All Movie Guide
In the workplace classic 9 to 5, Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda) is a housewife who begins her own secretarial career at a huge corporation, after her husband leaves her for his secretary. Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin), a feisty, veteran office manager, instructs her on the perils and procedures of office life — and of working for Franklin Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman), their chauvinistic, sleazy boss, and his right-hand woman, the crisp, nosy Roz (Elizabeth Wilson). Meanwhile, Hart’s endless attempts to seduce his happily married secretary, Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton), lead the entire office to think she’s a trollop. When Hart unfairly passes Violet over for a promotion, she drowns her sorrows at a local bar with Judy and Doralee, who regales the others with tales of Hart’s epic advances. Later, at Doralee’s house, the women smoke pot, eat barbecue, and concoct hilarious revenge fantasies — a rodeo hog-tie, a Wild West shootout, and a gothic Snow White scenario — about killing their boss. When a mix-up leads the women to think they have accidentally poisoned Hart’s coffee, they hatch a scheme to protect themselves by stealing Hart’s body from the morgue. When he turns up alive, never having drunk the coffee, they must kidnap him to prevent him from blackmailing them or calling the police. The women then use the occasion of their boss’ absence to effect some changes around the office. Brian J. Dillard
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Jane Fonda … Judy Bernly
Lily Tomlin … Violet Newstead
Dolly Parton … Doralee Rhodes
Dabney Coleman … Franklin M. Hart Jr.
Sterling Hayden … Russell Tinsworthy
Elizabeth Wilson … Roz Keith
Henry Jones … Mr. Hinkle
Lawrence Pressman … Dick Bernly
Marian Mercer … Missy Hart
Ren Woods … Barbara
Norma Donaldson … Betty
Roxanna Bonilla-Giannini … Maria Delgado
Peggy Pope … Margaret Foster
Richard Stahl … Meade
Ray Vitte … Eddie Smith
Directed by
Colin Higgins
Writing credits
Patricia Resnick (story)
Colin Higgins (screenplay) and
Patricia Resnick (screenplay)