The Secret Of My Success [1987]

Brantley Foster is a young boy fresh from the Kansas outback. Leaving the family farm to seek his fame and fortune in New York, his mother gives him the phone number of his “Uncle” Howard Prescott, a successful executive businessman, in case things don’t work out. Soon enough Brantley is throwing himself on Uncle Howard’s mercy and is given a job in the post room of his huge corporation. It doesn’t take long for Brantley to start to extend his horizons past those of the twice daily mail run. He’s assigned to run home one of the executive’s wife one day and needless to say Brantley carries out his duties to the best of his ability. What he doesn’t know at this point though is the wife is that of none other than Uncle Howard.

Just to make matters even more complicated Brantley has designs on one of the other company executives, the very Princess Diana looking, Christy Wills. Unfortunately for Brantley Christy is currently seeing none other than Uncle Howard in a very unorthodox method of climbing the corporate ladder. What follows then is an hours worth of trouserless dashing about the office, a inter-bedroom chase of Scooby-Doo proportions and a boardroom take over of very finest 80’s tradition.

Michael J Fox is just one of those characters that you’d feel really churlish to criticise. He throws his heart into this role and his boyish good looks and innocent charm get him through the more sticky times. He only really gets good support from Margaret Whitton as Vera Prescott and she seems to have great fun with this rather silly film. Helen Slater as Christy and Richard Jordan as Howard aren’t so watchable. Both are rather hammy and more than a little embarrassing at times.

We shouldn’t be too hard on the film. At the end of the day it’s good harmless fun (although none of the characters thinks too hard about leaping in and out of bed with others) and if anything it serves as a good historical piece from the time when people were judged on the size of their shoulder pads!


An absolute classic   March 9, 2000
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This film really sets the pulse racing, a real young kid comes good film. There are moments of pure comic genius along with high drama. An absolute classic, thanks Michael.


a funny, quick witted way to get to the top   January 21, 2001
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

What a hilarious film. It may be quite old - the fashion sense tells you that(!) but it really is a must-see for Michael J Fox fans, or simply fans of comedy. His tenacity will empower you and have you believing that anything is possible in such a competitive world. Fantastic.


A film which reflects the true genius of Michael.J.Fox.   May 27, 2001
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

The dvd is everything that could be expected, Its no Terminator special edition, However this golden oldie can be redeemed by the success of the film itself. Michael.j.Fox is at his peak after the BTTFT trilogy and now he is focusing on the good times ahead. All thumbs up for the fine performance. Alongside him we see talent of all proportions as this comedy depicts the life of one boy and his determination for the big time. Full of comical errors that Michael must face, this really will reveal how to hit big in a matter of days. Congratulations for all involved. A must buy for any fans of a fun loving comedy.