SXSW Review: ‘Still Working 9 To 5’: Documentary On 1980 Comedy Hit Shows How Far We Have Come And How Far We Have To Go
The 1980 comedy hit 9 To 5 came at a crucial turning point for women in the workplace. Star/Producer Jane Fonda explains in the new documentary of its creation and the movement that spawned it, that she and producting partner Bruce Gilbert wanted to do a serious film on the struggle women had endured for decades, but instead decided that to get anyone to pay attention the only way to do it was with laughs. Thus a smash hit comedy was born, initially with a screenplay by Patricia Resnick that as she explained was met with creative differences, and then later saw its problems solved when ironically a man, the late Colin Higgins (Harold And Maude) came in to write and direct the final film.
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The documentary, from directors Camille Hardman and Gary Lane called Still Working 9 To 5 exhaustively chronicles the development and making of the movie from all angles, but has much more on its mind as a starting point to examine how equality for women in the workplace has come a long way, but sadly still has a long way to go 42 years after the debut of the original. The film operates on a couple of levels with extensive behind the scenes coverage of the film itself, including the casting of Fonda, Dolly Parton in her first film role, and Lily Tomlin who turned it down at first thinking it was just too stupid but later came around. All three are interviewed here as well as Gilbert, and Dabney Coleman who plays the lecherous boss.
Fonda explains the inspiration came from her involvement in the late 70’s with Karen Nussbaum and her National Association Of Working Women which Nussbaum founded with Ellen Cassedy, a group that focused on core issues at the time (and subsequently) dealing with sexual harrassment by male co-workers and bosses, lower wages than male counterparts, menial job tasks, and little chance for promotion. In interviews they explain how the movie became a force, in its own way, to bring these issues to the masses in a bigger way than ever before. The docu covers the work of the organization as well as new incarnations much later like Times Up and MeToo and shows how things have changed, but how so much more can be done.
The impact of the film is clear in that we can still see a serious documentary about it – and what it spawned – all this time later. In fact the film also covers the 80’s sitcom based on the movie that starred Rita Moreno (one of the interviewees), Sally Struthers and others that ran for 85 episodes. However Nussbaum’s org distanced themselves from it after initial development as they felt it drifted from the core issues depicted in the film and became to sit-comy. Allsion Janney also is among the interviewees talking about the short lived Broadway musical of 9 To 5, and there is also time given to the 2019 revival of that show in London which was revamped to be more relevant to the current times.
Political issues like the so-far failed attempt to pass the ERA is also covered in detail, but for me this docu, more than most behind the scenes accounts of popular movies that usually live on blu ray editions of the movies themselves, is very important in showing the real power of film to further a discussion of issues affecting all of us in one way or another. Hardman and Lane have done a fine job in giving a classic comedy its due four decades later, but also letting it shine a light on a still raging topic that deserves still to be heard all this time later.
The docu had its World Premiere today at SXSW, and hopefully will find a much larger audience down the line. Parton and Kelly Clarkson have also recorded a cool new version of Parton’s Oscar nominated theme song that is played over end credits. There has been talk about doing a long-gestating sequel to the original film but so far no real progress on that front it seems. Still Working 9 To 5 is a pretty good way however to carry on the message to new generations.
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