The Secret of My Success
Short description
Brantley Foster, a recent college graduate from a small Kansas town, moves to New York City hoping to build a career in business. He soon finds that both jobs and women are hard to come by, and after his plans fall through he turns to his uncle, Howard Prescott, the head of a large corporation. Howard gives him a position in the company mail room, where Brantley learns that executives around him are mismanaging the business. Adopting the false identity of Carlton Whitfield, he installs himself in an empty office and begins submitting proposals to senior staff, living one life as a courier and another as an ambitious young executive. His situation grows complicated through his feelings for the executive Christy Wills, who is involved with his uncle, and through the attention of his uncle's wife, Vera.
Herbert Ross directed the film, his ninth of thirteen features, following Footloose and preceding Steel Magnolias, and he also produced it from a screenplay by Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr. and AJ Carothers. Michael J. Fox plays Brantley, with Helen Slater, Richard Jordan, Margaret Whitton, John Pankow and Christopher Murney among the cast.
Released in April 1987, the comedy runs 111 minutes and was made for about 12 million dollars, earning roughly 111 million worldwide. It holds a rating of 6.5 on IMDb from around 39,000 votes and 6.5 on TMDB from about 720 votes, while the critics' score stands at 5.2 from 41 reviews, lower than the audience ratings.
What's left behind the scenes
- A sequel to this film was planned, but it was never made.
- At the time the film was being shot, Michael J. Fox was a heavy smoker. This can be seen in the scene where his character, Brantley (who, incidentally, is a non-smoker), puts his feet on the table. Numerous cigarette burn marks are clearly visible on the soles of his boots.
- The film is inspired by Steven Spielberg’s early years in Hollywood, when he snuck onto the “Universal Studios” lot and occupied an empty office. In the film, Michael J. Fox’s character does the same thing.
- Numerous tricks were used during the filming of the kissing scenes to conceal the significant height difference between Michael J. Fox (164 cm) and Helen Slater (173 cm).
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
