MovieChat Forums > The Secret of My Succe$s (1987) Discussion > Was this just marketed badly? Is that it...

Was this just marketed badly? Is that it?

posted 14 years ago by nivrehs
15 replies | jump to latest

Because NO ONE I know (old and young alike) has ever heard of this movie. Most films have a "Reception" section on their Wikipedia page - all this one has is the plot. The rating is a sad 6.1 on IMDb, and barely anyone has discussed it.

So, what was it? Aside from the over-the-top '80s synth instrumentals and recycled power ballads that drowned out the dialogue in some parts, what else was there that really suffocated this film into obscurity?

[–] indisposedinmymind 14 years ago

Believe it or not, this was a pretty popular film in 1987. It made something like $60M at the U.S Box Office. That may not sound like much these days, but it was enough to put the film on the top 10 highest earners of that year. I think maybe the reason some people have forgotten about it, was because it was such an unashamed film of it's time. It perfectly sums up that "Greed is Good" ethos of the mid-late 80's, without being the damning cautionary tale that Wall Street was. As a result, that film has developed a classic status, because it perfectly summed up what happened to a lot of those people in the real world, where as this film is a bit more Disney-fied. At the same time, it isn't quite bad enough to obtain "camp classic" status in the same way a lot of other 80's movies have. I think its a testimate to Michael J Fox's charisma and huge popularity at the time, that this did as well as it it.

Obviously, you're not a golfer!

[–] TMC-4 (20149) 7 years ago

https://thedissolve.com/features/forgotbusters/351-the-secret-of-my-success-distills-1987-down-to-its/

The Secret Of My Success was a hit, but its success ultimately proved just as empty and meaningless as that of its sketchily written, lovably played protagonist. The film won the box-office battle back in 1987, but history has not been kind to it. Even as 1980s nostalgia-porn, it’s strangely dull. Fox’s charisma ultimately cut both ways: It made this flimsy piece of formula a big hit, but it also highlighted the need for roles that did justice to his extraordinary talent, instead of coasting on it.

[–] vranger (444) 4 years ago

Some posters seem to miss the point that this was not a movie with a lesson. It was purely a comedy, and a rather classically scripted one. It's much more like a 30's comedy than many 80s comedies were. But, if you're looking for the "corporate lesson", they DID take down the guy who cared nothing for his employees and put inventive and sensible corporate practice into place ... at least insofar as screenwriters can imagine the concepts.

[–] zziiyy 13 years ago

This was a very popular movie, and Michael J Fox a bankable star at the time.

[–] SPaS 12 years ago

Well, I remember this well enough. Actually a friend from my class saw it on the movies and recommended it. I missed it, but rented it, and saw it lke 5 times with my friends. Good stuff back in the day.

Wikipedia says it made well over 100 million internationally back in 1987, so it was a huge success. But the previous post made a good point: this falls in between "so good it's bad" and "true 80s classics" movies. Also, against Wall street the yuppie - thing is kind of twisted and nowadays definitely outdated.

Movies like Explorers, Innerspace, Adventures in babysitting and Miracle on the 8th street get found out easier because they have names like Spielberg, Dante and Chris Columbus attached to them. And I won't even mention John Hughes here.

Secret of my success must be one of the biggest "forgotten" blockbusters of the 80s. It's as easy to miss as, say, My science project, Real Genius and D.A.R.Y.L. - but those movies didn't make 100 million dollars.

[–] JHollis 12 years ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_in_film

7th highest grossing film of 1987!

www.nrab.blogspot.com

[–] richard.fuller1 11 years ago

I was 21 when it came out and while I didn't frequent movies anyway, I remember it was just about the time of Michael J. Fox overkill. He did Back To the Future to Teen Wolf so now seeing him do the Wall Street deal, he and it was an overtried, overused formula.

I recorded it earlier this week and am watching it now and the opening music, his voice, his explanation of just going to New York, all the beautiful women turning and looking 'at him', it was massive overkill.

I think it was comedian Rich Hall who compared all the Tom Cruise movies around this time as all being virtually the same, from Top Gun to Cocktail and whatever else there may have been.

I remember this movie being promoted with the scene of MJF in his briefs flexing his muscles when the elevator opened. This scene was used to entice people to see it.

Yea, I would say that was bad marketing, if the movie actually has something more going for it.

[–] tpcorless 11 years ago

I remember this movie being very successful when it came out. I was only 11 but I remember the audience enjoying it.

I think it's a pleasant film, nothing more really. It's not as good as Back to the Future, which is now considered a classic. I think "Secret" capitalized on MJF's success but it doesn't have that enduring appeal that some of his other films have.

Something like Cocktail is just as forgettable but Tom Cruise was arguably a bigger star and the Cocktail soundtrack was huge so it had more of a presence.

[–] Ripkens25 (2016) 2 years ago

There’s just something odd about this movie….the way it looks….the cast, etc. Not that it necessarily looks cheaply produced…..but maybe it just looks like it was produced in Canada or something.

None of the cast is very recognizable except MJF. The music and tone are a bit odd….the score, the sense of comedy, etc.

It’s kinda like the difference between SNL and that comedy troupe from Canada (the one that gave us Rick Moranis, John Canada, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, etc). The Canada troupe just seemed….decent, but not as good….and with a different sense of comedy. A different tone.

Kinda like the difference between something like Groundhog Day….and one of those annoying movies like Best in Show. (Do people actually like that movie?)

I can’t quite put my finger on it. The Secret of My Success was decent….but just a bit…”off”, cheaper-looking, and not nearly as good as say…Back to the Future.

[–] pepetoony (1744) a year ago

Parts of it seem a bit more 'made for TV' and twice the actors give themselves away as Canadian by saying "Sore-ee!" (MJF being one of them).

[–] Mustang (5422) a year ago

It did seem like a cheap film despite the cast.

[–] TMC-4 (20149) a month ago

I guess you could say that among the supporting cast, Helen Slater was kind of recognizable since she was Supergirl, which was her first big film role. Fred Gwynne AKA Herman Munster was also in this movie. I would say that Mercedes Ruehl was in a sense, recognizable, but this was a few years before she would win her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Fisher King.

[–] BourbonKing (5777) a year ago

This film embraced what Oliver Stone's "Wall Street" failed to denounce

[–] Mustang (5422) a year ago

I saw it at the time and thought it was ok but average. I haven't seen it since but I think it just gets lost in all the similar (and better) yuppie films of the time.

[–] TMC-4 (20149) a month ago

As others have said, The Secret of My Success believe it or not, was actually a huge well...success during its initial release. It grossed $66,995,000 domestically (or approximately, $182.65 million in 2024 dollars) and $111 million worldwide on a budget of $12 million.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_My_Success_(1987_film)#Box_office

Domestically speaking, it was the 7th highest grossing movie of 1987.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_in_film#Highest-grossing_films_(U.S.)

It actually outgrossed arguably better known and remembered films today such as RoboCop, Predator, Lethal Weapon, and Dirty Dancing.

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1987/?grossesOption=totalGrosses