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IMDbPro

Secret Admirer

  • 1985
  • R
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
8.7K
YOUR RATING
C. Thomas Howell in Secret Admirer (1985)
Home Video Trailer from Orion Pictures
Play trailer0:48
1 Video
73 Photos
FarceRomantic ComedyComedyRomance

An anonymous love letter left in Michael Ryan's locker on the last day of school wreaks havoc on his life and the lives of everyone who come in contact with it.An anonymous love letter left in Michael Ryan's locker on the last day of school wreaks havoc on his life and the lives of everyone who come in contact with it.An anonymous love letter left in Michael Ryan's locker on the last day of school wreaks havoc on his life and the lives of everyone who come in contact with it.

  • Director
    • David Greenwalt
  • Writers
    • Jim Kouf
    • David Greenwalt
  • Stars
    • C. Thomas Howell
    • Lori Loughlin
    • Kelly Preston
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    8.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • David Greenwalt
    • Writers
      • Jim Kouf
      • David Greenwalt
    • Stars
      • C. Thomas Howell
      • Lori Loughlin
      • Kelly Preston
    • 50User reviews
    • 20Critic reviews
    • 46Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Secret Admirer
    Trailer 0:48
    Secret Admirer

    Photos73

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    Top cast32

    Edit
    C. Thomas Howell
    C. Thomas Howell
    • Michael Ryan
    Lori Loughlin
    Lori Loughlin
    • Toni Williams
    Kelly Preston
    Kelly Preston
    • Deborah Anne Fimple
    Dee Wallace
    Dee Wallace
    • Connie Ryan
    • (as Dee Wallace Stone)
    Cliff De Young
    Cliff De Young
    • George Ryan
    • (as Cliff DeYoung)
    Leigh Taylor-Young
    Leigh Taylor-Young
    • Elizabeth Fimple
    Fred Ward
    Fred Ward
    • Lou Fimple
    Casey Siemaszko
    Casey Siemaszko
    • Roger Despard
    Geoffrey Blake
    Geoffrey Blake
    • Ricardo
    Rodney Pearson
    • Kirkpatrick
    Courtney Gains
    Courtney Gains
    • Doug
    J.J. Cohen
    J.J. Cohen
    • Barry
    • (as Jeffrey Jay Cohen)
    Scott McGinnis
    Scott McGinnis
    • Steve Powers
    Corey Haim
    Corey Haim
    • Jeff Ryan
    • (as Cory Haim)
    Michael Menzies
    • Mr. Simpson
    Michael J. Moore
    • Leon
    John Terlesky
    John Terlesky
    • Rick
    Keith Mills
    • Mailman
    • Director
      • David Greenwalt
    • Writers
      • Jim Kouf
      • David Greenwalt
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews50

    6.58.6K
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    Featured reviews

    8videorama-759-859391

    An 80's comedy, you just have to secretly admire

    This is just how we loved these sex comedy films in the eighties, this a cut above a lot of others. Being a C Thomas Howell fan, this is one of my favorites of his his, years before he plummeted into doing continuous dreck, as like many other actors. Smitten by a popular mature girl (Preston), he's longing after, when the real answer was right in front of him, all along, he receives an anonymous love letter, which goes astray, ending up in the wrong hands, well many wrong hands, with disastrous results, it's just fun. This is just another eighties film, which has me wishing, why can't we see stuff like this today. I just wish I could just go back in time. This movie is a lot of fun, while being a bit of a drama too. Howell's friends, larger than life characters, one bringing a suitcase with him, we see, while going up to Howell's crib, are a hoot, where school has ended for the Summer season. The finale that has Howell chase down his admirer, I must say was a little breathtaking, as his admirer is heading off on a weird transport venue of education. All in all, SA is a very enjoyable and and likable comedy where Howell stole a lot of girl's hearts at that time. Fred Ward as Preston's trigger happy cop Father is a classic.
    brandonsites1981

    * * * out of 4.

    Young man (C. Thomas Howell) gets an unsigned love letter on the last day of school. He thinks it is from the most popular girl in school (Kelly Preston) and sets about trying to win her over. At the same time however, the letter is getting passed along and mixed up with other people who mistakingly think it is addressed to them.

    One of the best films of the genre is a charming, sweet and romantic teen comedy that features an adorable score, a great cast that is used perfectly (especially Lori Loughlin as Howell's best friend and Fred Ward as Preston's dad) and a good ending. Plenty of laughs and suspense along the way also!

    Rated R; Sexual Situations, Nudity, Mild Violence and Profanity.
    fluffset

    one funny movie from 80s in 2015

    I never actually review any old movie but I think this movie is worth reviewing, American R-rated teen movie have lost what I can say, the real comedy with a good plot, they always think, with cursing so much, do a lot of sexual preference stuff will be funny. Its not actually. Its do funny sometime but cant we just avoid the cursing sketches. Secret Admirer just need a piece of paper as the center of attraction and with that only the story is moving really well. I just need 3 other line to complete my other bad English review but lets give this movie a try, even though this is not a best movie ever but its still good, ever. Sometime, one good movie from 80s is better than 10 good movie from 21st century.
    9baumer

    Fred Ward steals the show!

    Lieutenant Fimple ( Fred Ward ) has had a bad day. He thinks his wife is cheating on him so he follows her to a make out point. Then he goes to his mutual friends house and picks her up because the man that he thinks his wife is having an affair with is the woman's husband ( are you following me so far? ). He gets back to the make out point and they are gone. So he drives home his friend and then he gets into an accident. When he gets home, the man's ( who is apparently sleeping with his wife ) son has just finished giving his daughter a good night kiss. " Good evening Lieutenant Fimple, " the boy says, " F*** you! " Fimple replies. It is one of the funniest moments in the film and the film has quite a few of them.

    Secret Admirer is one of the slew of teen films that came out in the 80's that was high on entertainment, if you let it do that. It is one of those films that should not be over analyzed. It is simple entertainment and it is goofball highschool entertainment. The characters in the film have fun with the roles they are thrust into and the dialogue is fresh and funny. Look for the part when the mailman comes to Michael's house and is apparently late with the mail. Classic.

    I wish they could make films like this as we head into the new millennium. They are here to entertain and nothing more. And that is sometimes all we can ask for.
    8smirre44

    Typical, mid 80s teen comedy, but kinda funny

    I didn't get to see this movie until '94, when it aired on TV here. I gotta say the major reason I liked this movie was because it had Lori Loughlin in it, she's a fox with a capital F, capital O and capital X. :) Anyways, give this one a whirl if you like these kind of movies, but if you're a Lori fan, it's definitely a must-see!

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This film was part of an intense, front-page-of-newspapers controversy in Puerto Rico in early March of 2016 when it was revealed that writer-director Eduardo Ortíz had basically plagiarized it almost in its entirety - word-for-word, scene-for-scene, and shot-for-shot - when he did his film Vasos De Papel (2016), and had tried to make everybody believe that the screenplay had been created and written by himself. The film had only been playing at Puerto Rican cinemas for a few days when the first articles pointing out the similarities between the two films, and pointing out that there was no mention anywhere of it being based on 'Secret Admirer', arose. Once the film was no longer being shown in cinemas across Puerto Rico, Mr. Ortíz first issued a statement saying that there were "certain similarities between one film and the other, not plagiarism. Everything is a matter of interpretation". Only a few hours after making that statement, Mr. Ortíz changed it, saying in a radio interview that he "had done something terribly wrong", and apologizing to his cast and crew. Mr. Ortíz had ignored and/or refused to comment on the issue until actress Natalia Lugo, who played the lead on Vasos De Papel (2016), released a statement on social media where she both condemned the film and expressed the embarrassment she felt when she saw 'Secret Admirer', and came to understand how she and her fellow actors and crew had been duped.
    • Goofs
      When Michael is writing the letter to Debbie the pen he is writing with is yellow with a blue top but in the next shot when he brings the pen up it is clear with a black top.
    • Quotes

      Michael Ryan: What are you guys doing tonight?

      Deborah Anne Fimple: Nothing much.

      Toni Williams: Kappa Omega party.

      Michael Ryan: Oh, you mean the homo house?

      Deborah Anne Fimple: Well one will crack jokes about others when they are insecure with their own masculinity.

      Michael Ryan: Oh, I hate guys like that. They're so immature.

      Steve Powers: [drives up] Hey beautiful! Want a ride?

      Michael Ryan: No thanks, Steve. I'll walk.

      Deborah Anne Fimple: [sarcastically] Real mature.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Secret Admirer/The Goonies/Prizzi's Honor/Movers and Shakers (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      No Secrets
      Theme from Secret Admirer

      Written by Brock Walsh

      Performed by Van Stephenson

      Courtesy of MCA Records

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Secret Admirer?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 14, 1985 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Admiradora secreta
    • Filming locations
      • Port of Long Beach, Long Beach, California, USA(final scene)
    • Production company
      • Orion Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $7,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $8,622,757
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,414,984
      • Jun 16, 1985
    • Gross worldwide
      • $8,622,973
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 30m(90 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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