Secretary

A young woman, Lee (Maggie Gyllenhaal), recently released from a mental hospital, lands a job as a secretary to a lawyer, Edward (James Spader). The troubled woman soon finds that her relationship with her boss is less employer/employee and more master/servant.

  • Starring: James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal
  • Director(s): Steven Shainberg
  • Producer(s): Double A Films
  • Screenwriter(s): Steven Shainberg
  • Distributor: Lions Gate Films
  • Animal Coordinator: Kim's Exotic Critters
  • Release Date: Friday, September 20, 2002

Featured Animal Action

Although AHA was on set to monitor one scene featuring a monkey, production did not answer AHA's inquiries regarding the other animal action featured in the film. As a result, AHA is awarding the film a dual rating: Acceptable/Unknown.

A small dog lies in a dog bed.

Edward sets a no-kill mousetrap onto the ground. The trap opens up and a small white mouse crawls out.

As Lee and Ed walk into an office, the camera shows us a close up of a small squirrel monkey. A trainer placed the animal on its mark and cued it to "stay" from off-camera.

Lee watches a worm crawling in the grass. Later, Lee places a worm inside of a letter and folds it up and puts the letter into an envelope. Soon, Ed opens the letter and sees a dead worm inside. Ed carries the dead worm to his desk and sets it on a piece of paper then draws a circle around it with a red pen. Lee enters Ed's office and sees the worm laying on a piece of paper in the center of the red circle and she bends over the desk to look at it. Ed picks up the piece of paper with the dead worm and puts it in his desk drawer.

Lee takes a dead cockroach from the pocket of her shirt and drops it onto the freshly made bed.