Overview
Secretary is a romantic drama released in 2002, directed by Steven Shainberg and inspired by a short story by Mary Gaitskill. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Lee Holloway, a young woman just released from a mental health facility, while James Spader portrays E. Edward Grey, her demanding law-firm boss. The story tracks their unusual bond, where Lee’s submissive nature meets Grey’s secretive dominance. The film is not just a love story or a look at kink; it is about finding one’s identity, healing hidden wounds, and gaining self-worth in ways society often overlooks.
Screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson provides sharp, witty dialogue, and Shainberg’s visual choices mix bright and shadowy tones, creating a world that is both playful and tense. Critics praised the film for its brave subject matter and its actors, and it has become a thoughtful reference for anyone curious about power exchange in relationships.
Plot Summary
The story kicks off with Lee Holloway, a shy and fragile young woman just back from a mental hospital. She lands again in her Florida childhood home, a place ruled by her bossy mother and an often-drunk father. Lee’s past includes cutting her skin to feel something other than sadness, and even now she can barely look in a mirror without flinching. The world outside feels huge and full of judging eyes.
Determined to feel like a grown-up and not just a patient, Lee signs up for a secretarial class and lands a job as a legal secretary for E. Edward Grey, a lawyer who is as strange and magnetic as he is intimidating. Grey, played by James Spader, speaks in a low, careful voice and cares about every missed comma, making his empty, snowy-white office seem even quieter. Lee is his only staff member.
At first, Lee finds the work boring and wonders if she really belongs. Yet, for the first time in years, the routine gives her a thin, comforting structure. Grey, noticing the way she stacks papers and obeys his every request, begins to lean on her more. Their boss-and-secretary roles soon slip into a darker, more intimate place neither fully understands.
Grey starts to shape his hold on Lee—not by force or cruelty, but with gentle corrections, piercing looks, and an easy, steady control. Over time, their connection transforms into something openly sensual, anchored in a master-and-submissive rhythm that surprises them both. For Lee, surrendering to Grey fills a quiet ache inside her, a blend of liberation and quiet repair that she had not known she needed.
Yet the journey is not smooth. Grey battles shame about what he craves, worries that his desires could wound her, and one night tells her their game is over because he fears he has gone too far. Lee, meanwhile, feels a new strength blooming inside her, a sense of self that the world and her parents had never allowed her.
In a bold, vivid strike of self-definition, she refuses to let Grey end them. She stands in his office and plants her feet like roots, ignoring the shocked looks of peers and the soft protest of his voice. She will not budge until he sees and names what they have. The mixture of fierce loyalty and quiet rebellion cracks open the cage of his fears, forcing Grey to meet the truth that their love—not his shame—makes them whole.
Characters and Performances
Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway
Gyllenhaal’s performance is mesmerizing. She starts as a shy, nervous woman and gradually becomes someone who owns her desires and her life. With every subtle shift in her posture and every nervous laugh, she reveals Lee’s journey from self-doubt to quiet strength. It’s a raw and honest arc that feels both intimate and universal.
James Spader as E. Edward Grey
Spader plays Grey with a mix of warmth and restraint. The character is a successful lawyer whose polished exterior hides a swirl of unacknowledged need. Spader balances Grey’s authoritative presence with moments of awkwardness and surprising tenderness. The result is a man who is both commanding and vulnerable, a combination that makes every interaction with Lee charged and sincere.
Their connection is magnetic. However, it’s not driven just by erotic heat. The film takes its time to show them forming a bond based on honesty, vulnerability, and a shared longing to be seen and accepted. Such a portrayal—one that respects both partners as whole people rather than stereotypes—remains rare in mainstream stories about BDSM.
Themes and Symbolism
1. Power and Consent
At its heart, Secretary delves into how power can be exchanged rather than imposed. The film draws a clear line between consensual dominance and outright control. Lee’s agreement and her active exploration of her limits and desires give the relationship its strength. Every scene reaffirms that her submission is a choice, not a surrender. The emphasis on clear communication, safe words, and personal growth lifts the story far above exploitation, transforming it into an empowering dance of equals.
2. Healing Through Submission
Lee isn’t taking a back seat; she’s stepping onto her own path. What looks like surrender to outsiders is her way of taking charge. With Grey, she isn’t fading into someone else; she’s peeling back layers to find the fierce woman who knows exactly what she wants.
3. Repression and Shame
Grey’s struggle shows us how loudly the world still fears love that breaks the mold. When he finally embraces the parts of himself he was told to hide, his victory is equal to Lee’s. The film reminds us that true closeness only blooms when both hearts stop lying to themselves.
4. Self-Discovery and Autonomy
Lee isn’t waiting for a knight; she’s forging her own armor. Every time she surrenders, she isn’t giving away her power; she’s choosing how and when to share it. Her decisions—who to touch, what to explore—are still hers to command.
5. Social Expectations vs. Personal Truth
This movie isn’t afraid to call out the rules we’re told to follow. Lee’s polite, predictable fling with Peter falls flat next to the wild, honest spark she shares with Grey. What’s “normal” on the outside can feel empty when tested against the fire of who we really are.
Cinematic Style
Secretary uses simple sets, deliberate lighting, and carefully chosen costumes to mirror what characters feel beneath the surface. Colors echo Lee Holloway’s inner world: the dark and muted shades at the start give way to brighter, more vivid tones as she grows and claims her desires.
Sound design is equally key. Angelo Badalamenti’s score adds a soft, sad undercurrent without ever overpowering the quiet beats. His music and extended moments of silence shape the film’s surreal and funny sections, letting each mood breathe.
Director Steven Shainberg handles the story with compassion and subtlety, avoiding any hint of exploitation. His film is provocative not because of its acts, but because it treats every choice with intelligence and real feeling.
Reception and Legacy
Critics greeted Secretary with overwhelming praise when it premiered. A Special Jury Prize from the Sundance Film Festival, along with a Golden Globe nod for Maggie Gyllenhaal, marked the film’s immediate impact. Commentators admired its honesty, its refusal to settle for easy clichés about BDSM, and its brave portrayal of a woman’s sexuality on her own terms.
Over the years, Secretary has grown into a touchstone for how movies portray nontraditional partnerships. Many see it as the first major film to handle BDSM with both sensitivity and respect, pushing viewers to question what love, power, and personal wholeness can really mean.
Conclusion
Beyond being a love story or an erotic film, Secretary is a celebration of freedom, self-acceptance, and the tangled nature of human bonds. By following Lee and Mr. Grey, it argues that affection can sprout in the least likely places and that true satisfaction arrives not by obeying the world’s rules, but by honoring one’s innermost self.
With its remarkable acting, smart writing, and singular voice, the film keeps finding an audience drawn to questions about who we are, what we want, and how we mend our hearts.
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