Watching Dolly Parton & friends take on corporate America is the perfect way to celebrate Labor Day weekend

Welcome back to our queer film retrospective, “A Gay Old Time.” In this week’s column, in memory of our dearly departed Dolly Parton, to mark the Labor Day holiday weekend, and because the date was too perfect to pass up (9/5!), we’re revisiting 1980’s comedy classic 9 To 5.

Last week, the world lost one of its biggest and sparkliest stars with the passing of country superstar and all-around icon Dolly Parton at 80 years old. Since the news broke, thousands & thousands of tributes have poured in, honoring Dolly’s work and legacy, from her profound impact on the music industry to her lifelong philanthropy, including her unwavering support of the queer community.

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To commemorate one of the greatest ones to ever do it this week we’ll take a look back at one of Parton’s most iconic film roles, which spawned what arguably became her signature song, and taught a generation of young women (and the gays that admired them) to stand up for themselves in the chauvinistic, male-dominated patriarchy that is corporate American. Just in time for Labor Day weekend!

The Set-Up

9 To 5 opens with the now iconic piano tune with the clacking of the typewriters over a montage of various faceless women getting up to go to their jobs, as Dolly Parton sings what is now an anthem for the blue collar woes of the working class.

The 1980 film stars the indelible trio of Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Parton herself as women working at the offices of Consolidated Companies, where they’re frequently hounded by their sexist, arrogant boss, Franklin M. Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman). When he crosses a line with each of them, the three decide to take matters into their own hands and give him a dose of good old-fashioned feminist revenge.

Fonda stars as Judy Bernly, a newly divorced housewife who’s entering the workforce for the first time, and is clueless about its politics and machinations. Tomlin is Violet Newstead, a single mother and longtime employee at the company who constantly tries to prove herself, but continues being ignored by her superiors. And Parton plays Doralee Rhodes, Hart’s naive yet well-meaning secretary who’s constantly being harassed by him while finding herself rejected by the other women who believe she slept her way to the top.

Based on an idea by Fonda herself, the film was developed and filmed at the tail-end of the 1970s, right at the peak of Second Wave Feminism and the boom of American capitalism, when women were demanding more rights and economic independence from men. With a budget of $10 million, it ended up making more than 10 times that with a final gross of over $100 million, becoming a cultural sensation and a landmark in the career of the three leads. On top of that, Parton’s eponymous song was nominated for an Academy Award and earned two Grammys.

Clocking In

9 To 5 is a product of the politics of its time, but also remains a timeless battle cry for those who are under-appreciated, overworked, and abused at the workplace. The film shed a light on issues that were not being talked about publicly like sexual harassment, sexism in corporate politics, and single mothers in the workplace. Yes, it film heightens these scenarios with fantasies of kidnapping, torture, and the promise of murder, but it captured something true about how many women felt about their jobs (and undoubtedly still do).

Although a bit tonally inconsistent, presenting a plot with much darker implications that seem out of place in a workplace comedy, the film is remembered so fondly because of the three lead performances. Fonda, Tomlin, and Parton have a palpable chemistry that spills out of the screen, and that continued for many years after. Each of them have enough screen presence to carry a movie on their own (which they did many times over since), but together there’s a magical quality that lets them shine individually while also elevating each other. They all embody shades of earnestness, a yearning to thrive and improve themselves, and bottled frustration and rage, but it feels unique when channeled through each of their characters.

Their personas outside of the film also very much informed their performances and highlighted the themes further more, which only continued to gain relevance as their careers grew and evolved: Fonda as the outspoken and combatant activist using her privilege to shed light on real-life issues. Tomlin was the funny and biting comedienne who would become a face of queer rights. And Parton, as the woman everyone loved regardless of political affiliation or ideology, who showed time and time again that being kind & open-hearted is really the only way to leave a stamp on the world.

Employees Of The Month Century

And for many of these same reasons, 9 To 5 is considered a staple in the queer film canon. It’s a film about female friendship, workplace solidarity, and the way things improve when needs are met and taken care of, instead of being constantly threatened. It stars three of the greatest legends in entertainment at the peak of each of their powers, all of which have vocally and enthusiastically stood behind our community (or, in Tomlin’s case, as a proud member of it), at a time when few others would.

Plus, it features Dolly Parton pointing a gun at a man—and that’s enough to canonize it in our book!

The gap that Dolly Parton’s passing has left in the culture is too wide to properly process at this time. The thousands of songs she sang to the world. Her handful of film performances that always bring a tear to the eye (go rewatch Steel Magnolias or The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas if you haven’t done so!). Her enormous heart and soul that reverberated across generations and literally changed the lives of millions of people. The endless rhinestones that decorated her outfits, and inspired so many to be brave and authentic and to do the same with theirs.

It’s often a cliché to say that there won’t be anyone like her again. But it’s true here. Rest in peace, Dolly. And thank you for everything.

9 To 5 is currently available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Hulu & Netflix, and is available for digital rental or purchase via Apple TV.

You can keep track of all LGBTQ+ films covered in our A Gay Old Time column via writer Jorge Molina’s handy Letterboxd List.

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