You would be hard pressed to find another film that has retained both its pop culture and political relevance as much as the 1980 working girl classic 9 to 5 has. Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton & Lily Tomlin spoke to a generation of working women, drawing a line in the sand of what is (and is not) acceptable workplace behavior and their legacy has spawned a Tony-winning Broadway production, a small screen sitcom and lifelong friendships (Tomlin and Fonda can currently be seen in Netflix’s equally groundbreaking Grace and Frankie). Now, a new documentary Still Working 9 to 5 is here to delve into not just the history of the film, but the lasting cultural impacts both the feature film and its spinoffs have had on society as a whole.
Forty years later, Still Working 9 to 5 explores how the workplace inequality & discrimination that the original film shined a light on still continues to this day. It features interviews with many of the original films stars (Fonda, Parton and Fonda all participated), as well as a litany of other participants who have their own distinct relationship with the 9 To 5 phenomenon. The iconic Rita Moreno (who portrayed Violet on the 9 to 5 television sitcom) and Allison Janney (who played Violet in the Broadway production) both sat down for conversations about their experiences being a part of the revolution that 9 to 5 helped spark and the conversation that it continues today. The team behind the film includes, among other, Gary & Larry Lane. The Lane brothers debut documentary Hollywood to Dollywood was screened in 70 film festivals worldwide, winning 25 Best Documentary accolades & featured 15 original Dolly Parton songs.
I’m so lucky to have been a part of 9 to 5 along with so many other amazing artists. Looking forward to this @9to5documentary pic.twitter.com/mrLdvcO08s
— Allison Janney (@AllisonBJanney) January 12, 2021
The film dives into the behind the scenes story of the small screen sitcom of 9 to 5, with the website stating “the TV version of the 1980s lasted 85 episodes and starred the Emmy-nominated Rita Moreno, Rachel Dennison (Dolly’s sister), Valerie Curtin, and Sally Struthers. We discover that, although Jane Fonda and the 9 to 5 Association were originally involved in the development of the series, they became disillusioned with its deviation from the core message of female empowerment and felt it had become just another silly sitcom.”
Follow Still Working 9 To 5 at their website