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Parents' Guide to

Nine to Five (9 to 5)

By Renee Schonfeld, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Classic '80s comedy takes on sexual harassment.

Movie PG 1980 110 minutes
Nine to Five (9 to 5) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 12+

Based on 3 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 12, 2022
age 13+

Yes! All of this!

A film that gets better with age and that earned Coleman the reputation of the ultimate jerk boss-man swindler. Tomlin, Fonda, and Parton are movie magic and highlighting the extreme patriarchy they suffer from only draws attention to how we have not moved far enough in the almost 40 years since the film's release. The film still has charm, wit, and panache and still feels like many a blue collar workers fantasy, if only for two hours.
KH8
KH8 Parent of 10 and 13-year-old
March 27, 2022
age 12+

Still holds up

My 13- and 10-year-olds got a lot of laughs out of this movie. There is a long marijuana scene and sexual harassment. Neither of those are too extreme, but if your family is sensitive to avoid such topics this movie isn't for you. My kids enjoyed the movie and understood the take-away message. I watched this a lot as a kid, and my spouse had never seen it, and we both agreed it held up well.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Consolidated Industries is a terrible place to work in NINE TO FIVE. Franklin M. Hart, Jr. (Dabney Coleman) is a nightmare masquerading as a boss. Sexually harassing Doralee (Dolly Parton), his voluptuous, upright secretary; stealing ideas and credit from Violet (Lily Tomlin), the smartest woman in the office; and setting down rigid rules and ridiculous regulations for an entire staff filled with women who desperately need their jobs, the no-nothing Mr. Hart has all the power in the world ... plus a stoolie (Elizabeth Wilson) to spy on everyone. That's what Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda), a sweet, innocent divorcée, finds on her first day on the job. It must be serendipity that Judy's presence and a night of hilarious, marijuana-fueled fantasizing about what all three might do to get even with their shameless employer sets a devilish plot in motion. In classical farce mode, which involves poisoning, kidnapping, an errant corpse, and making extravagant changes to the office status quo, Doralee, Violet, and Judy want nothing less than payback on a monumental scale.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (5 ):

The movie is outrageous and silly -- but oh, how satisfyingly to-the-point. When it was released in 1980, this farcical tale struck a chord with audiences in early stage awareness of office misbehavior of the sexual kind. Making fun of longstanding indignities and sexual blackmail heightened both consciousness and consciences. The actors, including the vanity-free Dabney Coleman, go all out, doubling down on the quirky characters and wacky situations. Decades later, it's still funny, miraculously off the wall, and relevant. Well-paced and directed with gusto, for the most part, it can be forgiven for a little sluggishness as the story winds down to a satisfying ending.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the ongoing issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. Since this film was released in 1980, how much has changed in both awareness and action? What resources do employees now have to help them?

  • Movies often inspire cultural and social change. Can comic movies such as this one be a part of this process? How does laughing at questionable behavior help alter our perceptions?

  • What is a "character arc"? Which of the three heroines has the most vivid and life-changing character arc? How do the filmmakers show this progression?

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