Secretary: A Love Story Wrapped in Restraints
When Secretary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002, it immediately stirred curiosity and nervous laughter. A romance between a boss and his secretary was hardly new, but this was no typical office affair. Steven Shainberg’s film dove into themes of dominance, submission, shame, and acceptance — topics Hollywood usually skirted or sensationalized. Audiences were unsure whether to expect a scandal or a satire, but what they got was something far more surprising: a tender, human love story told through the language of BDSM.
A Plot That Begins in Shadows and Ends in Light
The story introduces us to Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a shy young woman recently discharged from a mental hospital where she was treated for self-harm. Awkward around her family and painfully withdrawn, Lee struggles to fit into the “normal” life expected of her. When she lands a job as a secretary for lawyer E. Edward Grey (James Spader), she discovers a world that will change her forever.
Grey is stern, controlling, and intimidating. At first, their professional relationship seems doomed by his eccentricity and her nervous mistakes. But gradually, their dynamic evolves into something else. Grey disciplines Lee through rituals of correction — spanking, commands, strict control — yet instead of breaking her, these encounters awaken her. Lee finds release, self-confidence, and even joy in the structure he imposes.
The emotional arc of the film rests on this paradox: what appears like submission is, for Lee, empowerment. By the end, she is no longer the timid girl who hides from life but a woman who embraces her desires unapologetically. What could have been a story of exploitation instead becomes one of mutual vulnerability and love.
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Leap into the Unknown
Casting Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee was a risk. At the time, she was largely unknown, known more as Jake Gyllenhaal’s sister than as a star in her own right. She had done small roles in indie films but nothing that hinted at the boldness Secretary would demand.
For Gyllenhaal, the role was transformative. She approached Lee not as a caricature of a submissive but as a complex woman learning to communicate through unconventional means. In interviews, she admitted that she feared audiences might misinterpret the role as degrading, but she also believed deeply in the film’s message of self-acceptance.
The film catapulted her career. Critics praised her as fearless, calling her performance tender, funny, and disarmingly erotic. But it wasn’t easy. Preparing for Lee meant understanding the psychology of self-harm and repression. Gyllenhaal immersed herself in research, spoke with women who had similar experiences, and used her own moments of vulnerability to bring honesty to the performance. Much like Lee, Maggie was stepping into a world that felt risky but ultimately liberating.
James Spader and the Mask of Control
For James Spader, playing E. Edward Grey seemed almost inevitable. By 2002, Spader had already carved a niche as Hollywood’s go-to actor for eccentric, morally ambiguous characters. From sex, lies, and videotape to Crash, he had a reputation for pushing boundaries.
Yet Grey was different. He wasn’t a villain, nor was he simply a kink-obsessed caricature. Spader played him with restraint — a man both ashamed and fascinated by his desires. Behind Grey’s authority was deep loneliness, and Spader captured that fragility with his trademark intensity. Off screen, Spader admitted he felt more comfortable exploring roles that scared most actors, and Grey was precisely that. He once said he viewed the film not as a BDSM drama but as a twisted, funny love story, which freed him from worrying about taboos.
A Film the Industry Didn’t Expect
Before its release, Secretary was marketed as a quirky, edgy indie. Festival audiences were divided: some expected a dark exploration of sexual exploitation, while others feared it would be exploitative itself. What surprised everyone was the tenderness of the film. Instead of shocking for shock’s sake, it invited laughter, empathy, and even sweetness into a subject often hidden in secrecy.
The hype grew after Sundance, where Gyllenhaal became an overnight sensation. Fan discussions buzzed about whether the film was daring or dangerous. In an era when mainstream Hollywood was producing safe rom-coms, Secretary felt like the opposite: a romantic comedy dressed in leather and chains.
Behind the Scenes: Trust and Experimentation
Making Secretary required enormous trust between cast and crew. Many of the film’s most intimate scenes were shot with minimal crew present, ensuring Gyllenhaal and Spader felt safe exploring the vulnerability the roles demanded. Shainberg encouraged rehearsals where the actors discussed their characters’ emotional boundaries before physical ones. This emphasis on psychology over shock gave the film its unusual warmth.
One production challenge was balancing tone. Shainberg and writer Erin Cressida Wilson didn’t want the film to veer into parody or cruelty. They constantly adjusted scenes to emphasize Lee’s empowerment rather than victimization. For instance, in early drafts, Grey was harsher, but during filming, Spader and Gyllenhaal worked together to find moments of humor and tenderness, softening the edges.
There was also a constant battle with studios over how much to show. Some executives pushed for a more erotic cut, hoping to cash in on controversy, while others worried about alienating audiences. Shainberg held his ground, insisting the story was not about sex but about connection. The final cut reflects this balance — provocative, yes, but never gratuitous.
The Bond Between Maggie and James
Though their characters were caught in a power struggle, off screen Gyllenhaal and Spader developed a respectful, almost protective bond. Spader, the veteran, often reassured Gyllenhaal during difficult scenes, while Gyllenhaal’s openness helped Spader dig deeper into Grey’s vulnerability. Their chemistry was undeniable, but it was built on mutual trust rather than mere performance.
Crew members later recalled how laughter often broke out on set after tense scenes, relieving the heaviness of the subject matter. This balance of intensity and playfulness bled into the final film, making the relationship between Lee and Grey feel both dangerous and oddly tender.
The Box Office Surprise and Lasting Impact
Released on a modest budget, Secretary wasn’t expected to draw huge crowds. But word-of-mouth and critical acclaim carried it further than anyone predicted. It grossed over $9 million worldwide — impressive for an indie tackling taboo subject matter — and became a cult hit.
More importantly, it sparked conversations about BDSM, sexuality, and representation. Long before Fifty Shades of Grey turned similar themes into mainstream entertainment, Secretary treated them with nuance and humor. For many, it was the first time cinema portrayed alternative relationships not as deviant but as potentially healthy expressions of love.
What Lingered After the Cameras Stopped
For Maggie Gyllenhaal, Secretary was the beginning of a career defined by fearless choices. For James Spader, it was another reminder of his uncanny ability to humanize the strangest of characters. For Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain a few years later, it was a spiritual companion — proof that love stories could thrive even in unconventional forms.
Behind the camera, Secretary left an imprint as a film that dared to explore difficult terrain without losing its heart. The struggles, trust, and experiments that shaped it made the final work not just provocative, but strangely uplifting. It was, at its core, a love story about two broken people finding wholeness in each other — and perhaps that’s why, two decades later, it still feels alive in the whispers of film discussions.