Nine to Five (1980)

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

Director:

Colin Higgins

Writers:

Patricia Resnick (story), Colin Higgins (screenplay)

Stars:

Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jane Fonda	...	Judy Bernly
Lily Tomlin	...	Violet Newstead
Dolly Parton	...	Doralee Rhodes
Dabney Coleman	...	Franklin Hart, Jr.
Sterling Hayden	...	Tinsworthy
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Roz
Henry Jones	...	Hinkle
Lawrence Pressman	...	Dick
Marian Mercer	...	Missy Hart
Renn Woods	...	Barbara (as Ren Woods)
Norma Donaldson	...	Betty
Roxanna Bonilla-Giannini	...	Maria
Peggy Pope	...	Margaret
Richard Stahl	...	Meade
Ray Vitte	...	Eddie

Storyline

Meet Franklin Hart (Dabney Coleman). The biggest "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" boss on the planet. He thrills in taking advantage of his head female office staff; humiliating, downplaying, and condescending against them whenever conveniently possible, particularly his top assistant Violet (Lily Tomlin). Long-exhausted over his gruesome bullishness, Violet, alongside co-workers Doralee (Dolly Parton) and Judy (Jane Fonda) comprise comical methods of "doing him in", when a freak incident occurs. They then manage to kidnap Hart and trap him in his own house, while assuming control of his department, and productivity leaps. But just how long can they keep him tied up?

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Plot Keywords:

workplace | female protagonist | friendship between women | camera shot of feet | 1980s | 

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Taglines:

They're showing the Boss who's the BOSS!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

19 December 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

From 9 to 5

Filming Locations:

801 S. Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,966,832, 21 December 1980

Gross USA:

$103,290,500

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$103,300,143

Company Credits

Production Co:

IPC Films, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dolly Parton's almost shy and reclusive husband, Carl Dean, never appears in public with her nor accompanies her to any musical concerts or other events. One of the few times he made an exception was during filming of this movie, Dolly's theatrical film debut. When he walked into the studio, Jane Fonda pointed him out across the room and said, "Look at that handsome man! I call him, he's mine!" to Lily Tomlin. Dolly then "spilled the beans" that he is her husband. After a few minutes conversing together, Dolly broke the news of being married to him and introduced him to the other actresses. When Jane heard Dolly's remark, she was extremely and deeply embarrassed, especially after she made a remark to Lily as if she was out "husband hunting".

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Goofs

When Jane Fonda's ex-husband comes to the Harts back door at NIGHT and is let in they soon hear a noise upstairs. Mr.Hart has knocked over a lamp. When Jane goes to flip garage door mechanism and an ensuing tussle continues, the entire scene behind them is daylight. When she goes downstairs to let her ex out, it is once again night.

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Quotes

Doralee Rhodes: That's just great! We just waltz into the hospital and say, "We're sorry, we made a mistake." Well, maybe they'll give us Hart's body in exchange!
Violet Newstead: There is no need to get sarcastic!

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Alternate Versions

HBO/Cinemax's version of the film on Closed-Captioning changes one word of dialogue. Violet says to Mr. Hart, angrily, "The boys in the club are threatened, and you're so intimidated by any woman that won't sit in the back of a bus." Closed-Captioning reads, "The boys in the club are threatened, and you're so intimidated by any woman who isn't submissive."

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Last Chase (1989)

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Soundtracks

Nine To Five
Written and Performed by Dolly Parton
Produced by Gregg Perry
©1980 Velvet Apple Music and Fox Fanfare Music, Inc.

User Reviews

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.