SummaryIn Nine to Five, three female employees of a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot find a way to turn the tables on him.
Directed By:Colin Higgins
Written By:Colin Higgins, Patricia Resnick
9 to 5
Metascore
Mixed or Average
58
User score
Generally Favorable
6.9
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Where to Watch
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
58
50% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
42% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
8% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
88
The gamble of casting Misses Tomlin and Fonda in what would seem to be the wrong roles (Violet is the strong, efficient, hard-edged secretary; Judy the frilly, "feminine," inexperienced employee) pays off handsomely, especially with Miss Tomlin. When she is handed a memo by a senior secretary and smilingly snarls, "Thanks, Roz, I know just where to stick it," her line reading is worth the price of admission. The pneumatic Miss Parton sings the theme song with greater confidence than she brings to her acting: she is a sweet little thing, but she's no thespian. [20 Dec 1980]
75
Nine to Five is a good-hearted, simple-minded comedy that will win a place in film history, I suspect, primarily because it contains the movie debut of Dolly Parton. She is, on the basis of this one film, a natural-born movie star, a performer who holds our attention so easily that it's hard to believe it's her first film.
67
The movie is surprisingly smart about the politics of the glass ceiling, which keeps Tomlin in a pink-collar supervisor position while every man she trains gets promoted past her. The way Coleman asserts his masculinity with phrases like "cut the balls off the competition," and the way our heroic trio works together to sculpt a worker's paradise—complete with flex-time and day-care facilities—serves as an effective summary of the era's hot-button issues.
60
Not a fiasco, a disaster or a scandal. But not as funny as it should have been, and not the trenchant office satire one was led to expect. As a comedy built on the juicy soil of revenge, "9 to 5" falls between two poles. It's not wild or dark enough to qualify as a truly disturbing farce and it's too fanciful and silly to succeed as realistic satire. Politically and esthetically, it's harmless--a mildly amusing romp that tends to get swallowed up by its own overly intricate plot. [22 Dec 1980, p.72]
60
Lots of laughs, little sense, and pure fantasy. Produced by Fonda's company, NINE TO FIVE is an amusing way to spend 110 minutes, but hardly memorable.
40
For all the trouble taken, Nine to Five comes out as a very ordinary situation comedy about three bubble heads seeking revenge on a boss who is a big old meanie. The justice of the cause, the abilities of the actresses, the intrinsic interest of the scene -- these are all lost in the frantic efforts to cram in satire, social commentary, slapstick and sexual oppression. There is such a thing as working too hard. [19 Dec 1980, p.19]
30
The new facetious depressant from Colin Higgins -- the screenwriter and now director who has parlayed "Harold and Maude," "The Silver Streak" and "Foul Play" into one of the more baffling winning streaks on record -- runs a merely weak comic premise into the ground with coarse, laborious execution. [19 Dec 1980, p.E1]
User score
Generally Favorable
6.9
74% Positive
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
17% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
9% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Jun 20, 2020
10
The best inspiring comedy movie ever made! With the best movie song ever sung: the title song!
Feb 10, 2020
8
I’m glad to finally see this fondly-remember comedy, but of course heard the Academy-Award nominated song from Dolly Parton a zillion times (including it’s use in the R-cut of Deadpool 2; didn’t make it into the PG-13 cut). Anyway, I really loved this, and wish I had seen it earlier. A wonderful take down of sexist bigoted corporate culture with three amazing leads. Dolly Parton in her first role would have easily stolen it if not for Tomlin and Fonda both feeding off her energy. everyone’s timing and tone is just perfect. The sequence around body-stealing (something I didn’t expect to find in this) had me rolling. And now the song is back in my head… working Nine-to-five…
Production Company:
- 20th Century Fox
- IPC Films
Release Date:Dec 19, 1980
Duration:1 h 49 m
Rating:PG
Tagline:Getting even is a full-time job.
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 3 Nominations
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Grammy Awards
• 2 Wins & 4 Nominations
