman, recently released from a mental hospital, gets a job as a secretary to a demanding lawyer, where their employer-employee relationship turns into a sexual, sadomasochistic one. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 14 wins & 17 nominations more
User Comments:
Thoughtful and yes, sentimental. more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for strong sexuality, some nudity, depiction of behavioral disorders, and language.
Runtime:
104 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Colour:
Colour
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby SR
Company:
Slough Pond more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Gwyneth Paltrow was originally cast in the role of Lee Holloway. more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: The typewriter shown during the starting credits has a typeball, but it sounds like a manual or daisy wheel typewriter. more
Quotes:
Lee: In one way or another I've always suffered. I didn't know why exactly. But I do know that I'm not so scared of suffering now. I feel more than I've ever felt and I've found someone to feel with. To play with. To love in a way that feels right for me. I hope he knows that I can see that he suffers too. And that I want to love him. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2003) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Chariots Rise more

FAQ

What's up with the worm?
more
75 out of 84 people found the following comment useful:-
Thoughtful and yes, sentimental., 14 April 2003
8/10
Author: Kurt Berger from Dearborn MI

Those Gyllenhalls, they sure can act. Maggie, like her brother Jake, turns in great performances like they're routine - she makes it look easy. In 'Secretary', she delivers a layered, complex performance as Lee Holloway, a disturbed young lady who deals with stress by cutting herself - the pain pushes away everything else that's bothering her.

As she's released from an institution back into the world, she takes her first job as secretary to lawyer E. Edward Grey, played by James Spader. From then on, the movie explores their relationship and how it affects Lee, taking her from the quiet, self-damaging wallflower into the determined and strong woman she becomes.

The film's use of S&M in the relationship between Lee and Mr. Grey makes it a bit controversial, but it's not really the focus here. The idea of Lee as the submissive and Mr. Grey as the dominant have little to do with their sexuality and everything to do with their personality issues.

Lee can't handle extreme emotion without resorting to pain, because she can't take control of her own life. What she sees in Mr. Grey is love - absolute love, the likes of which she can't find with her fiance Peter (Jeremy Davies). That love allows her to give him the power of her pain - by doing that, she's finding something worthy to focus on instead of the nothingness of her sewing kit and iodine.

Mr. Grey, for his part, is a man who can't deal with anything except in his own ordered, regimented way. He cares for his orchids but little else, and the steps he takes with Lee open up his wary heart. He's slower to develop than she is, and to take the final steps towards a real, lasting relationship, he has to be dragged there by the force of Lee's own will.

The key to this film - and S&M relationships in general - is that Lee (the submissive) has all the power, not Mr. Grey (the dominant). She sets the terms by which the relationship will be conducted, seemingly for the first time in her entire life (including the relationships with her family). Lee finds love and desire in Mr. Grey, and pursues it while healing her own shattered psyche in the process.

Maggie Gyllenhall is luminous here. She can say more with a facial expression than most can in a Shakespearean soliloquy. She gives herself completely over to the part, without a wink or a nudge that she's just kidding, or thinks any part of this is silly. She becomes Lee Holloway, which is the best compliment you can give an actor. Spader, for his part, follows in a long string of oddballs, but doesn't go over the top, as he could have been tempted to do. This is Maggie's movie, and he supports it and plays off it well.

Rating: 8/10, based on the strong performance of Maggie Gyllenhall and the character of Lee Holloway, but nocked down due to a poorly-constructed finale that just doesn't fit with the rest of the film. Highly recommended.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Secretary (2002)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
people shouldnt have sex on christmas cause its grouse rabidachilles
Can spanking a child be considered sexual abuse? RKent1989
Comfort Room Scene.. help.. glossed_lips04-1
Last Scene vince-153
The Worm..... philipleech
BDSM + lifestyle oldhollywoodbuff
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