Secretary (2002 film)


Secretary is a 2002 American erotic romantic drama comedy 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 intense relationship between a dominant lawyer and his submissive secretary, who indulge in various types of BDSM activity such as erotic spanking and omorashi.

Plot

Lee Holloway, 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. Grey explains she is overqualified for the job 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 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, 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, despite being forced to wet her dress since she is not allowed to use the toilet. 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.

Cast

Production

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 Secretarys 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."

Filming

Despite being set in Florida, the film is filmed in Los Angeles.

Distribution

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.

Home release

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.

Reception

Critics

The film was generally received positively by critics. As of January 2019, it has a rating of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 155 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Maggie Gyllenhaal impresses in this romantic comedy with a kinky twist." 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.

Awards and nominations

Secretary was nominated for a number of awards and won several, with numerous wins for Maggie Gyllenhaal's breakthrough performance.
YearCeremonyCategoryRecipientsResult
20027th Satellite AwardsBest Actress - Musical or ComedyMaggie Gyllenhaal
20029th Empire AwardsBest ActressMaggie Gyllenhaal
200218th Independent Spirit AwardsBest FeatureSecretary
200218th Independent Spirit AwardsBest Female LeadMaggie Gyllenhaal
200218th Independent Spirit AwardsBest First ScreenplayErin Cressida Wilson
200260th Golden Globe AwardsBest Actress - Musical or ComedyMaggie Gyllenhaal
20022002 National Society of Film Critics AwardsBest ActressMaggie Gyllenhaal
20022003 MTV Movie AwardsBest Breakthrough Female PerformanceMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2002Best ActressMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Central Ohio Film Critics AssociationBest ActressMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2002Most Promising PerformerMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2002Pauline Kael Breakout AwardMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Gotham Independent Film Awards 2002Breakthrough ActorMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards 2002Best ActressMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Locarno International Film FestivalGolden LeopardSteven Shainberg
2002National Board of Review Awards 2002Breakthrough Performance - FemaleMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Online Film Critics Society Awards 2002Best ActressMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Online Film Critics Society Awards 2002Best Breakthrough PerformanceMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2002Best ActressMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2002Best NewcomerMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2002Best ActressMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Sundance Film FestivalSpecial Jury Prize - OriginalitySecretary
2002Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2002Best ActressMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2002Best ActressMaggie Gyllenhaal
2002Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2002Best ActressMaggie Gyllenhaal

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack album was released on CD on October 8, 2002, with an MP3 download version released on July 11, 2006. The soundtrack album contains Angelo Badalamenti's score as well as two songs that were notably featured over erotic montages in the film: Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man" and Lizzie West's "Chariots Rise".
The song "Chariots Rise" was changed slightly for the film, with the lyric "what a fool am I, to fall so in love" changed to "what grace have I, to fall so in love".
; Track listing
All tracks by Angelo Badalamenti unless otherwise stated.
  1. "I'm Your Man" – Leonard Cohen
  2. "Main Title"
  3. "Feelin' Free"
  4. "Snow Dome Dreams"
  5. "Bathing Blossom"
  6. "Seeing Scars"
  7. "Loving to Obey"
  8. "Office Obligations"
  9. "The Loving Tree"
  10. "Orchids"
  11. "Secretary's Secrets"
  12. "Chariots Rise" – Lizzie West