Secretary (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since January 2007. |
| Secretary | |
|---|---|
 Movie poster |
|
| Directed by | Steven Shainberg |
| Produced by | Andrew Fierberg Amy Hobby Steven Shainberg |
| Written by | Erin Cressida Wilson Mary Gaitskill Steven Shainberg |
| Starring | James Spader Maggie Gyllenhaal |
| Music by | Angelo Badalamenti |
| Cinematography | Steven Fierberg |
| Editing by | Pam Wise |
| Distributed by | Lions Gate Films |
| Release date(s) | January 11, 2002 |
| Running time | 104 mins |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Official website | |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Secretary is a 2002 drama film based on a short story from Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill. It was directed by Steven Shainberg and stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway and James Spader as E. Edward Grey.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Lee Holloway is the geeky and emotionally sensitive younger daughter in a very dysfunctional family. The father, as it turns out, is an alcoholic, the mother tries desperately to make everything look okay. When the movie opens, Lee is being released from a psychiatric hospital to attend her sister's wedding. Lee was hospitalized after cutting herself and suffering a near-fatal injury. Determined to adjust to society, she learns to type, begins to date Peter, a guest at the wedding with whom she went to high school, and looks for work. She is then hired as a secretary to tightly wound attorney E. Edward Grey. When she first enters his office, she is greeted by total chaos and his former secretary stomping past her in tears. Grey, who appears shaken, then hires her despite her rather unprofessional appearance.
The professional relationship between Lee and Mr. Grey is, in the beginning, rather strained. Lee has a number of annoying habits, her whole appearance unnerves the perfectionist Grey, and her docile behaviour has him constantly on edge - apparently he is sexually aroused by it, which shows in his excessive work-out when Lee literally goes through the garbage to find a file he accidentally threw out. However, the two become closer after Mr. Grey confronts Lee about her self-mutilating habits, explicitly telling her that she will never cut herself again. Eventually the two embark on a BDSM relationship, complete with spankings and slave collars. Lee, who was already besotted with Mr. Grey, experiences a sexual - and personal - awakening and falls even more deeply in love. Mr. Grey, however, is afraid of his deepening feelings and feels shame and disgust over his sexual habits. He fires Lee after a particularly kinky sexual escapade in his office.
Lee, who had been dating Peter the entire time, reluctantly accepts his proposal. Lee leaves Peter and runs off in the wedding gown to declare her love to Mr. Grey. He decides to test Lee's devotion by making her sit in a chair without moving her hands or feet until he comes back. Lee eagerly complies with the demand and even returns to her place after Peter, whom Mr. Grey had called and sent to the office, forcefully removes her from the chair. After three days, Mr. Grey's resistance breaks; he carries her to his home. They eventually marry, continuing the BDSM aspect of the relationship.
[edit] Taglines
- Assume the position
- A comedy for everybody who's ever been tied up at work
[edit] Cast
- Maggie Gyllenhaal - Lee Holloway
- James Spader - E. Edward Grey
- Jeremy Davies - Peter
- Lesley Ann Warren - Joan Holloway
- Stephen McHattie - Burt Holloway
[edit] Reception
The movie has received a very positive response from large portions of the BDSM community for its sympathetic mainstream portrayal of BDSM as practiced by happy, healthy and otherwise average people.[citation needed]
[edit] DVD
The film was originally releases in the UK by Tartan Video, including audio commentary. It was followed by a budget edition by Prism Leisure.
[edit] See also
[edit] References and further reading
- Erin Cressida Wilson, Steven Shainberg, Secretary: A Screenplay. Soft Skull Press, 2003. ISBN 1-887128-19-0.
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Secretary at the Internet Movie Database
- Secretary at Rotten Tomatoes
- Secretary at Box Office Mojo
Categories: Articles to be expanded since January 2007 | All articles to be expanded | Articles with unsourced statements since January 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 2002 films | 2000s romantic comedy films | American films | BDSM in films | Comedy films | Drama films | English-language films | Erotic films
