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The Secret of My Success

Michael J. Fox (Actor), Helen Slater (Actor) Rated:
PG-13
Format: DVD
4.8 out of 5 stars 4,050 ratings
IMDb6.5/10.0
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September 1, 2015
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The Secret of My Success $3.79 $16.79
Genre Comedy
Format Multiple Formats, NTSC, Color, Closed-captioned, Letterboxed, Dolby, Widescreen
Contributor Herbert Ross, Christopher Murney, Helen Slater, Fred Gwynne, Michael J. Fox, Margaret Whitton, Richard Jordan, John Pankow, Gerry Bamman, Mercedes Ruehl See more
Language English, Spanish
Runtime 1 hour and 51 minutes

Product Description

Product Description

Can a kid from Kansas come to New York to conquer the business world and maneuver his way from the mailroom to the boardroom in a matter of weeks? Michael J. Fox proves it can be done in this very funny lampoon of corporate business life. Fresh out of college, he's determined to climb New York's corporate ladder in record time by masquerading as an up-and-coming executive, even though he's really the new mail boy. However, Fox's plans begin to go awry when the boss's wife falls in love with him and he falls in love with a junior executive, who also happens to be the boss's mistress.


Bonus Content:

  • Production Notes
  • Cast and Filmmakers
  • Theatrical Trailer

Amazon.com

Derivative fluff from 1987, made tolerable by its bawdy exuberance and an appealing performance by Michael J. Fox, who was still enjoying TV stardom and the career momentum he earned by traveling Back to the Future. Here he plays a Kansas farm boy who dreams of scoring big in New York City, but reality turns out to be brutal to his ambition. When his uncle (Richard Jordan) gives him a mail-room job in the high-rise headquarters of a major corporation, Fox occupies an empty office and poses as a young executive, winning the attention of a lovely young colleague (Helen Slater) and having an affair with his boss's wife (Margaret Whitton). Sporadically amusing as a yuppie comedy and rather off-putting as a wannabe sex farce, the movie's still recommendable for its lively cast and a breezy style that almost succeeds in updating the conventions of vintage screwball comedy. Whitton is a standout performer here, so you may wonder why her comedic talent has been underrated, apart from a good role in the first two Major League movies. This may be little more than a big-screen sitcom, but it's not without its charms. --Jeff Shannon

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.38 x 0.6 inches; 0.01 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ MHV61020412DVD
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Herbert Ross
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, NTSC, Color, Closed-captioned, Letterboxed, Dolby, Widescreen
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 51 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ September 1, 2015
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Michael J. Fox, Helen Slater, Richard Jordan, Margaret Whitton, John Pankow
  • Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Spanish
  • Producers ‏ : ‎ Herbert Ross
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Unqualified
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0783229364
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 4,050 ratings

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4,050 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers consider this movie a classic from the 1980s with non-stop laughs and Michael J. Fox at his humorous best. The film features great chemistry between actors, with one customer noting the strong supporting characters, and customers praise the wonderful music and musical score. The plot receives positive feedback for its cute storyline, and customers find the DVD quality excellent and in perfect condition.

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142 customers mention "Movie quality"140 positive2 negative

Customers love this movie, particularly as a 1980s film, with one customer noting its iconic status.

"...Don't mind my minor knit-picking; this is a great movie and for anyone who enjoys comedies then this is a definate for your movie collection...." Read more

"This is a great movie. I just watched it with my Mom and we had a great time watching it." Read more

"...This is the American dream in 80s high fashion and I love taking the ride again and again - so I was grateful when Amazon had a nice deal on buying..." Read more

"This is a classic 80's film. It's charming and fun for the whole family. Michael J. Fox does a great job as does his supporting cast...." Read more

98 customers mention "Humor"95 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the movie's humor, describing it as a fun romantic comedy with non-stop laughs and Fox at his humorous best.

"...The ending at Uncle Howard's house is great fun and non-stop laughs along with that famous song (So beautiful--with the great sound effects) from..." Read more

"...This movie is a light-hearted romp that decades later still brings more than one smile to your face...." Read more

"...RomCom with all the tropes: mistaken identity, misunderstandings, fun chase scenes, and sexual romping. Does Mike get the girl or the job in the end?..." Read more

"This is a classic 80's film. It's charming and fun for the whole family. Michael J. Fox does a great job as does his supporting cast...." Read more

29 customers mention "Cast"29 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the cast of the movie, particularly Michael J. Fox's charismatic performance, with one customer noting the great chemistry between the actors.

"...It has it all: great actors (Richard Jordan, Michael J. Fox, Margaret Whitton, Fred Gwynne and Helen Slater), comedy, romance, action, and a great..." Read more

"...wasnt the sole shining star of the movie..providing a great supporting cast of huge actors like Maggie Whitton, who played Fox's sensuous aunt Vera...." Read more

"Michael J Fox is a great actor!!!" Read more

"...of Michael J Fox's movies, whom I adore and respect as he is such a charismatic and VERY energetic actor, this cute story full of wit and charm..." Read more

27 customers mention "Value for money"24 positive3 negative

Customers find the movie worth the money, with one mentioning it's an excellent addition to any collection.

"...This is a charming, fun RomCom with all the tropes: mistaken identity, misunderstandings, fun chase scenes, and sexual romping...." Read more

"...it sound too dark though...the movie is non-stop laughs and an uplifting story that really does put a permanant smile on your face...." Read more

"I’ve seen this one many times and will watch it again. It’s a smart, funny, classically 80’s movie that’s great for a nostalgic, entertaining..." Read more

"...It host a bunch of other actors as well worthy of note...." Read more

17 customers mention "Soundtrack quality"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the soundtrack of the movie, praising its wonderful music, musical score, and scenery, with one customer specifically mentioning the Night Ranger song.

"...Howard's house is great fun and non-stop laughs along with that famous song (So beautiful--with the great sound effects) from Feris Bueller's Day..." Read more

"...Along with the greatest soundtrack Ive ever heard, which if youre buying this movie you HAVE to get the CD too, with all original songs and scores..." Read more

"...'d expect, good but not outstanding, but I was struck with how good the sound was!..." Read more

"...This one is one of my favorites. Great soundtrack in this movie as well. If you're a fan of Michael's and haven't seen this one, check it out." Read more

16 customers mention "Dvd quality"16 positive0 negative

Customers are satisfied with the DVD quality, describing it as excellent and in perfect condition.

"DVD was in excellent, brand new condition." Read more

"Have loved this movie since release in theaters. Quality of the disc is excellent and the case arrived with no breaks...." Read more

"...I am so happy to have found it. Perfect condition." Read more

"...The plot is crazy but very enjoyable. The dvd is of good quality but no real extras." Read more

15 customers mention "Plot"12 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the movie, appreciating its romantic elements and cute storyline, with one customer noting its excellent pacing.

"...comedy, romance, action, and a great soundtrack...." Read more

"...: mistaken identity, misunderstandings, fun chase scenes, and sexual romping. Does Mike get the girl or the job in the end?..." Read more

"...This is a well thought out plot that is a satire on corporate America but also shows how we can move in the right direction if we want to - if we..." Read more

"...Just a fun romantic comedy. The plot is crazy but very enjoyable. The dvd is of good quality but no real extras." Read more

11 customers mention "Playability"9 positive2 negative

Customers find the DVD plays well, with one mentioning that Michael works the gags with practiced ease.

"...Fox works the gags with practiced ease, but as with all screwball comedies, the audience can only be expected to suspend their disbelief for just..." Read more

"...Everyone in this movie did his job close to perfectly, and any small issues never cause you to question them, instead they just reaffirm how much..." Read more

"...Helen Slater in this movie is pretty as ever and she works well with Michael...." Read more

"Came new and dvd works great. Fun to watch one of my childhood favorites." Read more

Disk was defective and damaged my $900 marantz player
1 out of 5 stars
Disk was defective and damaged my $900 marantz player
I would have loved to had a chance to watch this film …but this disk was clearly defective and caused damage as a piece broke off inside the player which caused lens damage. Customer service was not very friendly or helpful Stay away from this disk is you don’t want to have a buy a new blu ray player Thanks Be safe and well
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Mike
    5.0 out of 5 stars "The Sexual Revolution is over, everyone out of bed!!!"
    Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of my favorite 80's movies (amongist others). It has it all: great actors (Richard Jordan, Michael J. Fox, Margaret Whitton, Fred Gwynne and Helen Slater), comedy, romance, action, and a great soundtrack.

    Michael J. Fox plays Brantley Foster who lives on a farm with his parents in Kansas. Brantley looks to succeed and starts right at the top of the difficulty scale...Manhattan. You know the old saying, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. Same thing goes for teaching, within the suburbs they tell you to get expierence in the NYC schools first. But don't believe what you hear, it's definately not bad at all. Anyway, Brantley gets fired on the first day he reports to his job and follows that up with rejections when he applies for others. He then goes as a last resort to his Uncle Howard who is CEO of Pembroke. Brantley starts in the mailroom and cooks up a plan to reach as high as he can...so he can be able to fly back to his parents house in the corporate jet and be able to afford that lovely penthouse he has, just kidding. You have to see and "hear" his apartment for yourself. It's hillarious!

    Trouble arises: Enter Donald Davenport (Fred Gwynne) and a hostile company takeover. Brantley who goes by the name of Carlton Whitfield when he's a "suit" also finds the girl of his dreams in Christy (Helen Slater, who also is not related to Christian Slater FYI); a whiz kid on money matters. Brantley's boss in the mailroom is also suspecting something is up and have an evil eye on him. Carlton/Brantley also have to look out for Uncle Howard but his biggest challenge is to tame his Aunt Vera (Margaret Whitton from Major League) who has taken a 'special liking" to him.

    All of this adds to tremendous laughs almost every minute. The ending at Uncle Howard's house is great fun and non-stop laughs along with that famous song (So beautiful--with the great sound effects) from Feris Bueller's Day Off (great movie also). The soundtrack includes Night Ranger's The Secret of My Success and Roger Daltrey's The Price of Love. If you like the music from the 80's, you'll like these songs as well as the soundtrack. It would be nice to have a DVD that has the soundtrack included. For example, the James Bond movies have the music video for that particular movie. Don't mind my minor knit-picking; this is a great movie and for anyone who enjoys comedies then this is a definate for your movie collection.

    To sum it up, can Carlton/Brantley outwit his Uncle Howard, tame the wild beast aka his Aunt, and make it to the top?
    14 people found this helpful
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  • S. Rekart
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Movie!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This is a great movie. I just watched it with my Mom and we had a great time watching it.
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  • Dannan Tavona
    5.0 out of 5 stars Still fun after all these years
    Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This film weathers the changes in society and trends rather well. I had forgotten the scene of him trying to sleep while his neighbors get busy - and stay busy for hours at a time. (I want to know their secret!) And the classic songs "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves, and Yello's song, "Oh Yeah" -- fun stuff.

    The business world has really changed since then, and we know some of those unscrupulous men as banksters these days, men and women willing to destroy lives in pursuit of wealth. (Iceland was the only nation to put people behind bars for their fraud and theft, so good on them!)

    This movie pokes fun at some of those tropes that Michael Douglas in "Greed" and other such films took seriously. The late 80s and 90s glorified corporate raiders who took over companies and downsized them (putting workers onto the streets), praising their business suits and praising their ability to make money while ignoring the repercussions in communities far away from Wall Street.

    Obviously, too, there is a nod to Fox's TV role as Alex P. Keaton from the long-running series "Family Ties." It's a small-town young man with a strong sense of ethics making good against those corrupted by their wealth and taking short-sighted shortcuts to keep their often ill-gotten gains. (No, I'm not against earning money, just against stepping on others if I don't have to do so.) This movie is a light-hearted romp that decades later still brings more than one smile to your face. Make some popcorn, snuggle up under a blanket with a friend, and have a good time.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Quill57
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic 80s film still so much fun to watch
    Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    The 80s were a great decade - high school and college - an era until itself. The movies stand out as much as 80s hair and Secret of My Success is no different - it’s SO TOALLY 80s!

    From the music to the hair to the clothes to the story, take a step back to when life was oh so... well, 80s. You get it.

    Follow 80s favorite son, Michael J Fox as he chases the girl while chasing the dream of not just making it NYC, but making it to the top. If anyone is going to go from the mailroom to the board one in 2 hours it’s Mike Fox. This is a charming, fun RomCom with all the tropes: mistaken identity, misunderstandings, fun chase scenes, and sexual romping. Does Mike get the girl or the job in the end? You’ll have to watch to find out (but what do you think?) This is the American dream in 80s high fashion and I love taking the ride again and again - so I was grateful when Amazon had a nice deal on buying it streaming. Take some time and step back in time with Michael J Fox (see what I did there?) and discover the Secret of My Success.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • James M. Cole
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, fun, and more fun
    Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    This is a classic 80's film. It's charming and fun for the whole family. Michael J. Fox does a great job as does his supporting cast. This is no epic movie, no special effects wizard, just a good old fashioned comedy about a man and the search for his dreams. Everyone should see it once. I'd reccommend it to anyone. It's clean and fun. THE PLOTLINE: Brantley Foster from Kansas travels off to the big city of New York after college graduation. He seeks a career in big business. After finally landing a job in the mail room of his uncle's billion dollar corporation, he decides to assume the identity of a big whig in the office to prove his worth and show his uncle he's capable of making great decisions and being an asset to the company. Brantley soon discovers that working two jobs at the same time takes it's toll. It's a classic Clark Kent/Superman situation. After a few key twists and turns, Brantley finds the 'secret' to his success in life. COMEDY.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • clay
    5.0 out of 5 stars Old school movie
    Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Very good
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  • robert kramer
    5.0 out of 5 stars good 80.s movie
    Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    good movie one of michael j fox,s best ones
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Oliver
    5.0 out of 5 stars Das ist ein guter Film
    Reviewed in Germany on February 17, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Denn film habe ich schon als DVD, und endlich auch als bluy ruy.
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  • Chris J Berry
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Blend of Romcom and Sitcom
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 14, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Released in the eighties, this film continues to be a favourite of mine, and again dominates a prominent place in my collection. Bradley Foster (Michael J Fox) gazes towards the Big Apple to realise business success in the high-flying executive world there. Anyone familiar with Fox’s comedy films will find it difficult to keep a straight face with this one. Turning up for an arranged interview, he finds he has been fired before stepping into the job. Determined to succeed, He visits his uncle’s huge company as a last resort, and through sheer audacity and determination, managers to get an interview with him: eventually securing a post in the mail delivery department. With one foot in the door, he secretly begins to step up the executive ladder by the back door, closely scrutinised by the devious manager of the mail department. The result is an hilarious series of events where Fox adopts the use of a split personality. During this process, he falls in love with one of the female executives (Helen Slater). Unaware she has been promiscuously targeted by his uncle, he suddenly finds he has been targeted himself by his uncle’s wife. The film is full of embarrassing close encounters for Fox, and ends in a riotous sitcom following an executive gathering. As each try to achieve access to their respective partners during the night, the cat is let out of the bag between Fox and Slater, but ends in blissful companionship. A classic DVD that constantly entertains me as if the first time... CJB
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  • alwin verhoog
    1.0 out of 5 stars The movie is one of my favorites but the DVD is region 1 :-(
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on February 11, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    The DVD is made in Mexico and Region 1. Had no idea when I ordered the DVD.
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  • Daniel Santos
    5.0 out of 5 stars veio rapido
    Reviewed in Spain on January 14, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Tal como era esperado
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  • Duchess
    5.0 out of 5 stars Secret of My Success
    Reviewed in Canada on April 17, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of the movies I do like with Michael J. Fox in it, but as one reviewer has already said "BEWARE OF AUNT VERA"!!! Yes, I have to admit that every scene she did with him (Fox) I couldn't stop from laughing. Talk about getting into a really 'tight' situation!! Well, as for the rest of the cast, they did their rolls well and if you want a good laugh, this DVD you will not regret buying. I have to admit that I like this one much better than his "Back to the Future" ones. I still like them, but I don't get any where near the laughs out of it that I did with this movie. With this I'd rate it 5 out of 5 stars whereas, the "Back to the Future" movies, I would only rank 4 out of 5. Since I bought this movie, I've had NO regrets!
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