Nine to Five (1980)

Director:

Colin Higgins

Writers:

Patricia Resnick (story)
Colin Higgins (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Getting even is a full-time job.

Plot:

Three female employees of a "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" find a way to turn the tables on him.

Plot Keywords:

Women | Airplane | Desk | Buxom | Divorcee

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Jane Fonda	...	Judy Bernly
Lily Tomlin	...	Violet Newstead
Dolly Parton	...	Doralee Rhodes
Dabney Coleman	...	Franklin M. Hart Jr.
Sterling Hayden	...	Russell Tinsworthy
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Roz Keith
Henry Jones	...	Mr. Hinkle
Lawrence Pressman	...	Dick Bernly
Marian Mercer	...	Missy Hart
Ren Woods	...	Barbara
Norma Donaldson	...	Betty
Roxanna Bonilla-Giannini	...	Maria Delgado
Peggy Pope	...	Margaret Foster
Richard Stahl	...	Meade
Ray Vitte	...	Eddie Smith

Also Known As:

9 to 5

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

UK:AA (original rating) | Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

10431 Bellagio Rd, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

IPC Films

Trivia:

In the middle of the film, Dolly Parton and her colleagues send a nosy secretary to the Aspen Language Center in Colorado to learn French. The particular TWA 747 shown in the film later was used in reality on the ill-fated flight of TWA 800, which exploded off of Long Island, NY.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In some versions, when Doralee lassos Hart and he falls backward, you can see the crash mat he falls onto.

Quotes:

[Violet's fantasy - she's Snow White and Hart is the villain]
Violet: Your coffee, Mr. Hart.
[Hart drinks the coffee, steam comes from his ears, he screams and his head spins around on his neck]
Franklin M. Hart Jr.: I think there was something in that coffee.
Violet: I think you're right.
Franklin M. Hart Jr.: I think it was poison.
Violet: Right again.
Franklin M. Hart Jr.: I think you did it.
Violet: [singing] Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
[sticks tongue out]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Zhu ba da lian meng (2002)

Soundtrack:

Nine To Five

This is why you should join a trade union!

I first saw this film as a kid when it was in the cinema. I must have watched it more than a few dozen times since then. As a kid I simply loved the comedy, and the way our three heroes triumph over the Boss from Hell. As an adult I've found it's a great way to cope after a terrible day at work: beer, pizza and 9 to 5. When you've got the Boss from Hell, then this movie is your fantasy. I feel like I'm getting revenge on my boss from the comfort of my own home!

Parton, Fonda and Tomlin make a fantastic team. There is obviously an incredible chemistry at work between them. Along with Dabney Coleman they play their fantastic characters to the hilt, right up to the edge of "over the top" without actually jumping off. At the same time the dramatic moments in the film fire up their (and our) sense of outrage at the conditions they must work under, giving the story a kick along at exactly the right moments.

Apart from being horrendously funny, it is a stark reminder of what sort of conditions prevail in a workplace without a union to represent staff. I've been working for 14 years now and spent many years as a trade union delegate in my workplace. So much has been gained in the last 20 years that it is now not uncommon to encounter young, naive employees with no idea of history, asking "So, why should I join the union? What's the union ever done?". Look at this movie, look beneath the comedy, and see exactly what a workplace can be like without a union.