The Secret of My Success

Play trailer

The Secret of My Success

PG-13

1987

1h 50m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

46%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Recent college graduate Brantley Foster (Michael J. Fox) travels from his home in Kansas to New York City to pursue a new finance job. However, when Brantley arrives, he learns that his position has been eliminated, and he's forced to take a job working for his inept Uncle Howard (Richard Jordan), who became a company president through marriage. Brantley starts as a mere mailroom worker, but quickly climbs the corporate ladder when he begins posing as an executive.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

A miscast Michael J. Fox gives The Secret of My Success all the madcap energy he can muster, but it isn't enough to overcome confused direction and a recycled plot.

Read Critics Reviews

Sheila Johnston

Independent (UK)

03/29/2023

The latest in a line of American films endorsing the merits of being worldly, ruthless and rich, it wears its heartlessness proudly on its sleeve.

Go to Full Review

Derek Malcolm

Guardian

03/29/2023

The Secret of My Success has too obvious an eye for the main box-office chance to be really successful either as farcical comedy or ironic social comment. But it's kind of fun.

Go to Full Review

Victoria Mather

Daily Telegraph (UK)

03/28/2023

This is a yuppie farrago about corporate raids and corpulent businessmen in which Fox plays the puppy.

Go to Full Review

Philip French

Observer (UK)

03/29/2023

The picture has no remotely critical attitude towards its characters or their milieu. It merely celebrates the acquisitive world of unprincipled workaholic yuppies.

Go to Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

07/20/2021

3/5

...without much details of business, morals or anything much, it's a bland, corporate-headed confection...

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Mary S

@RT31692299 Jun 19

Jangled, disconnected episodes overactive and overacted.

See more

Gary M

@Gmeech67 Jun 13

First saw this in Japan in 87 in the Navy and it inspired me to shoot for the moon. You don't need degrees and certificates to get ahead you need grit and a willingness to look at the world in a certain way.

See more

thiago S

@Thiagostone Jun 11

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

See more

Neida V

@Neida66 Jun 7

I love this movie. It’s about perseverance is about. resilient.

See more

Ciaran S

@TrainMultifan26 Jan 5

2 Years after "Back To The Future" Michael J. Fox tried with other movies to recapture the same success, what this movie an improvement? Well yes & no. The Secret of My Success can have some catchy music and romantic moments it unfortunately can suffer from a lackluster story with weak writing, unnecessary plot holes and questionable acting speaking of the acting Michael J. Fox tries his hardest but hardest but he was given very little to work with, Helen Slater may be a decent actress but the filmmakers try way too hard to make her look like Princess Diana also why do you have Carol Ann Susi of all people? While it's not the worst nor best film i've seen it's just that this isn't exactly my cup of tea.

See more

Dominic B

@Dommo Jan 4

I watched this as a kid and loved it, 35 years later its still a lot of fun to watch, feel-good rags to riches with some of the funniest scenes in a movie, I love the bed hopping scenario, and Fox running between guises getting changed in the elevator, comedy genius. This is crying out for a modern remake.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Herbert Ross

Director

Michael J. Fox

Brantley Foster

Helen Slater

Christy Wills

Richard Jordan

Howard Prescott

Margaret Whitton

Vera Prescott

John Pankow

Fred Melrose

Brighton Beach Memoirs

71%

79%

Brighton Beach Memoirs

Watchlist

Biloxi Blues

76%

63%

Biloxi Blues

Watchlist

K-9

36%

45%

K-9

Watchlist

Kindergarten Cop

54%

52%

Kindergarten Cop

Watchlist

The Dream Team

50%

61%

The Dream Team

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

12 New Year’s Resolutions on Film

View more photos

Synopsis

Recent college graduate Brantley Foster (Michael J. Fox) travels from his home in Kansas to New York City to pursue a new finance job. However, when Brantley arrives, he learns that his position has been eliminated, and he's forced to take a job working for his inept Uncle Howard (Richard Jordan), who became a company president through marriage. Brantley starts as a mere mailroom worker, but quickly climbs the corporate ladder when he begins posing as an executive.

Director: Herbert Ross
Screenwriter: Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr., A.J. Carothers
Production Co: Rastar Pictures, Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $65.3M
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: Surround