Nine to Five (1980)

Once again, I am going to stray from more academic writing in favor of a quick movie review of a fun 80s treasure. Nine to Five revolves around the work lives of three women: Judy (Jane Fonda), Violet (Lily Tomlin), and Doralee (Dolly Parton). They work at Consolidated, just your generic (evil) corporation.Their boss (Dabney Coleman) is a total douchebaggy perv with a thing (of course) for his assistant, Doralee. Without giving too much away, madness ensues and their boss finds himself being held hostage by our three stars in his own house.

I know the movie seems ridiculous, and it most definitely is. Still, it is worth watching. I wouldn’t say it is campy, but there is some slapstick humor that was lost on me. Lily Tomlin, however, is the source of some fantastically dry humor. It is entertaining to watch Jane Fonda act as an innocent, oblivious secretary and (I never thought I would say this) Dolly Parton was adorable as well.

Cinematically, there were a couple of aesthetically pleasing shots, the most notable of which occurs during the Xerox scene, but the real impact of the movie is made on the narrative level. The film blatantly exposes the glass ceiling and the presence of misogyny in the workplace. As these issues still exist today, the film remains relevant on two fronts: comedic entertainment and social commentary.

Grade: B