This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda) is new to the clerical pool. Her husband left her for his secretary. Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin) is the veteran tired of getting passed over. Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton) is the secretary to sexist boss Franklin M. Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman). She is ostracized for a false rumor of having an affair with the boss. The three women become friends after a constant series of injustices by Franklin. Some misunderstandings lead the girls to believe that Violet accidentally poisoned Franklin. Franklin finds out and tries to blackmail Doralee. That is when Doralee takes him prisoner.This is not as funny as one may expect. At least, there are no big laughs. This has a black comedy edge to it. It is likable enough. The three women have great chemistry. And Dolly Parton has that iconic song. Coleman is a great chauvinist.

I work in an office setting. And office movies that were instant classics such as Horrible Bosses and Office Space are movies that I love watching. But the movie that started it all was 9 to 5. Even though the focal point is about three woman who turn the tables on their chauvinistic boss, it really is an enjoyable family comedy. My 12 year old son watched for the first time and love it!The three leading ladies and Dabney Coleman's Franklin Hart are the focal points in the film. Lily Tomlin, who is one of the most underrated improvisational actresses of all time was great as the unappreciated supervisor Violet Newstead. Listen to her one-liners in the film. They are so easily overlooked, but so funny. Jane Fonda's role as the recent divorcée Judy Burnly was the weakest of the three leading ladies, but still was effective. She plays a woman whose ex-husband left her for his secretary and getting a job was her way of not only supporting herself but also to move on from her previous life. But the one who really shines in this movie was Dolly Parton as Hart's secretary Doralee Rhodes. You can't really tell this was her first motion picture role. She provides so much energy yet she doesn't come off as being over the top. It's hard to forget that this was the second highest grossing film of 1980. Only "The Empire Strikes Back" did better. It is definitely a comedy classic and would go great in any DID collection!

What lawyer wouldn't have a field day if Nine to Five happened today?Nine to Five is one of my all-time favorite comedies and as a comedy, with extreme deadpan delivery from Lily Tomlin (Violet) and excellent lines and acting from first-timer-at-the-time Dolly Parton (Doralee,) it still works. Sadly, this is the Stone Age when it comes to office politics and, of course, equipment. This is not to say sexist remarks or promoting males faster than females still doesn't occur, but I cannot imagine, as a whole, it's this blatant.While that's not a flaw, it was what it was 33 years ago, the movie's only flaw that I could concede is that it went on for far too long. It didn't know where to cut or when to end. And still, even with that minor fault, it's still amusing and fun through to the end.I truly loved this movie and it begins solid with one of my all-time favorite movie songs, the same name of the film and sung by the star, Parton. Following that, I loved the fact that the three central characters, Violet, Doralee and Judy (Jane Fonda) weren't exactly friends at first, but become allies when their over-the-top "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" of a boss wrongs them. While the movie was already fun at that point – mainly thanks to, again Tomlin and Parton, this is where the sh|t gets real…funny.From merely complaining, to pot smoking their way into incredible laughs (from both them and us) of their fantasies of getting retribution, to almost and inadvertently bringing one of their ideas to life, these ladies get in deep when trying to deal with the soulless boss.While I stated the movie, sadly, is dated for 1980 or that timeframe, it's also unfortunate that the same stereotypical coworkers exist today. Maybe that's reason #38 why I like this movie so much; I can relate as I've worked in offices since March 1996 and have seen all kinds of these characters portrayed here, in the almost equally hilarious Office Space and in pretty much any Dilbert strip.Now, that said, allow me to make sure I am revealing a positive. These secondary and third-tier characters make the movie even better. They're hilarious ("Atta, Girl" said three times almost back-to-back is one of my favorite lines and so true from the office drunk) and realistic (there's ALWAYS an untrustworthy office spy/boss, kiss-up "Roz" character to deal with.) On the front end, there's also always the sarcastic and down beaten "Violet" (which is usually me,) the optimistic "Doralee" and the newbie, "Judy," who ALWAYS will soon learn the hard way. Now, though I've encountered my share of horrible bosses – as well as awesome human managers, I've never worked under the reigns of the terrible "Mr. Hart" (played deliciously by Dabney Coleman,) although I know they exist as do his superiors as portrayed in this film.I didn't work in 1980 – I was at the young age of ___ then, and my mom was still a stay-at-home mother when this was released, but I know these events in the movie happened in real life and I am glad these talented ladies could theatrically fight for women's rights. It might not have seemed like a political film, and perhaps it wasn't meant that way, but I bet this brought to light a lot of the disgusting things that occurred to the female workers of the late 1970s, early 1980s.Oh, and speaking of that era, I've read and been told countless times that "Jane Fonda was the DEVIL for her war-time actions" prior to the movie's creation. While she wasn't my favorite part or character of the movie, she was still enjoyable in her role. I do my very best to stay out of filmmakers/star's politics. If I didn't, I wouldn't have enjoyed so many Tom Cruise films – and believe me, I have more fun in his action/comedy/suspense films than most actors over the past few decades.On a personal note, it truly pains me to hear someone tell me not to watch Fonda's movies, or worse, wish her dead. Without getting into the details of what she did, or even the reasons why, I don't care one bit. "Did she entertain me when I watched this?" is the only question I should be asking myself and the answer was: yes.I digress. This movie is hilarious, real fun, adventurous and it's one I could watch countless times, like I did as a kid. Highly recommended.Side Note: That song, Parton's Nine to Five, isn't just one of my favorite movie tracks, it's one of my all-time favorite songs. And funny story: when I was a kid and I would, indeed, watch this movie over and over, or listen to that song from one of my mother's, ah-hem, record player, repeatedly, I always thought the first few lines read:Tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen; Pouring myself a cup of bitchin'…I was shocked, growing up in a swear-free household, at that word! It truly intrigued me. Until, of course, I grew up, got, what we call now: digital music, clear-sounding movies and, obviously, internet, and learned the true word was: "ambition."Eh, I think both fits.

In view of the activist aggression of this revenge fantasy, it might be apt that the funniest performance in the film is by Dabney Coleman, who plays unfair, chauvinistic company superior Hart. Hart is a fun bad guy, a bird-brained horndog so in the throes of his trifling infatuations that he's not beyond knocking his pencils on the floor so he can peep Parton picking them up on her hands and knees, her cleavage showing. There's some message sent by the fact that the biggest laughs in this feminist candygram hinge on wholehearted, unashamed sexism.Colin Higgins' infectiously amusing little 80s comedy starts as satire, skids indecisively into farce, and ends by intently flying the banner of feminism. It has some incredibly amusing moments, and then it has some key constituents that fall short, including some of its pot-induced fantasy sequences. It's pleasing entertainment notwithstanding its lopsided features and a plot that's almost too ridiculous for the material. The movie is present in the convention of 1940s screwball comedies. It's about ridiculous events befalling droll exaggerations of recognizable types, and, like those Hawks, McCarey and Stevens pictures, it's also laced with a mortal dose of social commentary.The implication in this case involves women's lib, particularly with the position of women in the corporate workplace. Fonda, Tomlin and Parton all work in the same office. Tomlin is the well-organized and very seasoned office manager. Fonda is the tenderfoot, having a go at her first job after a divorce. Parton is the boss's secretary, and everybody in the office thinks she's having an affair with him, so the other women won't have anything to do with her, until she finds out who's been spreading that rumor.Played by Dabney Coleman, Hart is unkind, exasperatingly self-righteous in his status quo worldview, with an immense and genuine yearning for Parton. She's having none of it. After the movie hosts some human and labor rights issues like equal pay and merit promotion, the movie expands into a peculiar plot to hijack Coleman in an effort to secure equality. He ends up swinging from the ceiling of his bedroom, fastened by wire to a garage-door opener.This entire kidnapping sequence moves so far toward unreserved travesty that it injures the movie's more realistic opening scenes. But maybe we don't actually care. We realize immediately that this is consciously a frivolous film, notwithstanding its yolk of sociopolitical import. And, affording the obligatory indulgences, we just lay back and enjoy it.