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Secretary is a 2002 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Steven Shainberg and written by Erin Cressida Wilson, based on the short story Secretary by Mary Gaitskill. Starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader, the film explores the relationship between a dominant lawyer and his submissive secretary.
| Secretary | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Steven Shainberg |
| Produced by | Andrew Fierberg Amy Hobby Steven Shainberg |
| Screenplay by | Erin Cressida Wilson |
| Story by | Steven Shainberg Erin Cressida Wilson |
| Based on | Secretary by Mary Gaitskill |
| Starring | James Spader Maggie Gyllenhaal |
| Music by | Angelo Badalamenti |
| Cinematography | Steven Fierberg |
| Edited by | Pam Wise |
Production company | Secretary, Inc. |
| Distributed by | Lions Gate Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4 million |
| Box office | $9.3 million |
Screenplay
Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the socially awkward and emotionally sensitive youngest daughter of a dysfunctional family, adjusts to normal life after having been hospitalized following an incident of dangerous self-harm. She learns to type and applies for a job as a secretary for an eccentric attorney, E. Edward Grey (James Spader). Grey explains she is overqualified for the job (having scored higher than anyone he has ever interviewed) and that it is "very dull work" as they only use typewriters; Lee, however, agrees to work under these conditions.
Though at first Grey appears to be highly irritated by Lee's typos and other innocuous mistakes, it soon becomes apparent that he is sexually aroused by her obedient behavior. After he confronts her about her propensity for self-injury and commands that she never hurt herself again, the two embark on a BDSM relationship. Lee experiences a sexual and personal awakening, and she falls deeply in love. Grey, however, displays insecurity concerning his feelings for Lee, and he feels shame and disgust over his sexual habits. During this period of exploration with Grey, Lee has also been attempting to have a more conventional boyfriend in Peter (Jeremy Davies), even engaging in lukewarm sex with him. After a sexual encounter in Grey's office, Grey fires Lee.
After Lee is fired from her job, Peter proposes to Lee, who reluctantly agrees to marry him. However, while trying on her wedding gown, she leaves and runs to Grey's office, where she then declares her love for him. Grey, still uncertain about their relationship, tests Lee by commanding her to sit in his chair without moving her hands or feet until he returns. Lee willingly complies. Hours pass, as several family members and acquaintances individually visit Lee to alternately attempt to dissuade or encourage her while Grey watches from afar, completely taken by Lee's compliance. Because of Lee's refusal to leave the office, she has gained news coverage from the media, which they believe to be a hunger strike. Three days later, Grey returns to the office and takes Lee to a room upstairs where he bathes and feeds her. The pair marry and happily continue their dominant-submissive relationship.
- Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway, a submissive secretary
- James Spader as E. Edward Grey, Lee's employer and sexually dominant lover
- Jeremy Davies as Peter
- Lesley Ann Warren as Joan Holloway
- Stephen McHattie as Burt Holloway
- Jessica Tuck as Tricia O'Connor
- Patrick Bauchau as Dr. Twardon
- Amy Locane as Lee's sister
- Oz Perkins as Jonathan
- Michael Mantell as Stewart
- Sabrina Grdevich as Allison
- Ezra Buzzington as Typing teacher
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Many changes were made from Mary Gaitskill's original short story, which was significantly expanded and given greater depth to be made into a feature-length film. Lines of dialogue were changed; Lee's statement "I'm so stupid" became the fantasy-sequence cry "I'm your secretary," which the director thought far more "celebratory." Additionally, the ending of the story was changed to give a more positive outcome to the relationship. Steven Shainberg stated that he wished to show that BDSM relationships can be normal and was inspired by the film My Beautiful Laundrette, which he feels normalized gay relationships for audiences in the 1980s.
A central component to the film, the office spaces of Edward and Lee, took form after two years of planning by Shainberg and production designer Amy Danger, who had collaborated with Shainberg on several projects. The desire to have the office feel homemade and express Edward's interest in the growing of plants led Danger to juxtapose a natural decor in the office with a predominantly artificial outside world. Speaking of her choices, Danger compares the office with the rest of the film's locations: "All the materials I used were natural: natural wood, bamboo, ironwork ... If I wasn't using natural materials, it was natural colors, like the botanical wallpaper." In contrast, "everything was fake ... I covered Lee's house in plastic sheeting, and used artificial, manufactured colors." Although the interior sets were carefully constructed, the filmmakers did face some location-related challenges. Notably, in one instance the filmmakers accidentally obtained shooting rights for the wrong park. Gyllenhaal encouraged them to hastily shoot the required park scene anyway, without permission, while crew members distracted the local police.
Speaking about Secretary's tone and atmosphere, Danger says "With this S&M material, we could go into a dark place... Steve and I wanted the total opposite: that the nature of this relationship freed to be their natural selves." Because of this atmosphere, Danger says "Everybody kept saying, 'When are we going back to the office?' It was funny, because the rooms weren't any smaller in the house, and it wasn't any more difficult to shoot. It was because you wanted to be in that space."
The film was initially screened at several 2002 film festivals and had its domestic theatrical release on September 20, 2002, and in various foreign markets in 2003 and 2004.
The film's region 1 DVD was released on April 1, 2003. In the UK, a version by Tartan Video was released on January 5, 2004, followed by a budget edition by Prism Leisure on February 7, 2005. A UK Blu-ray Disc release was scheduled for September 13, 2010.
Special editions of the DVD include the film's trailer and TV spots, cast and director interviews, a behind-the-scenes documentary, cast and director "Curricula Vitae" and an audio commentary by director Steven Shainberg and writer Erin Cressida Wilson.
Critics
The film was generally received positively by critics. As of February 2017, it has a rating of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 146 reviews. Many critics noted the film's original take on themes of sadomasochism, with Roger Ebert saying that the film "approaches the tricky subject...with a stealthy tread, avoiding the dangers of making it either too offensive, or too funny". Ain't It Cool News commented: "Perhaps there is something bold about saying that pain can bring healing as long as it's applied by the right hand, but even that seems obvious and even normal thanks to Gyllenhaal."
Box office
The film grossed $4.1 million in the U.S and Canada, and $9.3 million worldwide.
Secretary was nominated for a number of awards and won several, with numerous wins for Maggie Gyllenhaal's breakthrough performance.
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