9 to 5

There have been many feel-good comedies released, but many are looked down upon for being too cheesy, especially when one attempts to tackle a tough real-world dilemma. While comedy is one of the longest running film genres, that doesn’t shield it from expectations and if one presents an idea with realistic ramifications, it might be criticized for not treating said topic seriously, and this is what plagued the 1980 workplace comedy, 9 to 5. While a massive commercial hit and enjoyed by most, some critics didn’t like how cheerily it presented its topic of workplace discrimination and felt a darker, more realistic approach would’ve been more appropriate. But this raises the question, does the movie need to be taken seriously to work?

After landing a job as a secretary after her divorce, reserved housewife Judy Bernly (played by Jane Fonda) prepares to throw herself into her first ever job at Consolidated Companies, but is quickly taught by her experienced supervisor, Violet (played by Lily Tomlin) how the corporate space operates and that they’re all under the thumb of the incredibly egotistical, sexist and bigoted vice president, Franklin Hart (played by Dabney Coleman) who has continually taken Violet’s ideas for his own, constantly makes advances on his attractive secretary, Doralee (played by Dolly Parton) and very quickly shows his rotten side to Judy after firing an employee for addressing the unfair pay gap. With the three all bonding over their shared loathing for their boss, each imagines a creative way to torment their tormentor, but their fantasies become a little too real when the next day, he suddenly collapses after Violet mistakenly put rat poison in his coffee. Through a string of ridiculous situations that confuse the girls into thinking he’d died, Hart tries to out their supposed assassination attempt, which leads them to hogtie him and keep him hidden in his isolated manor until they figure out what to do. Looking to uncover blackmail material in order to bargain away their potential prison sentences, these three workers are on the clock trying to exact vengeance on their sexist boss as well as subtly improve their own workplace now that they have the power to do so.

While the reception for the film was pretty mixed at first, it was able to develop a cult following over time, and considering it led to a TV sitcom, a Broadway musical, and a very popular hit song that shares the same title, this success doesn’t feel like just luck of the draw. It’s true that the commentary isn’t delved into enough to be thought-provoking, and the frivolity of certain sequences can feel like padding, but with an entertaining concept, very good performances (especially from the three leading ladies), and some really funny sequences, it’s earned the chance to joke around and enjoy itself.

While the synopsis of a group of underappreciated working women joining together to get revenge on their sexist boss sounds like a small but cute idea for a skit, making it last a feature length running time could prove bothersome as there’s not much else to work with. This is something Jane Fonda noticed when she and her recently created production company, IPC Films, came up with the idea as a tribute to working women (especially divorced or recently widowed women), as while she and the film’s screenwriter, Patricia Resnick, tried to write the film as a drama, it never properly clicked until it was turned it into a comedy, which was done with the help of the film’s director, Colin Higgins. This switch was in the film’s best interest, as the light-hearted stance not only makes the message more friendly and approachable than if it were a more harden portrayal of the labor force like something out of Grapes of Wrath, Salt of the Earth or Norma Rae (which Fonda specifically tried to avoid as to not come across as preachy), but there’s also a sense of freedom that comes with being a comedy, and with it, the potential to go off-the-rails with unexpected turns and humorous endeavours, which would’ve fill out any spaces left in the script and help it reach a running time of about 110 mins.

The ensuing chaos is a tad bit unexpected, as the opening act displays its characters and story in a cheekily but stable enough way to fool audiences of the kind of environment the film inhabits, before diving further and further into absurd farce with each passing act. This was something criticized by critics at the time, who felt its departure into goofier territories weakened its message and that its satire wasn’t dark or clever enough to excuse the frivolity of its presentation. While it’s true that parts of the second half, while very entertaining, can feel a tiny bit dragged out, and the commentary isn’t really saying anything that new (even for the time), it’s a topic that almost requires an upfront delivery considering it’s still a relevant issue now, and if anything, the film benefits from not taking itself too seriously. With Fonda being such a fervent activist, she would know how to relay an impactful message in a way that wouldn’t isolate the people they’re trying to reach, so even amongst its silliness, it’s still able to get across the disrespectful treatment women face within a heavily misogynistic industry, the follies of the corporate space and how they feel antithetical to what works best for its employees, and how employees like hard working secretaries and admin personal can sometimes be more impactful and beneficial to a company than the person at the top. The writing is very blunt but can spout some bitter truths right after a funny jab, the direction is breezy and a little ridiculous but is maintained by enough good pacing and comedic timing and this unpredictable makes it hard to tell where it’s heading, and while not offering phenomenal commentary, it will provide a wonderfully charming experience that hasn’t suffered with age.

What’s helped it last the test of time has been its very approachable personality and its sadly always relevant callout of unfair work practices, but also its three leading actresses, each of whom had a strong hand in making this film as iconic and memorable as it was. With Fonda being an established star, Tomlin recently entering Hollywood after an incredibly successful run as a Broadway star and comedian, and Dolly Parton already making waves as a country music sensation, these three are a surprising yet perfect pairing for this kind of film. With all three being prominent and powerful women in their fields, seeing them play very different working women who have their own gripes with their situation, feels both ironic given their status, but also very natural because you believe their frustration and are behind them when they’re push past their limits and resort to drastic measures. While all three are very strong and work off each other very naturally, the best is easily Lily Tomlin as she is already positioned with the most sympathetic role of a single mother of four who has the most experience out of anyone in the office, yet is treated as little more than a receptionist by her boss and constantly passed over for promotions next to inferior men whom she helped train. Her comedic chops are also shown on full display, as her barely suppressed passive aggressive nature mixed with her occasional spouts of manic breakdowns is very hilarious to witness. While seeming like the stiffest character, she leads to some of the funniest moments thanks to Tomlin’s delivery, but the two do get their moments to shine.

With this being the first time Parton had ever acted in a movie before, there was some hesitancy regarding how she would do next to two award-winning talents, and yet she feels incredibly comfortable in this part of Doralee, who comes across as very sweet and also very sympathetic as a bought-in secretary who the boss clearly uses for sexual purposes and the whole office hates because they believe she’s a brainless gold digger. While it’s a not a character she would have trouble with (it pretty much is just her), nothing about her delivery or timing feels a step behind any of the professionals, so it’s a pretty great first impression. Despite being the one who spearheaded the project and was positioned from the start as the main character, Jane Fonda strangely takes a backseat for most of this movie and gets overshadowed by her flashier co-leads, but she still gets some good laughs and considering she was the biggest star of the film, letting the others taken centre stage is pretty cool of her to do. Dabney Coleman isn’t played with any hint of subtly which makes him pretty easy to dislike, but his portrayal is a little uneven. He’s not played straight enough to make people outright despise him, but he’s also not funny enough to make the audience laugh at his horrendous behaviour, putting him in this awkward middle ground where it’s hard to gage how to process him (although his final scene is perfectly delivered). While no other character is defined enough to draw attention, most of the office works bring just enough personality to bring real life to the environment and add to the film’s overall vibe.

With Fonda being inspired by female-driven films from the 1940s, it makes sense that this film has a retro feel, which explains the direction on some of the comedy, as while it doesn’t contain any slapstick or wild wordplay, the farce-like situations and occasional veering into surreal cutaways has a sporadically classical or even sitcom-type energy that this movie certainly benefits from. The production design by Dean Edward Mitzner and the costume design by Ann Roth has a plain believable element that could pass for a normal reality, but the specific moments were things are highlighted or heightened do their part in adding color to a very musty world (both figuratively and literally) and again propping up this world’s sappy but overall enjoyable atmosphere. Everything regarding the office space demonstrates this quite well, with Jane Fonda originally entering into this rigid, orderly, bureaucratically-driven office space dressed like a 1940s housewife with softer tones and floral patterns, before later entering into a much more time-appropriate office layout with smoother colors and more expressive layout in a more freeing attire more like what the actress would normally wear, it’s subtle but effective at getting across the changes being made to the system by actually letting progress happen rather than sticking to outdated ideals. The music is also very infectious, with Dolly Parton’s very iconic song being a fantastically catchy jam that perfectly gets the film started with a passionate spunk, and the rest of the film score by Charles Fox also captures this ‘’go get ‘em’’ attitude through his composition as well, it’s very well delivered.

If there was ever a time to say that 9 to 5 was worth the time, it would be with this film, as even after forty years, it is still referenced, remembered and respected for what it brought to the big screen. There will always be a place for more serious takes on real world issues such as sexism and discriminatory work practices, and they need to exist, but a movie should also be allowed to have fun and go a little wild without being called out as ‘’not serious enough’’. There are things this film could be docked for like a few slow moments, or an occasional comedic part that doesn’t feel ironed out, but the cheery presentation, decently structured script, and incredibly charming leading performances more than feel deserving of a raise. With a remake planned for the future, there could be potential with a more modern take, but even if that never comes to fruition, this shift proved to be anything but mundane.