Nine to Five (1980)

My favorite line. Dolly teaching a bigot some manners

I was having a darn hard time finding a film which discussed feminist issues directly that I had seen recently. Yes, I could have picked Mad Max but I guessed everyone else was gonna do that movie. So I did some research, found a link which had a list of feminist movies to watch on Netflix. Well it should be to no surprise for anyone who knows me that when I saw my girl Dolly I just had to watch it, and accompanied by Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, it would be a sin not to.

The screenwriting for this film was done by Patricia Resnick and Colin Higgins. Resnick was also a consulting producer for Mad Men as well as the television show Olivia. Resnick shares her experiences on her website and depicts how she was able to break through her own glass ceiling. The script for Nine to Five exhibited lots of foreshadowing, rich comedic moments, and realistic feminist issues which resonated from perhaps personal experiences. She gave each character a unique voice as well as a relatable backstory adding depth to all the characters. Opening weekend Nine to Five earned a total of $3.9 million and is the 20th highest grossing comedy film. The film was so good that it even became a musical ( I must have been living under a rock because I had never heard of either).

Mr. Hart's other name as explained by Judy.

The film focuses on but is not limited to the lives of three women who very uniquely (no spoilers) are able to take over their office and make living better for the employees. (Okay here they come) Dolly's character Doralee is happily married but is being sexually harassed by her boss Mr. Hart. He spread a rumor that they are having an affair and people mistreat her because they believe she is a traitor. This issue shines light on victim shaming that often happens in the workplace. Through Judy, a recently divorced housewife who was the victim of an unfaithful spouse was forced to make a living, the audience learns how even inexperienced women are able to manage just like the men. Lastly, through Violet, Lily Tomlin, we see the depiction of the glass ceiling and how women are mistreated just because of their gender. Although these women are all white we do see a presence of diversity in this office. Women and men of color are also given minor speaking roles but some are also given back stories.

Violet as the vengeful Snow White

I think my favorite thing about this film is that each character is unique in their own way. Each of the main women are given a fantasy in which they kill their boss and in this one scene they flip the script on him. Judy, the timid new girl becomes a hunter, Doralee becomes a cowgirl who gets to rangle her own bull, and Violet becomes a princess who is no damsel. The film does something very clever with these scenarios as well which is all part of the great script.There are more women on screen than men through the majority of the film and they aren't just speaking about their love for another man. Women are depicted as people who suffer and struggle just like men. They even have a character who struggles with alcoholism whom they help reform. I often hesitate when visiting past comedies because I fear encountering racism and stereotypes but this film was quite enjoyable. What I would love to see is remake of this film with women of color and trans women playing the leads.