SummaryA talented young man can't get an executive position without rising through the ranks, so he comes up with a shortcut, which also benefits his love life.
Directed By:Herbert Ross
Written By:Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr., AJ Carothers
The Secret of My Succe$s
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
36
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
36
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
69% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
31% Negative
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
60
The Secret of My Success is Ross's most engaging romantic comedy since California Suite. Interestingly, it uses some of the best elements of his less successful movies: the pictorial splendor of Pennies from Heaven, the fusion of music and image in Footloose, the unbridled comic delivery of Protocol, the sense of character from Max Dugan Returns. [10 Apr 1987, p.1D]
60
Typically paper thin, the plot and the morality are blown away by the charms of the leading man and a soundtrack that has been hand-picked to get an audience on side. Unadulterated silliness, but harmless fun.
50
The picture is stupid and often perfunctory; at the same time it's moderately enjoyable.
40
This belabored charade of mistaken identities is guided by Herbert Ross, who has directed everything from The Sunshine Boys to Footloose. Apparently, he's decided to cater to younger moviegoers with this discordant mix of MTV imagery and classic farce.
40
The profound moral and spiritual emptiness at the core of The Secret Of My Success keeps it from being the dumb fun promised by its premise, title, and extensive use of Yello. The film never bothers to consider why Fox is in such a huge hurry to make it in business, or why the audience should be so invested in his professional success. Instead, it just assumes that everyone is out to make their fortune, get the girl, and come out on top at the end. The film consequently feels like a souped-up Rube Goldberg contraption in a furious hurry to get nowhere in particular.
25
The Secret of My Success is crushingly bland. Bland, yes, but somewhat chilling, too--particularly in the way Ross and his screenwriters (Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr. and A.J. Carothers) zero in on their teenage target audience by indulging in the grubbiest of grubby fantasies.
20
All the usual business canards and stereotypes are represented in this lackluster, witlessly directed production. Only Fox is worth watching, but his role is more suited to a one-act play.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
64% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
21% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
14% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Sep 22, 2021
8
M.J. Fox Walking On Sunshine in Go-Go 80's
Michael J. Fox is walking on sunshine at the apex of his career success (1987) in this contagiously likable Herbert Ross produced and directed comedy. Ross brings his prolific success from stage, opera, ballet, movies, and TV to this fun, frolicking and much-improved upon non-musical update of the 1960's Broadway and movie classic 'How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying'. Herb is a bona-fide Hollywood legend, who over 40 years, worked with some of the greatest in the biz: Ray Stark, Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Mike Nichols, Vivien Leigh, Barbara Streisand, Baryshnikov, Shirley MacLaine, Anne Bancroft, Tom Skerritt, Liz Taylor, Peter O'Toole, Jerry Lewis, Milton Berle, Steve Allen, Steve Martin, Richard Dreyfus, Kevin Bacon, Goldie Hawn, Dolly Pardon, Julia Roberts, Sally Fields, Olivia Dukakis, Sam Shephard, and Michael J. Fox, plus many more. Few can compare to Herb's Rennaisance-Man performing-arts background as a dancer, actor, choreographer, director and producer. Movies and/or plays he directed and/or choreographed include another 80's classic 'Footloose', as well as The Turning Point, The Goodbye Girl, Play It Again Sam, Protocol, California Suite, Nininski, The Seven Percent Solution, Funny Girl, Funny Lady, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, The Owl And The **** Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolf, Inside Daisy Clover, Goodbye Mr. Chips, The Sunshine Boys, Max Dugan Returns, I Ought To Be In Pictures, Pennies From Heaven, My Blue Heaven, True Colors, Steel Magnolias, Boys On The Side, and more. But 'The Secret Of My Success' is ALL about Michael J. Fox, and Ross choreographs this non-stop comedy romp through the corporate take-over era of the 1980's, that engagingly showcases Michael's comedic acting style - an absolute must-see film for any MJ Fox fan.
Nov 27, 2024
1
La beauté, il va la trouver assurément en la gracieuse personne d’Helen Slater malgré sa coiffure affreuse de bourgeoise coincée, également fardée et maquillée comme une voiture volée… et avec de grandes lunettes ! et malgré tout donc, Supergirl est toujours… super belle ! En tout cas, cette comédie (très bête) qui ne fait que trop rarement sourire (et encore) s’essouffle rapidement et tourne complètement à vide ! il faut dire que ça dure -quand même- 1h50 ce machin et qu’en temps ressenti, il faut muliplier par cinq (environ), ce qui vous laisse une idée de l’immense ennui généré… sans compter cette musique de merde des années 80 ! De fait, si on pouvait revendre les longues minutes à se faire chier devant ce film très emmerdant, nul doute qu’on ne serait sans doute pas millionnaire mais bien plus riche qu’avant ! or, il se trouve que le temps perdu n’est toujours pas remboursé par la sécu, ce qui est bien dommage… Mais il faut faire des économies et puis, on ne va quand même pas subventionner des films étrangers ! déjà qu’on file trop de thunes pour les daubes du cinéma français d’auteur et gauchiste ! (pléonasme évidemment…). Mais enfin bref, passons, je m’égare et je digresse, il faut conclure et tirer la chasse, un peu quand même !
