9 to 5 (film)

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Hart: I'm not such a bad guy!
Judy: You're a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot.
Hart: So I have a few faults; who doesn't?

9 to 5 is a 1980 comedy directed by Colin Higgins. It starred Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Dabney Coleman.

When her husband leaves her for his secretary, Judy (Fonda) starts a new job at Consolidated Companies. She is befriend by Violet (Tomlin), an office manager who advises her on the best way to navigate through daily office life. The office is run by Franklin Hart (Coleman), their vulgar and somewhat incompetent boss. Hart spends a good chunk of his time hitting on his unreceptive secretary Doralee (Parton) and spreading rumors that they are sleeping together. As a result, she is ostracized by her co-workers.

After Violet is denied a deserved promotion, she, Judy and Doralee begin bonding over their hatred of their boss, sharing with one another their personal fantasies of bringing him down. Hilarity Ensues when Violet accidentally puts rat poison into Hart's coffee; he finds out about it and tries to use the knowledge to blackmail Doralee, prompting the three women to kidnap him and hold him prisoner in his own house until they can figure out a way to fix the situation. In the meantime, they have to conceal Hart's absence and keep the office running as though he were still present...

Upon release, the film was incredibly successful and was the highest grossing comedy of that year. The movie was adapted into a television series that sporadically ran for five seasons. In 2008, it was also turned into a stage musical.

Not to be confused with the 1946-1971 newspaper comic From 9 To 5, Sheena Easton's 1980 song "Morning Train (9 to 5)", or the 2008 documentary 9 to 5: Days in Porn.


Tropes used in 9 to 5 (film) include:
  • The Alcoholic: Margaret, though she goes into rehab later.
  • Arc Words: "You're a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot!"
  • Ate the Spoon
  • Bathroom Stall of Overheard Insults: Played with. Everyone in the office knows that Roz hangs out in bathroom stalls to hear what the women gossip about in order to report it back to Hart. To make sure she isn't listening to their conversations, they check for her shoes. Later on, Roz has found a way around this by lifting her feet of the floor. She is able to report back to Hart that the main characters accidentally put poison in his coffee.
  • Blackmail: Each side against the other.
  • Bound and Gagged
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive. Hart, big time.
  • Deadpan Snarker. Violet.

Violet: We're going to need a locker for the hat.
Violet: Thank you, Roz. I know just where to stick it.

Rodeo announcer: Let's see how long it takes her to rope this sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot!

    • Violet is in a Disneyesque scene and is Snow White-turned-psycho (see above) and poisons his coffee. This time, Mr. Hart says the line.

Mr. Hart: But why? Why?
Violet: Why do you think?
Mr. Hart: 'Cause I'm a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot?
Violet: Bingo! (ejects him out his office window)

Violet: What are you, a man or a mouse? (Beat) Or a woman or a wouse? (giggles)

Janitor: Hey, Vera. We've got another stiff in the john.

Hart: ... shit.

    • When each of the girls realizes the corpse in the trunk is not Mr. Hart.
    • Later, Hart gets off another good one:

Hart: ... Brazil?!

I say we get us a couple wranglers to go upstairs and beat the shit out of him.

    • The final words of the film, spoken by Roz: "Ho-ly merde!"
  • Reassigned to Antarctica: The rare unwanted reassignment that's actually supposed to be a reward. Mr. Hart so impresses his superiors that he's given a promotion, to the Brazilian branch of the company in the Amazon jungle.

Hart: Brazil?