In its 2002 review of the black comedy Secretary, The New York Times said “The role of Lee, which Maggie Gyllenhaal imbues with a restrained comic delicacy and sweetness, should make her a star.”
Gyllenhaal’s Lee is a young woman recently released into the care of her overbearing parents following a stay at a mental institution. She finds work as a secretary for a rigid and demanding attorney (James Spader). Turned on by their in-office dynamic, they begin to explore their mutual fantasies in this funny, complicated, and surprisingly tender film that did, indeed, help make Gyllenhaal a star.
Showing as part of our Maggie Gyllenhaal Double Feature: The Lost Daughter + Secretary. The Lost Daughter is her feature directorial debut, while Secretary was Gyllenhaal’s breakout role.
