Vengeance and Hilarity Our culture has progressed in leaps and bounds since the early 1980s in many areas; however, we remain frustratingly stagnant regarding gender equity in the working world (as well as the broader social sphere). 1980 saw the release of a film that tackled this issue directly, depicting the sexual harassment faced by secretaries, the daily belittlement dished out by male supervisors, and the promotion of less qualified co-workers on the basis of their gender. Such a description could apply to a somber, preachy drama. But 9 to 5, directed by Colin Higgins, is a zany comedy, with candy-colored production design and hefty doses of slapstick physicality. And, lo and behold, it is all the more effective as topical social commentary because of this approach.
The film details the struggle of three office employees—sarcastic veteran Violet (Lily Tomlin), naive newcomer Judy (Jane Fonda), and buxom blonde Doralee(Dolly Parton, in her theatrical film debut)— against Frank M. Hart (Dabney Coleman), their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” boss. With their attempts to thrive at work thwarted by all manner of gross harassment from the man in charge, the three ladies decide to take measures into their own hands: they imprison Hart in his own house and take control of their department, causing productivity to sky-rocket. But just how long can Hart stay tied up? The above scenario may seem to smell of one-note man-bashing, but 9 to 5 avoids this accusation by focusing its story on day-to-day work grievances that most anyone from the nine-to-five job grind can relate to, regardless of their gender. Horrible bosses have terrorized male workers as well as female ones (the 2011 comedy of the same name starring Jason Bateman is, in many ways, a gender-switched, raunchier re-make of 9 to 5), so seeing one get his just desserts by serving as the butt of retributive jokes is satisfying wish-fulfillment for both men and women. The best portion of the movie is when the three co-workers share their fantasies of getting rid of Hart: Judy appears as a khaki-clad hunter with Hart as the office taxidermy trophy, Doralee as a rodeo queen who hogties him, and Violet as a very un-Disney-like Snow White (though still accompanied by animated animal friends) who serves the boss a poisoned cup of coffee. The movie ultimately achieves success due to the joie di vivre the three lead actresses invest in their performances and their chemistry with one another. Yes, the object is revenge, and the guy who’s done them wrong does get his comeuppance, but there is no mean-spirited cruelty in their project. There is merely the desire to right the wrongs done to them, and have a happy and productive workplace. Like the jaunty Oscar nominated theme song, written and performed by Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 addresses issues of everyday stress and unhappiness, and renders them bearable by an up-tempo, bouncy delivery. If only all of our grievances could be addressed with so many laughs.
