9 to 5 (1980)

“The movie is surprisingly smart about the politics of the glass ceiling, which keeps Tomlin in a pink-collar supervisor position while every man she trains gets promoted past her. The way Coleman asserts his masculinity with phrases like “cut the balls off the competition,” and the way our heroic trio works together to sculpt a worker’s paradise—complete with flex-time and day-care facilities—serves as an effective summary of the era’s hot-button issues.” — Noel Murray, The A.V. Club

SYNOPSIS

Workplace frustration becomes revolutionary farce in Colin Higgins’s 9 to 5, a sharply observed comedy that turns the indignities of office life into a gleeful fantasy of feminist revenge. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton star as three employees united by their contempt for Franklin Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman), their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” of a boss, whose harassment and exploitation inspire increasingly elaborate fantasies of retribution. When circumstances unexpectedly give the women an opportunity to take control of the workplace themselves, they set about creating the humane, equitable office their management never imagined. Higgins balances broad comedy and wish fulfillment with pointed observations about sexism, unequal pay, childcare, and the everyday structures of workplace power, while the effortless chemistry among Fonda, Tomlin, and Parton gives the satire its infectious energy. Featuring Parton’s irresistible title song and an effervescent screen debut from the country superstar, 9 to 5 turns the daily grind into an enduringly funny call for solidarity, dignity, and a better way to work.