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I'm not entirely sure when I first saw Colin Higgins' "9 to 5," but I was definitely too young to appreciate what I was seeing. I definitely laughed at Mr. Hart being roasted on a spit, but I'm quite certain that I didn't understand all of the nuances that led to Dolly Parton pulling out a lasso to rope him into that situation. In light of Ms. Parton's passing, I thought I would revisit this classic movie, available on VOD, as a film critic's love letter to Dolly and the values that she dedicated her career to.
The film finds Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda) on her first day at Consolidated. She is greeted by Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin), the floor manager, hoping to be promoted to an executive position. This will be decided by Franklin Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman), the boorish boss who leapfrogged over Violet to get his job and now spends his days stealing her ideas and chasing after his secretary, Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton). When Violet believes that she has accidentally poisoned Mr. Hart, the women have to figure out how to save themselves and save the company along the way.
It is so fitting that "9 to 5" was Dolly's first role in Hollywood. Obviously, she had already established herself as an iconic musical performer, but this film showed the world that she could take those same talents to the silver screen and be just as iconic. And Doralee feels like a role written specifically for Dolly. A beautiful woman who is accused of being a silly mistress just because she has blonde hair and sex appeal, but who shows herself to be able to stand up for herself and for other women, just like she did in her real life.
Despite this movie being just a few years shy of its 50th birthday, the themes that it addresses remain as relevant as ever. From the opening lyrics of the song with the same title, "9 to 5" champions solidarity and collective action in a manner that is easily accessible and deeply resonant. But at its heart, it's a movie about friendship and the ways that women can show up for one another, even if they are in different stages of their lives.
For all of the very serious subjects, this is still a wildly entertaining movie. The pot-fueled fantasies are hilarious, the relentless parade of one-liners from the trio is all perfectly delivered, and the mix-up between the sugar substitute and rat poison is iconic. Sure, it gets a little bit rambly in the second act with the Hart mix-up, but even then, the humor keeps the story from losing too much steam.
There are plenty of reasons why "9 to 5" has stood the test of time. The commitment to lifting up women. The push for more workplace equality and fair wages. The quippy one-liners that help make the medicine go down. The demand for respect, regardless of how one looks. These are all the same things that have made Dolly Parton more than just an exceptional performer, but also an exceptional human. And they are the qualities that we should all strive to emulate.
Alise Chaffins is a freelance and Tomatometer-approved film critic.