Rating: 7.0/10
Director: Steven Shainberg
Writers: Erin Cressida Wilson (screenplay), Mary Gaitskill (short story)
Stars: James Spader, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeremy Davies
Runtime: 1h 47min
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Released: 11 October 2002

Summary: An emotionally fragile woman recently released from a mental hospital for self mutilation goes to school to gain secretarial skills to gain employment. She has an alcoholic father and a co-dependent mother who are clueless as to who she really is which a tormented soul who really wants to find something with which she can find success. She is a great secretary and finds a job with a unique, old fashioned, but off center in charge boss with a somewhat sadistic sexual proclivity. She grows and evolves and so does he.
Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), is a socially awkward and emotionally sensitive youngest daughter of a dysfunctional family. She has to adjust to normal life after having been hospitalized following an incident of dangerous self-harm. She learns to type, starts to date an acquaintance from high school named Peter, and begins to work as a secretary for an eccentric attorney, named E. Edward Grey (James Spader), who hires her despite her stilted social skills, unprofessional appearance and scoring higher than anyone he’s ever interviewed therefore being really highly overqualified. Edward explains that it’s dull work and they don’t use computers, however Lee remarks that she is okay with these conditions.

Note: Audio is only in English.