I first saw 9 to 5 many years ago and I really enjoyed it. Since then, I’ve seen it several times and I still enjoy it. I would usually watch it anytime I found it on television even though all the commercial breaks annoyed me. I recently picked the DVD up when the movie was finally released on that format.
After her divorce, Judy Bernly entered the work force for the first time as secretary at Consolidated. Violet Newstead, a woman that had worked there for several years, was assigned to train Judy. Violet had actually trained Franklin Hart jr., their boss. She was hoping for a promotion, so she put up with Mr. Hart’s nonsense. Violet and Judy became friends with Doralee Rhodes, Mr. Hart’s secretary, after they discovered the rumors about Doralee having an affair with him were lies. Right after the three friends spent an evening sharing fantasies about how they would get rid of Mr. Hart, something unexpected happened. The situation got out of the control and the three women had to do something drastic.
9 to 5 was a comedy that also included some serious issues. Violet, Judy, and Doralee had to deal with a boss that was extremely sexist and seemed to think they were only around to bring him coffee. He treated his employees, except for Roz who spied on the others for him, horribly. The movie also tackled the problem of women not being paid as much for the same work or being overlooked for promotions just because they were women. That was a big problem when the movie originally came out in 1980. The movie was written in such a way that the horrible things Mr. Hart said or did came off as funny most of the time. Even though he made me laugh, I still didn’t like him. It was nice to see Mr. Hart get what he deserved.
Mr. Hart saw Doralee as a sex object and subjected her to harassment more than once. He even went so far as to spread rumors around the company that Doralee was sleeping with him. His continued interest in Doralee despite them both being married and her flat out telling him she wasn’t interested did create a few sexual situations in the movie. There were also a few sexual discussions in the movie. Those things were rather mild, especially when compared with newer movies. Doralee did wear some low cut tops that showed off her cleavage. That was it for nudity in the movie. There weren’t any actual sex scenes. There was a lot of swearing in the movie for it being rated PG.
I thought that 9 to 5 was a very funny movie. It still makes me laugh every time I watch it. Some characters, like Violet or Mr. Hart, said or did things in a serious way that still managed to be funny. Violet, Judy, and Doralee had to put up with a lot from Mr. Hart, which caused them to come up with fantasies on how they would get rid of him. Each one was different but very funny. Violet’s involved her interacting with some cute animated animals. That sequence was well done, though it doesn’t look as good as what can be done today. Once the women decided what to do about Mr. Hart, what they came up with was hilarious. I’m not getting specific because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone that hasn’t see the movie yet. What they did was rather unrealistic and silly, but it certainly was funny and I do think it worked in the movie. Seeing Mr. Hart in a certain situation always cracks me up. When Doralee found out what Mr. Hart had been saying about her around the company, she told him in no uncertain terms what she would do to him if he tried it again. That was probably the best line in the movie.
Violet, Judy, and Doralee were the main characters in 9 to 5. The movie really revolved around them and how they dealt with Mr. Hart. Violet had worked for Consolidated for years. She worked hard but kept seeing other employees, like Mr. Hart, get promotions instead of her. She was a widow that was raising her children on her own. Violet was a nice woman, though she did jump to conclusions about Doralee and believed the gossip circulating. Violet was smart, so I would have thought she would have considered the source. Violet probably had a little more screen time than the other characters. Lily Tomlin was wonderful in the part.
Because of a few things that were said, I don’t think Doralee had worked there very long. She was really a sweet woman that was treated horribly by her co-workers because of a rumor Mr. Hart had started. He targeted her to have an affair with him because of the way she looked and went out of his way to get her in compromising situations where he could cop a feel or look down her shirt. It didn’t matter to him that she was happily married and not interested. Dolly Parton really fit the character. This was her first movie and she handled it well. There were times when the shade of her hair seemed to change a bit, going from light blonde to what looked like white to me. Maybe it was the lighting in those scenes.
Judy was out of her element when she started her job. She’d never worked before and only got the job because of her divorce. She had no idea what to expect or how to do anything. It did take her a little while to settle in with the job and adjust to everything. She became a stronger character by the end of the movie. I really liked Jane Fonda in the part. She was very believable in it. I’ve also enjoyed her performances in Monster-in-Law and The Morning After , playing two very different characters from Judy. Roz was Mr. Hart’s assistant, so she had some authority around the office. She was always coming up with memos on how certain things should be done. She was a very by the rules type of person. It was well known around the office that she would spy on other employees for Mr. Hart. Elizabeth Wilson was good in the part.
Mr. Hart was a sexist jerk that treated most of the women in his department horribly. He kept trying to get Doralee to have sex with him even though she told him more than once that she wasn’t interested. He didn’t care about his employees and made snap decisions about firing people sometimes. He always seemed to plotting some way to get more money. He treated his wife horribly. Dabney Coleman was wonderful in the part. This is probably one of his better known parts. I have seen him in other movies, including Amos & Andrew. Missy, Mr. Hart’s wife was barely in the movie. She dropped in the office once and she wasn’t seen again until almost the end of the movie. She went off on a very long vacation that Mr. Hart refused to go on with her. Missy seemed nice, though perhaps not to bright for putting up with her husband’s antics. Marion Mercer really didn’t have much to do in the part.
Main Cast
Dabney Coleman - Mr. Franklin Hart Jr
Jane Fonda - Judy Bernly
Marion Mercer - Missy Hart
Dolly Parton - Doralee Rhodes
Lily Tomlin - Violet Newstead
Elizabeth Wilson - Roz
Colin Higgins - Director
9 to 5 was recently released on DVD. I was only able to find a full screen version, even when I checked online. I did see a reference made to a widescreen version after I had gotten my copy, but I haven’t seen it anywhere. The DVD did contain some interesting extras. There is a commentary by a producer and some of the cast. There were ten deleted scenes, some of which were really just alternate versions of scenes that were in the movie. The gag reel was pretty funny. There was also a featurette that showed members of the cast and crew talking about making the movie. I did enjoy that.
9 to 5 is a very entertaining movie that is considered a comedy classic by many people now. It did turn a bit silly in places, but it is still worth watching. Fans of the cast should give the movie a chance.
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: DVD Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older
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