The Secret of My Succe$s
Tags: flashback

Plot synopsis:
Brantley Foster (Michael J. Fox) is a young college graduate who has just earned a degree in business in his home state of Kansas. He travels to New York City to join a large investment firm in an entry-level position he obtained while still a student. He moves into a crummy Manhattan studio apartment and prepares for work.When he arrives at the firm, he finds that it's closing because it was acquired in a hostile takeover and that 90% of the workforce, including himself, is now jobless. However, even without employment, Brantley refuses to give up looking for another job. He's repeatedly turned down with all his interviewers telling him that he lacks the experience necessary.With no good prospects, Brantley decides to play his last card: prior to leaving Kansas, his mother tells him that he's related to Howard Prescott (Richard Jordan), a distant uncle & the CEO of Pemrose, a large New York investment firm and one of the richest in the world. Brantley goes to his uncle's office and convinces Prescott's secretary to give him five minutes alone with Prescott himself. Prescott and his secretary seemed very impressed with Brantley's tenacity (the young man creates a business card by photocopying his smiling face and signing it) and Prescott gives him a job working in the Pemrose mail room. Brantley is immediately disliked by his boss and teamed up with another worker, Fred Melrose (John Pankow), who teaches Brantley how to deliver the mail and leave enough time for goofing off. Fred also tells Brantley not to mix with the executives in the building while he makes deliveries. Brantley is also able to acquire information about the company by looking through memos and other important documents, gaining as much knowledge as he can about the inner workings of the corporation.Back in the mail room, Brantley is charged with driving another Pemrose exec, the bad-tempered Vera (Margaret Whitton), to her home in Litchfield in a limo after her car broke down. His boyish charm soon wins her over on the ride and she invites him to stay for a drink at her palatial estate. She tells him about how her marriage has faltered and that she feels unattractive at her age. Brantley is able to convince her otherwise and the two take a swim where she seduces him. After having sex, she tells him she'll help him advance in the company. Brantley tells her he wants to make it on his own. Just then Vera's husband comes home. Brantley is terrified to know he's coming toward the pool house and is even more terrified to see that it's Howard Prescott himself. Babbling about how he's disgraced his family by having sex with his aunt, he bolts out and leaves.During their mail rounds, Fred informs Brantley that an exec had been fired and that the mail room staff knew about it three days ahead of the man getting the news. Brantley sits in the office dreaming about being an exec when the phone rings. One of the man's contacts has called asking why there are shipping problems for his company in the Midwest. Brantley is able to set up a shipping plan for the company, his initiative in solving the problem impressing the rep. The next day Brantley goes to the same office before his mail rounds and is able to procure a secretary for himself and set himself up in the terminated exec's place, adopting the alias Carlton Whitfield. Though he's very careful to hide his intentions, his boss in the mail room begins to suspect him.Brantley attends a meeting of the high-level Pemrose management and meets Christy Wells (Helen Slater), an attractive exec whom Brantley is immediately smitten with. She's initially quite rude and dismissive but eventually warms to him. At the meeting, it's announced that another powerful CEO, named Donald Davenport (Fred Gwynne), is acquiring large portions of Pemrose stock in a bid to take over the company. Prescott's aide tells them that they have to look for budget items to slash to build a fund to protect the company. Brantley dissents, saying that rapid and aggressive expansion is a better plan that will make the company's stock too valuable for Davenport to commit a hostile takeover. His idea is squashed with Prescott's aide telling him he's too young to be taken seriously.Meanwhile, Christy has been involved in an affair with Prescott himself. He asks her to spy on Brantley and she steals a folder of his work from his office. One night while he's working late, Christy stops by his office and sees the results of his research. The two have a late night conversation about the best plan of action to prevent Davenport's hostile takeover. Though they disagree on almost everything, Christy starts to realize that Brantley's plan of expansion is the best way to save Pemrose. The two spend the entire night together, talking and finally have sex.The next day, Prescott himself announces that he'll hold a retreat at his Litchfield home for all the top-level execs so they can work out a plan. Brantley had initially planned not to attend but is invited by both Vera and Howard. Howard believes Whitfield is a spy sent by Davenport to gain further inside information, while Vera wants Brantley there to meet Pemrose's top investors, thinking his boyish charm will win them over -- her assumption is correct and Brantley spends several hours talking to them and convincing them of his new ideas in the arena of business. Howard also tells Brantley to keep Vera occupied during the retreat, then charges him with keeping Christy away from Whitfield.At night, everyone sleeps in separate rooms. Howard sneaks out of his room looking for Christy, who'd put an end to their affair earlier that day. Brantley also sneaks out looking for Christy in her room. Vera sneaks out looking for Brantley. They all eventually converge on Christy's room, with Brantley hiding in the bed, Howard believing him to be Christy and Christy and Vera suddenly finding them both together. Brantley had also found his stolen files in Christy's room. Howard and Christy finally now know that Whitfield is actually Brantley. Vera is now aware of Howard's affair with Christy and she decides to divorce Howard. Brantley confronts Christy about stealing his files and storms out leaving her alone and dejected.Back at Pemrose, Brantley and Christy are both fired. After arguing about infidelity, they have sex in the elevator and return to Brantley's office to figure out a new plan for Pemrose, engaging the help of Fred and Brantley's secretary, Jean.At a meeting of Prescott's management execs, Donald Davenport arrives where he icily assures Prescott that most of his high-level staff will keep their jobs. Brantley and Christy walk into the meeting and announce that Pemrose will not be bought out by Davenport because Brantley was able to gain the support of the investors from the retreat. Instead, a merger will occur between Pemrose and Davenport's corporation. He also announces that such a merger wouldn't be possible without the support of Pemrose's biggest stockholder, Vera, who'd gained control of more than half the company's stock. As the new owner, Vera confronts her husband directly and tells him that he's fired and has security escort him and his aide out of the building.That night, the new owners of Pemrose go to the Metropolitan Opera to celebrate. The limo they ride in is driven by Brantley's mail room boss. Vera's date is Fred and Brantley and Christy begin a new relationship together.

Review: Fox stars as a Midwestern college graduate who moves to New York City to conquer the business world.
Brantley Foster (Michael J,Fox) is from Kansas, wanting to better himself in the big wide world he hits New York hoping to make it big.
From where Brantley leads a double life as he creates Carlton Whitfield and sets about bluffing his way to the top and into the heart of sexy executive Christy Wills (Helen Slater).Michael J.
'The Secret Of My Success' is about M.J Fox, who comes to make it big in New York City, and then begins his youthful journey, which is FUN!
Fox plays two characters in this film; Brantley Foster and the *made up* Carlton Whitfield.
Songwriter/Producer David Foster is the music producer in this picture, and he even made a hard rockin' song with the American multi-platinum selling rock band Night Ranger (who by the way are BACK in the music world with two great new studio albums called "Neverland" and "Seven") for this movie.
It'll make you dizzy in part as half the time in this film we see Fox's character juggling 2 different office identities in the same company (which is far-fetched but since this is a comedy, I digress), however it is also a crisp and sharp piece that examines big business and its effects on the common working man.
There's no real lull in this movie that seems boring but you'll only laugh out loud three of four times throughout the course of the film, even if you are a big Fox fan.
What sets this movie apart from standard sitcom material are the acting performances, tight scripting, funny sight gags, and great musical score.If you liked Michael J.
He's still nice to watch, especially in light weighted comedies like this one.In fact, the title "The Secret of My Succe$s" already says enough about what you can expect from this movie (also notice the little dollar sign in the title), but I'll give a short resume anyway.
It shows how Brantley Foster, a talented and well-educated young man coming from rural Kansas, goes to New York to find a suiting job and a nice girlfriend.
Believing that the best way to win her over is by posing as an executive, Brantley decides to take a position under the name Carlton Whitfield and of course things soon start to get completely out of hand...I admit that this movie is as 'eighties' as you can get them.
I'm pretty sure that no-one of todays directors would be able to make it exactly the way it looks, because they don't write scripts like that anymore and there are no more actors like Fox. The man that comes closest for this kind of role is probably Jim Carrey, but even then you would get a completely different kind of movie.
Fox and Helen Slater look very well together and I know no one else could have played in the movie and looked that good.
Margaret Whitton and John Pankow (had he not said 'suits' so many damn times) are pleasing secondary characters as well, and a much needed counterbalance to the obnoxious characters that Helen Slater and Richard Jordan portray.
Brantley Foster (Fox), fresh off the Kansas farm, learns the harsh reality of a business graduate's life when he travels to New York expecting to become the next CEO of some company.
Fox character tries to prevent in the film actually happened in real life to my father's multi-billion dollar corporation back in the 1980's!
(Yes, there is a lot of mind-boggling wealth hidden down secluded country roads!) The Secret Of My Success is definitely a home run, and one of my all-time favorite comedies!.
"I hate MEN"-Christy, "I'm glad I'm not one" - Brantley LOL I use that line to this day.Really wish stories today were this simple and easy to roll with.Fun movie for any MJF fan.watch closely.
Fox plays Brantley Foster, a well educated boy from Kansas who leaves to New York to find success.He has difficulties at first, but then he goes to his uncle's, Howard Prescott's (Richard Jordan) owned multi-million-dollar company.He gives him a job.But he has to start from the bottom, from the company's mail room.He finds an other way to get to the top.He pretends to be an executive named Carlton Whitfield.That way he finds it easier to woo his dream girl, Christy Wills (Helen Slater).Herbert Ross' The Secret of My Succe$s (1987) is a pretty good comedy, not the best, but good.It's Michael J.Fox in the lead who saves a lot.His acting style appeals to me.Sure other actors do a good job in this movie too.Helen Slater is great as Brantley's love interest.There's enough chemistry between them to make it work.Richard Jordan makes a brilliant bad guy.Also his wife, Brantley's aunt Vera (not by blood) Margaret Whitton does a good job, you know, seducing Michael Fox and all.John Pankow, who was in Mad About You doing the role of Ira Buchman, is excellent in this movie as Fred Melrose from the mail room.Mercedes Ruehl makes a great visit as Sheila, the actor wanna-be waitress.I have seen many better and funnier comedies than this one, but this does work on some level.The movie is very 80's, so it may work for the nostalgia reasons.I, for instance, am a big fan of nostalgia.If it's not the nostalgia, it's the leading star of the movie.Michael J.
Fox) hopes to make it big in life, he wants to work in the corporate business in New York City.
Slowly things are looking up for Brantley, when he decides to pretend to be a new guy at the Company as young executive but as Carlton Whitfield.
He tries to hide his identity to Christy and especially his Uncle.Directed by the late Herbert Ross (Boys on the Side, Footloose, My Blue Heaven) made an amusing high concept comedy that is surprisingly believable thanks to Fox's committed lead performance.
There's many memorable moments and as well for some great big laughs in this typically but funny 1980's comedy.This DVD is from Comedy Favourites Collection, which Fox is the lead of all Four Movies.
This film went on to be modest classic for over 20 years and it is still one of Fox's best movies.
OK in reviewing this film I have to say if you have a problem with eighties films (think John Hughes et al) or with Michael J Fox then you may as well leave this area now there's nothing for you to enjoy here!Fox plays Brantley Foster an ambitious, lovable college graduate from Kansas and his battle to make it from the mail room to the board room via affairs with the boss's wife (also his aunt!), impersonating an executive and various other farcical situations.
Like it says in the tagline "Theres no such thing as an overnight success it took Brantley Foster 3 weeks!" From the opening montage title sequence this film screams 80's, if you've seen Beverly Hills Cop the opening here is similar to the shots of Detroit and 80'smusic that accompanied it only with New York taking centre stage this time (also is one of the models in the opening sequence Cindy Crawford!?) There is no real logic to the film it's just a sheer un-abashed feel good comedy of what it would be like if people really could go from the mail room to head of the board in just 3 weeks.
Fox is excellent as ever and this film works because of his presence, although there is some good support from Margert Whittons as the bored executive wife.
Fox and a good ending are this films secret..
Michael J Fox stars as a country boy who moves to the city and gets a job in a big corporation mailroom.
..A feel good entertaining movie about a little guy making it to the top..snappy with an addicting final half hour that is the best part of the film.
In "The Hard Way," one of the best cop-buddy films of all time, he was the eager-to-please Hollywood actor trying to do some good-natured research.All his roles fall back on the Sweet Guy persona.
In "The Secret of My Success," he plays Brantley, a Kansas boy who makes the big move to the Big Apple, where he lands a job at his uncle Howard's (Richard Jordan) firm.
He gradually makes his way up the ladder as a mail boy, but his real break comes when he is mistaken for a higher-up and tries to woo hard-to-get girl Christy (Helen Slater), a beautiful co-worker of the company who buys Brantley's job position.Simple premise, but it becomes all the more entangled when Brantley has to run back and forth between different job positions, changing clothes in the elevator and getting in a heated affair with his uncle's wife (played by Margaret Whitton), the kind of lady who doesn't take no for an answer.The film's amorality is what struck me on multiple viewings.
But comedies, over time, sort of grow on you, and this is one of those cases.It's not as good as "Back to the Future," or "The Hard Way," but it's a lot like Fox's "Teen Wolf" (1985): fast-paced, extremely routine, cliched, flawed, and lots of fun.
It was great watching Michael J Fox try and switch between the mail room and one of the "Suits" without being caught.
The "Oh Yeah" night time lurking around scene was hilarious, and the ending when they end up getting the company is great.....I applauded and I was the only one watching it.....that's how into the movie I was....it was just a great movie, Michael J Fox was EXCELLENT....recommend it for everyone to watch..
"Secret of my success" has an "idiot plot" but there's also a lot of good amusing fun in the movie too.
Fox) has come to New York with what he thought was a secure job position waiting for him, but he gets there being abruptly sent away by the big business company owner telling him "hostile takeover, 75% employees got the ax, including you!" Brantly is left stranded, so he goes from company to company being dismissed again and again.
A suit at a Wall street company is a life not obtainable unless you already have at least several years of white collar business work experience, preferably from somewhere else in New York City.
"The Secret of My Success" is an 1987 film directed by Herb Ross and starring Michael J.
Fox, Helen Slater, Margaret Whitton, Richard Jordan, and John Pankow.Fox plays Brantley Foster, a Kansas boy who moves to New York City to make it big, only to find out it's harder than he imagined.
Soon enough, his crush on an executive (Slater), the hankering Howard's wife (Whitton) has for him, and his double identity collide.Amusing film, with Fox's charm driving this somewhat typical '80s look at big business.
Fox plays Brantley Foster, a young man from a small town who decides to seek his fame and fortune in New York, equipped with nothing but the phone number of a distant relative, who is a Manhattan power player, in his pocket.
the movie was great and fun to watch.although it is for casual watch it will definitely refresh you.i personally loved the hilarious scenes that fit right into the movie.fox fits the role perfectly.movie was shot in the N.Y city.look out for it.
Under the ridiculously yuppie-fied character name of Brantley Foster, Fox plays a Midwestern kid with a degree in finance who relocates to the Big Apple but finds himself stuck in the mailroom of his uncle's corporation; with some light deception, our hero climbs the ranks of success, eventually attracting the eye of his uncle's wanton wife--the daughter of the corporation's founder.
Helen Slater's potential love-interest suits Fox well, but her character's indignation is pure formula, as is the "Graduate"-like subplot underscored by Yello's obnoxious "Oh Yeah!" *1/2 from ****.
Whilst that's fine when he's the Kansas dreamer and an office junior - even when he's being seduced by the dragon that is 'Aunt' Vera Prescott (Margaret Whitton), but he looks faintly ridiculous when chasing and finally winning the sophisticated executive played by Helen Slater.Michael J is still a dervish of frantic activity and there are some priceless comic moments with Vera.
And, of course there's the overall upbeat message about fulfilling one's dreams - if you work hard enough and get the lucky breaks.The movie still says a lot about the '80s boom'n'bust era and the corporate rat-race and there's some great views of New York City.
Hard to put a finger on why so I'm just going to have to blame the scenes with Helen Slater as that's the most obvious fault, to me.Lovers of Michael J however will always love this film and I appreciate that, but for me, it doesn't quite work..
Fox plays a savvy and ambitious young man in The Secret Of My Success, which was aptly directed by Herbert Ross.
The Secret of my Success is a movie about a young college-educated man from Kansas who dreams of big success in the big apple only to get a rude awakening in the ways of big business.
Fox pairs with the lovely Helen Slater in this 1987 romantic comedy.
Margaret Whitton, who played the boss's oversexed wife who seduces Fox (and turns out to be his Aunt too), is a very pretty actress and she still looked good as an older woman in her 40s in the few movies she did in the '90s.
Funny, she was only 36 when she did this movie, but her character is always complaining about being old so she beds the 24 year Brantley played by Fox. I always wonder what happened to this talented, and beautiful actresss.
***Teensie Spoliers!***This is a film of two halves.The first half is fairly standard story of little boy makes good in big city and catching a laydee along the way, spiced up by some fairly memorable scenes (i.e. stripping in the lift, the four mains running around trying to get into each others beds).
Aside from a genuinely funny shootout while Fox's character calls home on a payphone (while pretending he's watching tv) I can't think of anything to recommend this, unless you have kids and want them to know how bad the music and fashions of the late 80's were...Yuck..
Fox performed well in "The Secret of My Succe$s", then he actually had very little to work with in terms of script and storyline.What is impressive, though, is the cast list with so many familiar faces, even in relatively small roles.All in all, not a memorable movie, and I didn't even laugh a single time throughout the course of the entire movie..
Fox as a Kansas boy who wants to hit it big in New York and goes as far as posing as a corporate executive.
I disagree.The movie is about a country boy who moves to New York to try and make it in the business world.This comedy has some very funny moments in it, but there were not many laugh out loud moments.
It is fun and good fun, but it is not the classic comedy that a lot of people seem to list it as.It has a great 80s movie soundtrack.
It was very entertaining and funny when Michael was trying to work as a mail boy and a very important "suit" at the same time.
Fox stars as a small-time kid from Kansas who has hopes of making it big in New York.
Quick-change of clothes in the elevator is a running theme.Helen Slater, cute blonde who I liked so much in "Supergirl", played the serious young executive that Fox ends up chasing, and catching.
THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS started off fine, with a good soundtrack, stylish production values and the always appealing Michael J Fox as a country boy from Kansas who heads out to the Big Apple to start his career and also finds his dream girl (Helen Slater).
Brantley Foster (Michael J Fox) moves away from his parents in Kansas to be successful in New York.
His cameo consists of being sat in the boardroom and looking suspicious.Your interest in this film depends on how much you like Michael J Fox's performance as Foster/Whitfield and how much you are nostalgic for the 1980s.
Other than Michael J Fox shining in one of his best written and blocked comedy roles the only names in the cast today generally recognizable are former television comedy second banana John Pankow this time doing better playing it straight and movie personality Mercedes Ruehl in a supporting role.
Fox, Helen Slater, Richard Jordan, Margaret Whitton, John Pankow and Fred Gwynne star in this 1987 comedy.
Fox (Back to the Future) plays Brantley Foster, an ambitious young man from Kansas who longs to work in the corporate world.
The late, Jordan (The Mean Season) plays his distant uncle, Howard Prescott who is the boss of a company that's on the verge of a hostile takeover and he gives Brantley a job working in the mail room.
I grew up watching this film, Fox & the cast are great in it as well as David Foster's score.
Brantley Foster(Fox)makes the trip from Kansas to The Big Apple to take a job in the mail-room of his Uncle Howard Prescott's(Richard Jordan)large corporation.
Fox) is a well-educated kid from Kansas who wants to go into professional business, like his uncle, Howard Prescott (Richard Jordan).
Here, he works his way up to the corporate boardroom by living a double life and trying hard to impress his stuffed-shirt co-workers.Richard Jordan plays Howard Prescott, the snarling, autocratic CEO of the company, and Helen Slater plays a young executive to which Fox's character is instantly attracted.
This film was kind of a vehicle for Michael J Fox to capitalise on the success of his role in Family Ties...i mean, this is basically "Alex P Keaton after college" sort of thing.