Nine to Five (1980)

On the first day of the secretary Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda) at the Consolidated Companies, the senior office supervisor Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin) is in charge to introduce her to the coworkers. Judy was a housewife that has never worked but after her recent divorce, she is forced to find a job. Violet explains that their boss Franklin Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman) is a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot and his secretary Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton) is his mistress. When Violet develops a method to increase the profit of the company, the opportunist Franklin backstabs Violet and presents the wok as if he had made it. Later the chauvinist Franklin does not promote Violet. He also spreads rumors about Doralee and mistreats Judy. When Violet accidentally put rat poison in Franklin´s coffee, he has an accident with his chair, hits his head on the floor, loses consciousness and drops his coffee on the floor. He goes to the hospital and Violet and her friends believe he had died. When Franklin returns to the office, his snitch learns what happened and he blackmails the secretaries that kidnap him. Now Violet administrates the office with Judy and Doralee and they discover that Franklin is stealing Consolidated Companies. How can they prove?"Nine to Five" is one of the best comedies ever. The timeless story is still very funny thirty-eight years after the release in 1980. Lily Tomlin is one of the best comedians of Hollywood and she shines in this comedy. Jane Fonda is also very funny in the role of an uptight woman recently divorced. The country singer Dolly Parton is the great surprise with a good performance. Dabney Coleman is also great in the role of the chauvinist Franklin Hart Jr. The fantasies of the women of how they would like to kill their boss is one of the greatest moment of this film. The conclusion with Franklin sent of the jungle in Amazon is delightful. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Como Eliminar Seu Chefe" ("How to Get Rid of Your Boss")

The first part is a real hoot as cranky office dictator Coleman regiments his mostly female work crew. Get my coffee, he tells underling Tomlin. Never mind that she's at least his equal in business acumen. Then there's busty Parton whose upper orbs succumb to his scheming as she picks up pencils. And pity newly hired Fonda as she learns the submissive ropes in amusingly jittery fashion. In fact, her bungled avalanche with the copy machine may be the movie highlight. Still, Fonda's transformation from nervous newbie to a rebellious leader amounts, I think, to the movie's core. After all, how many other potential leaders lurk among the suppressed rank and file. On the other hand, I can see why chauvinistic men would despise the movie, funny or not. After all, it's really about women folk learning to assert themselves and their overlooked talents.The second part, however, loses comedic edge as the girls duel with Coleman in fitfully funny fashion. Looks like the writers were unsure how to develop Coleman's comeuppance. Nonetheless, the acting remains superb, especially from a surprisingly adept Parton and that great bumbling egotist, Dabney Coleman. Too bad the script also appears unsure how to carry out the feminist rebellion that shines so expertly in the first part.Good to see old timers like the lordly Sterling Hayden and the jowly Henry Jones picking up paydays. And shouldn't overlook Elizabeth Wilson as Coleman's tricky tattletale. She's a wise choice as an office foreman given her stellar performance as a secretary in the Wall Street classic Patterns (1956).All in all, the hundred minutes strikes me as not only generally amusing, but as a key film in the spread of the women's movement, one that continues even today. So, for those who don't mind a message with their laughs, don't miss it.

Dabney Coleman is the boss. Under him are floor manager Lily Tomlin and personal secretary Dolly Parton. They don't get any respect, and neither do the other female employees at the company, even though he's less competent than most of his underlings! When Jane Fonda, fresh from a divorce, enters the workforce and gets a taste of his attitude, the three ladies commiserate and become close friends.For any woman who's been disrespected by her boss, felt the pressures of being the breadwinner in the family, or been unfairly treated at work, this movie will be your new best friend. It's absolutely hilarious, but with enough realism to make you feel the sting alongside the characters. Dolly Parton was nominated for an Oscar for her catchy and true-to-life title song, and she'll win you over in the first three minutes of the film. Lily Tomlin becomes the poster child for feminism as she delivers powerful speeches, and Jane Fonda is adorable in her frumpy wig and oversized glasses. On her first day of work, she's reduced to tears because she doesn't know how to work the copy machine. Anyone, man or woman, who's ever had a first job will relate to her in that scene.9 to 5 will keep you quoting Patricia Resnick and Colin Higgins's screenplay long after it's over. You'll pout to imitate Dolly and say, "That hurt my feelings!" and puff out your chest declaring, "Hit the road Buster; this is where you get off!" like Jane—and you'll never look at your coffee sweetener the same way again. This is a great chick flick, and a must-see for any working woman.

When I first saw this in theaters in 1980, I never imagined I'd be sitting here in 2011 (November) writing about it. Probably because there was no Internet/World Wide Web in 1980, but I digress. This picture is now 31 years old and it has aged gracefully. Lilly, Dolly and Jane in arguably their best roles ever really shine. You can tell they were having fun filming this movie. Dabney Coleman is true to form as the evil boss and the supporting characters are equally funny ("... atta girl"). When they manage to remove the boss from the office, everything changes. Better pay, redecorating of the entire floor, relaxed atmosphere, flowers, job-sharing (2 employees split a full time shift so they can spend the other half of the day with their kids), in-house day care and lots more. When F-ART (Franklin Hart) returns, will Dora, Violet and Judy be able to keep the changes or get fired? This picture holds up well... my favorite part is Violet's "fantasy" with Bambi, Thumper and the other animals and birds. Very, very, very funny. 8 out of 10, even 31 years later.