The Secret of My Success (sometimes stylized as The Secret of My Succe$s) is a 1987 American comedy film starring Michael J. Fox and Helen Slater, produced and directed by Herbert Ross (best known for Footloose). The story is written by A.J. Carothers, and the screenplay is written by A.J. CarothersJim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr., the latter two having previously co-scripted Top Gun.


Brantley Foster (Michael J. Fox) is a recent graduate of Kansas State University who moves to New York City where he has landed a job as a financier. Upon arriving, he discovers that the company for which he is supposed to work has been taken over by a rival corporation. As a result, Brantley is laid off before he even starts working.


Upon inspecting company reports, Brantley realizes that Prescott and most of his fellow "suits" (executives) are making ineffective and/or non-beneficial decisions. After Brantley notices an empty office in the building, due to one of Howard's frequent firings, he assumes the identity of Carlton Whitfield, a new executive.

While handling two jobs (switching between casual wear and business suits in the elevator), Brantley also falls head-over-heels for Christy Wills (Helen Slater), a fellow financial wizard who recently graduated from Harvard. Brantley meets Vera after driving her home in a company limo (at his employer's request). Vera persuades Brantley to stay for a swim and seduces him. Upon seeing Prescott arriving, Brantley and Vera realize they are related (albeit not by blood). Brantley then gets changed as fast as he can and leaves the mansion without being seen by Prescott.

Prescott, without Brantley's knowledge, is having an affair with Christy. When Howard asks her to spy on Carlton Whitfield, Christy falls head-over-heels for Carlton, not knowing he is actually Brantley. The Pemrose Corporation is preparing to merge with the infamous Davenport Corporation. Prescott, unaware that Whitfield and Brantley are one and the same person, suspects Carlton is a spy for corporate raider Donald Davenport (Fred Gwynne).

In the end, Brantley and Vera raise enough cash, bonds, and stocks to wrest ownership of the Pemrose Corporation from Prescott, and to proceed with a hostile takeover bid of Davenport's Corporation. Vera, already contemptuous of Howard for his counter-productive business practices, which were driving her father's empire into the ground, learns that Prescott has been cheating on her to boot. She promptly replaces him with Brantley. While security guards escort Howard and his aide, Art Thomas (Gerry Bamman), from the Pemrose Building, Brantley and Christy start planning their future together, personal as well as professional.



Secret of My Success Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by Various Artists
Released April 10, 1987
Genre Soundtrack
Label MCA Records
Producer David Foster

The soundtrack was released April 10, 1987. It was produced by noted music producer David Foster, who also contributes several instrumental tracks to the album.

Not all of the songs featured in the film are included on the soundtrack, or, at least not in the same version. The film version of the song The Secret of My Success is slightly different, and also features a mini-instrumental version. The film version of "I Burn for You" does not feature vocals, whereas the soundtrack version does. The "Restless Heart" track from the film has a different title and different lyrics than the soundtrack version.


The Secret of My Success: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack peaked at #131 on the Billboard 200.

Track listing
  5. "Gazebo" (performed by David Foster)
  7. "Water Fountain" (performed by David Foster)
  9. "3 Themes" (performed by David Foster)


Critical responseEdit


However, Vincent Canby, writing in the New York Times, felt it was "close to inspired when the ambitious Brantley finds himself leading two lives", although he noted that "Hanging over The Secret of My Success is the long shadow ofFrank Loesser's classic musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

The film holds a 58% 'rotten' rating at website Rotten Tomatoes.

Box officeEdit

The film opened on April 10, 1987, and it debuted at number one at the box office, taking $7.8 million in its opening weekend. It stayed at No.1 for 5 weeks, and was in the top ten films for 2 months. It grossed $66,995,000 in the US,becoming the 7th highest grossing film in the United States for the year 1987, outgrossing such films as RoboCopPredatorLethal Weapon and Dirty Dancing. The film went on to gross an additional $44,001,000 worldwide, giving a gross total of $110,996,879.

In addition the film made US$29,856,000 on video rentals.
