Nine to Five (1980). Photofest.
(Colin Higgins, US 1980, 109 min., DCP)
After suffering endless harassment from their male chauvinist supervisor (Dabney Coleman), office workers Judy (Jane Fonda), Violet (Lily Tomlin), and Doralee (Dolly Parton) take matters into their own hands, putting their boss under lock and key and transforming the workplace into a haven of equality and efficiency. Fonda’s own company produced this comedy, which was released just as women clerical workers were organizing into unions such as SEIU Local 925, and when the backlash against career-oriented women was gaining momentum. Because the workplace issues depicted continue to trouble many women workers today, the film’s humor remains fresh. Both groundbreaking and funny, Nine to Five boasts a quartet of brilliant performances and an Oscar-nominated song that galvanized the workforce.