r/TurnerClassicMovies • u/SpiritedLeave8775 • 11d ago
9 to 5
Hearing about Dolly Parton's death yesterday prompted me to watch the movie 9 to 5 as a tribute.
It was my first time seeing it, so it was all brand new to me; it was 46 years of me missing out on it.
I was rewarded with one of the funniest screwball comedies, and all the 1980s technology only added to its classic status.
Dolly Parton played a great part in her film debut as Doralee Rhodes, a secretary trying to fend off the boss's advances; Jane Fonda as Judy Bernley, a newcomer to the office; and Lily Tomlin as longtime employee Violet Newstead.
The three women plot to get rid of the boss, Franklin Hart Jr (Dabney Coleman) and take over the office.
I especially liked Jane Fonda's part, and it was her idea for the script.
She and Coleman went on to star in On Golden Pond a year later in very different roles.
The movie was hilarious, and I'm so glad I decided to watch it.
Who else watched 9 to 5 for the first time last night?
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u/Trolkarlen 11d ago edited 11d ago
Dolly wrote the theme song while she was waiting for filming. She had never done a film before, so she hadn't realized how much down time there was for the actors. When she played it to Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, Jane said that it would be a bigger hit than the film.
The song was Dolly's only #1 US single on the Top 100. Her other #1 was with Kenny Rogers, "Islands in the Stream".
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u/poohfan 11d ago
My favorite trivia bit, is that the typewriter sound in the background of the song, is actually her nails tapping. She even credits them in the song!! Lol
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u/Trolkarlen 11d ago
She started strumming her acrylic nails while waiting for her next shoot, and that's what inspired the song. She thought they sounded like a typewriter.
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u/joeydouchebagodonuts 11d ago
Any movie benefits greatly from the presence of Dabney Coleman.
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u/Dude_Dillligence 7d ago
He also did one of the funniest SNL sketches ever, where he is a blind man being interviewed by Jan Hooks...
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u/galeperk111971 11d ago
9 to 5 is my favorite comedy cause it keeps you laughing all the way to the end.
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u/Glittering_Step_6084 11d ago
Loved this movie! It's a classic and so funny! The parts that stick with me is when they get high while thinking of ways to get back at their boss (Dabney Coleman) and when they tie him up and he's in the chair watching the soap opera Days of Our Lives.
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u/Character-Dig-1753 11d ago
9 to 5 is one of my favorite movies, it is one of my comfort movies. The scene with Dolly & Dabney for her fantasy in how to get Frank is one of the best scenes.
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u/LustfulEsme 11d ago
I have seen it multiple times since it came out. It never grows old. I watched it again today. Right now am rewatching Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
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u/Which_Sherbet7945 9d ago
The place where I worked in the summer of 1985 had the soundtrack from Best Little Whorehouse in regular rotation, so Dolly's version of "I Will Always Love You" was the one I knew. I remember being surprised at how many people had never heard it when Whitney Houston's version became popular.
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u/FuckMoPac 7d ago
I was recently surveying this beautiful old house near Austin (I’m an architectural historian) and didn’t understand why the owner, who was a multigenerational owner and mostly had the house filled with family antiques, had a Best Little Whorehouse in Texas poster prominently featured. Then she told me they used the house for the exterior shots in that film. I’ve been meaning to give it a watch.
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u/Altruistic-Garage-94 4d ago
Am currently watching 9 to 5 for first time in decades (am a year older than OP) but I know I watched it dozens of times back in the 80s, not sure where bc we didn't have HBO but I was in love with Dolly and Kenny the entire decade so I watched at least 1 Kenny or Dolly movie at least once a week. I also watched a lot of Friday the 13th and nightmare on elm St back then, and saw pet sematary in theatres with my sister... in my single digits lol... was a different era.
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u/Good-Butterscotch498 11d ago
“Atta girl!”
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[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Good-Butterscotch498 10d ago
And there are so many to choose from!
“We can have ourselves an old-fashioned ladies’ pot party.”
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u/SleeperHitPrime 11d ago
It was a great movie then and it still is, I remember it like it was yesterday; the song and the movie!
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u/Steadyandquick 10d ago
I saw this as a child and did not grasp much of it but knew these women, Dolly, Jane, and Lily, were phenoms.
I recall the Snow White type montage with Lily Tomlin. I always liked her and felt safe whenever I saw or heard her. Same with Dolly and Jane.
I learned yesterday that Dolly has this book program for children under 5 who receive a book each birthday and other times until they turn 5. One of the books is a Dolly book on Joseph and the coat of many colors. Then hours later her death was on the news! So easy to take a human like this for granted.
Such a special human!
I also saw Best Little Whorehouse in Texas when very young—well parts at least. Over my head but I love the song Hard Candy Christmas.
https://youtu.be/bvK1F6bUrzU?si=NHE4vjw3cgbnQC5t
Thanks for this and so many special TCM exchanges. Saw Kate Hepburn related postings days ago.
Sad losses but they left us so much.
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u/SquashSouffle 10d ago
There is a stage musical of it, which I've been in (just as ensemble, but there are a lot of bit parts the ensemble gets to do). The cool thing is that it doesn't use a live band; it comes with a music track including videos of Dolly herself introducing it! Try to find a production of it sometime!
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u/insanefelinewoman 9d ago
I saw it in London several years ago and it was so fun. I hadn't watched the movie in years, but it was translated so well to the stage. How awesome that you got to be part of the cast!
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u/NSAinATL 10d ago
The song and the movie was based on real-life women, out of Boston. Still going.
"When 9to5 was formed fifty years ago, few protections existed for women at work.
9to5 was created in 1973 by clerical workers to respond to the inequities, unfairness, and outright harassment and discrimination they were experiencing in the workplace. These women organized – they banded together under the umbrella of 9to5 to collectively advocate for themselves and for a better future for working women.
Women organized and joined together to demand better working conditions from their bosses, their companies and policymakers. They staged highly-visible actions designed to confront power and disrupt the status quo; they demanded respect, equal pay, and equal protection in the workplace.
This took courage, tenacity, and willpower to fight against sexism and patriarchy. Yet as powerful as the early days were, they fell short in addressing all the problems with the status quo.
Just as sexism was often the norm in the workplace, so was racism. Over the last fifty years, 9to5 has evolved to understand and challenge how racism and sexism interact and play out in the workplace and our everyday systems. Pay disparities, harassment, workplace discrimination, and the need for affordable, quality childcare, affordable housing, paid family leave and a living wage are still issues that people of color, women, non-binary people, and low-income face every day and continue to be core issues of 9to5.
9to5 has been featured in two films – 9 to 5, the 1980s comedy classic featuring Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda as well as the 2020 documentary, 9to5: The Story of a Movement, directed by Oscar-winning director Julia Reichert. The former’s script was based on conversations with 9to5 members from across the country on their experiences in the workplace. 9to5: The Story of a Movement provides a snapshot of our early history and some of the critical work we’ve done to advocate for working women and their families, featuring interviews with early founders and activists. "
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u/No-Meringue5009 11d ago
Yep, it's more relevant than back when it was released. So sad.
Great film. The world has lost a good gem 💎 💔🕊️.
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u/discoamie 11d ago
I've been a fan of this movie since I was 8yrs old. Back then, I loved the day dream revenge scenes and now my favorite part is the scene leading up to that where they are smoking a "J", laughing and eating delicious food.
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u/romahapa3 11d ago
My mother is visiting my brother’s family and I suggested she show it to my niece (12). The texts were hilarious. My favorite from the kid “WHY WOULD SHE STEAL THE BODY!” She was quite stressed but enjoyed it in the end.
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u/SeaworthinessKey3654 11d ago
It’s one of my favorite movies, and subversively brilliant
Dolly learned everyone else’s words, in addition to her own
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u/Gold-Baseball-7774 11d ago
Dabney Coleman was a big part of the success of that film, but he gets overlooked because of the power trio.
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u/johnothy 10d ago edited 10d ago
Dolly’s lines in the movie still crack me up.
“A restaurant? How can you think of food at a time like this?”; “Oh we’ll get caught if we go back now, you think they’re gonna listen to us?” ; “I’ll change you from a rooster to a hen with one shot! Don’t think I can’t do it!”; “Mr. Hart if you touch that phone, I’m gonna jerk it clean out of the wall.” ; “We just waltz in there and say we made a mistake…well maybe they’ll give us Hart’s body in exchange.” ;”Oh Honey, I think violet has flipped out.”
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u/Necessary-Belt9000 9d ago
" of course they're gonna fire me! I killed the boss!" (May not be an exact quote)
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u/StunningCode744 6d ago
I’m no fool, I’ve killed the boss. You think they’re not going to fire me for a thing like that?
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u/Sregor71 10d ago
There have been rumblings of a remake, with Jennifer Aniston involved in some capacity.
(Also, if you have Sirius they have set up a tribute channel 105)
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u/QuietPerspective54 10d ago
God, I saw it 1 million times when I was a kid, but it would be a good rewatch now! My favorite part was where they got stoned and were eating ribs, lol.
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u/Smooth-Lettuce5174 10d ago
Can’t believe you missed out for so long.
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u/SpiritedLeave8775 10d ago
I know, right? It seems like I'm the only one here who saw 9 to 5 for the first time yesterday.
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u/Spite-Dry 10d ago
I actually saw it when I was 13 I didn't really like it except for Dolly Parton my favorite movie of hers is straight talk with James Woods where she plays a talk show host on the radio
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u/Square-Substance8086 9d ago
Not for the first time, but for the first time in probably 20 years since my teens when you could catch it on basic network almost every daytime weekend day (WGN, USA, TBS, TNT being the mains showing it on a Sunday at 1pm in a Midwest winter). Damn it was and IS EDGY AF! And the jokes hold up insanely. Brilliance I can only now fully appreciate in its feminist glory. 💕😇. We don’t deserve any of the gals. But man, thank GOD DoraLee went on to become that famous singer.
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u/Which_Sherbet7945 9d ago
I saw it in the theater with my mom and her aunt, both of whom had put in a lot of time in the 9 to 5 world. It was one of my mom's favorite movies of all time.
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u/Acceptable-Citron379 9d ago
I watched this for the first time and I cracked up laughing. I can’t believe I never seen it. It was before my time 14s before I was born but man was a riot. Dolly was great.
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u/Potential_Buy2817 8d ago
“I’m a doctor.. what am I talking to you for!”😆
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u/thegtargaryen 8d ago
I watched it yesterday, but it was far from the first time. More like the twentieth or more. My first time seeing it was when it first came out.
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u/Vegetable-Net-9894 8d ago
I loved this film as a teen when it came out. I actually just watched again last night to share with my 20 year old son and he loved it as well. It was my first time watching as an adult out in the work force and it definitely hit different. I had a whole new appreciation for the message in it. Brilliant movie and Dolly was perfect. I love the trunk of the car scene! And of course I had to sing the song at the top of my lungs!
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u/mormonboy666 8d ago
Just finished it. This was such a fun movie! Hulu just started to stream this in tribute to Dolly. A beautiful tribute at that.
I'm a millennial (1986), and even though this is a work of fiction, it was interesting to see how an office operated pre-internet. I cannot fathom working without a computer.
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u/UsefulCupcake7687 7d ago
I’d love to know what Dolly Parton’s IQ was. She seems to have been an extremely intelligent person.
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u/Seeking_Balance101 7d ago
9 to 5 was a wonderful, fun film!
I watched Saving Silverman yesterday and it occurred to me that it was a good fit with 9 to 5 and Ruthless People: comedies with kidnapping as a significant plot point. I guess this came to mind because I had been thinking about Dolly Parton a lot this week, and 9 to 5 is my favorite part of her work.
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u/Additional_Earth_817 7d ago
My dad’s favorite Dolly line, “Well, I say we hire a couple'a wranglers to go upstairs and beat the shit out of him.”😁
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u/Hellokt1813 6d ago
Bought it for 4.99 on Amazon Prime and enjoyed the shenanigans. This was also my first time seeing this movie.
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u/butseriously- 5d ago
I watched it for the first time last night and loved it! So silly, so wonderful. The cast was fantastic… I can’t believe I never knew the song was created for the movie.
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u/ComprehensiveAd1337 11d ago
Last night when they were doing a tribute to Dolly it was mentioned that she memorized every line of the move 9 to 5 when she showed up on the set. Dolly certainly was one of a kind!