“You can never go wrong with a bit of Dolly” is what my wife will say if a Dolly Parton song comes on the radio or if a movie pops up when we are looking for something to watch. To be fair, she is right. Dolly Parton is a true icon of the entertainment industry and while most people think of her when 9 to 5 comes to mind, this movie has a phenomenal cast.
How to Download 9 to 5
You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. Also, if you like comedies, check out our reviews of The Jerk or Every Which Way But Loose.
The Movie Review
In addition to Dolly, we have Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and a tremendous supporting cast as well. Released in 1980, 9 to 5 is a movie that as a kid my mum loved, but man I hated this movie, the TV series and I hated the song too! It felt like it was on all the goddamn time. As a kid, I was not the target audience for a movie like this, but my wife did get me to watch it a few years back and I did have fun with it.
It may have taken three decades, but I can now say that I appreciate this movie. I have come to really appreciate what a talented woman Dolly Parton is and even the song, 9 to 5 has me tapping my feet when I hear it these days. While I have seen 9 to 5 a couple of times in my adult life and I have enjoyed it. I think that those who live it probably saw it back in the 80s and “Got it” right from the start.
9 to 5 is the story of three women who work at a company that is run by a man called, Franklin Hart. With the time frame that 9 to 5 is set in, you will not be shocked to hear that Franklin Hart as a boss is a real jerk! He is sexist, abusive, and just a downright horrible person in every regard.
Working at this company is a woman called Violet, who is played by Lily Tomlin. Violet is a tough no-nonsense kind of woman who is super smart and who should be in charge of this company. She is passed over for a promotion purely because she is a woman and this really puts her over the edge.
We also have Judy, played by Jane Fonda. Judy has just gotten divorced and needs a job so she ends up taking one here and being trained and looked after by Violet. Now this may be just me, but if I were to read the character descriptions without seeing the movie, I would have been sure that Jane Fonda was Violet, not Judy. Hey, she is great as Judy, but I would have thought that Jane Fonda would have been the tough, take no BS one of the group.
Then we have Doralee who is played by Dolly Parton. Doralee is the secretary of Franklin Hart and even though she is married, he constantly flirts with her and pretty much sexually harasses her on a daily basis. He starts a rumor that he is having an affair with her and this makes the other ladies in the company kind of shun her. Eventually, after a day of drinking and smoking weed, she, Violet, and Judy become good friends.
The three ladies start to fantasize about what they would do to Mr. Hart if they could and seeing them have fun and plotting revenge is one of the best parts of the movie. Well, after a mishap at the office, the ladies think they have killed Mr. Hart and try to cover their tracks and end up in a crazy situation with a kind of Mexican standoff blackmail thing going on.
I liked 9 to 5 and I think that the three leads have amazing chemistry and they all have great chemistry with Dabney Coleman who plays Franklin Hart. The movie has a lot of charm to it, but while I like the movie, I would never say that I loved it. Hey, if my wife said she wanted to watch, I would not be against it and I would have a fun time, but it would never be a movie that I would be in a rush to watch. Yet, I can see why those who do love the movie, love it.
