By Julian Pasquinelli
Released in 1980, 9 to 5 is a classic film that’s funny, energetic, and lighthearted all the while addressing political issues still present to this day.
The message this movie sends is that most women deal with sexism of some sort in their jobs (either subtle or overt), and the hierarchies in place at work are very deeply entrenched. But even though it deals with heavy issues, this movie is anything but a downer. It’s a comedy par excellence directed by Colin Higgins, who’s other notable movies include Foul Play (1978).
9 to 5 stars Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda as the three main characters, Doralee Rhodes, Violet Newstead, and Judy Bernly. Dolly Parton is best known for being a country singer, with some of her hit songs being “Jolene,” “Islands in the Stream,” and the movie’s theme song, “9 to 5.” Parton was also in the hit movie Steel Magnolias, which came out in 1989. Lily Tomlin is best known for the shows “Grace & Frankie” and “Ms. Frizzle on the Magic School Bus.” Jane Fonda is known for being an Academy award-winning actress, the daughter of Academy award-winning actor Henry Fonda, and the former wife of CNN founder Ted Turner. She also starred with Lily Tomlin in “Grace & Frankie” and was in countless other movies.
Jane Fonda plays Judy Bernly, an eccentric, naive woman who just moved to Manhattan and is excited to start her job at an office. After divorcing from her husband, Judy is looking forward to leaving her previous life as a homemaker and beginning a new life as a working woman. To get settled in, Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin), a pessimistic widow with four children and senior supervisor of Judy’s floor, is assigned to train Judy. Violet tells Judy about the rumor that Doralee (Parton) is having an affair with the Vice President, Frank Hart, whom Violet trained and had her promotion stolen by. Throughout the film, Violet and Judy begin to learn that Doralee is actually being taken advantage of by Mr. Hart, and the three become good friends.
One of the most memorable scenes is the scene where Violet, Judy, and Doralee create fantasies about what they would do to their boss, Frank Hart, if there were no consequences to their actions. This scene is extremely amusing, as they picture themselves and the whole staff of the office chasing after Mr. Hart around the office, in horror-thriller film style, with filming in black and white to create an eerie effect. Chasing him around with pitchforks, torches, and bloodhounds, this also reminds me of the scene in the Simpsons movie, where the whole town of Springfield chases Homer and his family because he polluted the lake and made their town isolated from the rest of society. It also reminds me of the scene when the town of Transylvania tried to kill Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein. This scene alone made me like the movie, disregarding the fact that it was a great overall film. Dolly Parton also makes the movie so fun, because the synergy between her, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin is the perfect chemistry you want on any movie set.
After the night of fun, a livid Violet accidentally poisons Mr. Hart’s coffee with rat poison, but before he can drink it, he hits his head and blacks out, which of course, makes Violet think she killed him. The following scenes following this one are all hilarious and sometimes make you start yelling at the screen, telling the characters that Mr. Hart is, in fact, not dead. The three make it to the hospital just in time to hear the doctors pronounce a different man dead from poisoning, and it all spirals downhill from there. They walk into Mr. Hart’s room, and they basically kidnap him so they can hide the “body.” This sequence is extremely chaotic, with the trio all breaking down and almost crashing a car.
The last half of this movie really brings out the comedic genius of the writers, especially when the three find out Mr. Hart is laundering money, and they kidnap him. After tying him to a ceiling and sending his wife on a trip to France, Judy, Violet, and Doralee all take turns watching Mr. Hart while they wait for the invoices that have solid evidence of Hart’s crimes to arrive. During Mr. Hart’s “vacation,” the women set up multiple programs in the office that support employees that includes a day-care center at the office for parents, equal pay for men and women, flexible hours, and a program that lets employees share their hours, so one works half a normal day and another person who is available can fill in for them. Hart’s wife comes back early and frees him, but before he can report the three women, the Chairman of the Board invites Hart to come on a business trip to Brazil. He accepts and is kidnapped by an Amazon tribe, never to be seen again. As expected, the movie has a good ending, and Violet is promoted to Vice President, Judy leaves the office to get married again, and Doralee becomes a country singer, just like in reality.
In the end, 9 to 5 is an extremely enjoyable and fun movie, and I would watch it again. The energy all the actors and actresses bring to the film and the atmosphere they create make this movie what it is. The simple, predictable plot and comedic writing enable this film to be an instant classic. This movie quietly fights for equal rights for women in the workplace and is an overall great film that everyone should watch. Who would have thought a film released in 1980 would have such relevance in 2021?
