Still Working 9 to 5: 44 years after the blockbuster, documentary filmmakers effectively make the case that the message of 9 to 5 is more relevant than ever
In 1980, 11% of women in the workforce had a college degree; they earned 60 cents for every dollar men were paid. Forty-four years later, 45% of all women in the workforce have a college degree, but they are still paid only 82 cents to every dollar men earn. In 1980, Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman to run for vice president but was defeated. In 2024, Kamala Harris is the Vice-President of the United States. But, in 1980, women were guaranteed the right to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions; today, Roe v. Wade has been overturned, and in many areas of the country, women have to flee their home state simply to get an abortion-even when their life is at stake. There has been progress in 44 years, but not enough, and not without some significant backslides.
In 1980, a film called 9 to 5 about three secretaries taking revenge on their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” boss and, in doing so, transforming their workplace into the sort of enlightened egalitarian workplace the filmmakers (including Executive Producer Jane Fonda) indeed hoped would be representative of the workplace in 2024.
No one expected 9 to 5 to be nearly as successful as it was. Indeed, it was the second most popular film of 1980. It didn’t hurt that it starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton; millions saw the film and responded to its message and the comedic way it conveyed it. The movie made over 100 million dollars, spawned a number-one hit single, a television series, a Broadway play, and now a documentary feature, Still Working 9 to 5.
Gary and Larry Lane are two of those people. Gary Lane directed the film along with Camille Hardman, and Lane’s brother Larry produced it. The Lane brothers grew up as country music fans, which drew them first to the song 9 to 5, then to the film. The story and the humor made them lifelong fans.
The original filmmakers understood the importance of using humor to make the movie more palatable to early 1980s audiences.
“Jane Fonda knew that even though she wanted to shine a light on equal pay, equal job advancement, universal childcare, and sexual harassment..middle America wasn’t ready for that,” Gary Lane points out, “so they had to make it a comedy.”
The documentary filmmakers’ approach makes Still Working 9 to 5 both entertaining and informative.
“What we did with the documentary is every time we felt like we w
ere getting too ‘marchy’ or ‘preachy,’ we had to bring ‘funny’ in with Dolly, Lily, and Jane and clips from the movie.”
Stars like Fonda, Tomlin, Parton, Rita Moreno, and Allison Janney (who played significant roles in the TV sitcom and Broadway versions) provide insights into the issues and the movie context. However, according to the filmmakers, activists like Lilly Ledbetter and Zoe Nicholson truly inspired them. Ledbetter is the namesake for the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which allowed women to sue for damages when they were victims of employment discrimination. Zoe Nicholson is a women’s rights activist who went on a hunger strike to draw attention to the ultimately unsuccessful campaign for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.
“When we started doing those interviews, and we started hearing from women who for 50 or 60 years have devoted their lives to activism…we consider those women friends, they turned us into allies for women’s rights,” Larry Lane said.
The documentary packs so much information that co-director Camille Hardman developed an entire curriculum packet to enrich the educational aspects of the film. This tremendously well-researched packet includes a glossary of terms like “glass ceiling,” “wage theft,” and the Equal Rights Amendment, along with activities for student groups and topics for group discussions.
A point repeatedly and effectively made is that comparing the obstacles faced by women then and women now shows that progress has been made, but more is needed. Even with the social advancements from movements like Me Too, working women face new challenges, particularly in the contemporary “gig economy.”
The documentary celebrates Fonda, Tomlin, and Parton’s mutually supportive friendship and the cultural importance of 9 to 5. It is also a history lesson that contextualizes women’s experiences in the workforce then and now.
The documentary’s message is more important than ever during this election year, and it is so substantive that Gary and Larry Lane and co-director Camille Hardman are planning to launch a college tour to bring their work to students throughout the country. With news that Jennifer Aniston is planning a reboot of the franchise, and with a whopping 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Still Working 9 to 5 could and should be coming to a college campus, if not a theater near you.
For more information, Like Still Working 9 to 5 at https://www.facebook.com/stillworking9to5 and follow them at https://twitter.com/9to5documentary
Ron Klopfanstein is a multimedia investigative journalist, news and features editor, and creative content producer for the Utica Phoenix digital platform and 95.5 FM “The Heat” broadcast and streaming. He also hosts the Hot Seat: Media Monday every Monday at 5 pm, broadcast on 95.5 FM and streaming at 955TheHeat.com. Like him at Facebook.com/ReadRonKlopfanstein, Follow him at Threads.net/@RonKlopfanstein, Instagram.com/RonKlopfanstein, Twitter.com/RonKlopfanstein, Tiktok.com/@ronklopfanstein, and subscribe to his channel at YouTube.com/@RonKlopfanstein. Read all his work at Muckrack.com/ron-klopfanstein.
