Dreams He’ll Never Take Away: New documentary explores the legacy and impact of 9 to 5

Still Working 9 to 5 is a new documentary from Co-Producers and Co-Directors Camille Hardman and Gary Lane, edited by female editors Oreet Rees and Elisa Bonora. Gary’s twin brother Larry Lane, and Steve Summers who is Dolly’s creative manager, are Executive Producers on the film, which explores the iconic and groundbreaking 1980 film starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton, and Parton’s timeless song. The documentary features a full original cast reunion with Fonda, Tomlin, Parton, and Dabney Coleman, who played the original sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot, Mr Hart. It explores the inspiration behind the film and title song, and its lasting impact in culture. The documentary also explores 40 years of the 9 to 5 legacy that dives into the 9 to 5 TV series, interviewing Oscar winner Rita Moreno who played the TV Violet Newstead, as well interviewing Oscar winner Allison Janney who played Violet Newstead in the 2009 Broadway musical of 9 to 5. But what sets this documentary apart from others in terms of its examination of a monumental and groundbreaking film is that, while it does examine the creation and impact of 9 to 5, it places greater focus on not only the impact of the film, but the real-life struggles of women that directly inspired the creation of 9 to 5.

The film perfectly mirrors the 40 years of the working women’s movement and highlights key points where they intersect.  What makes this documentary so powerful and emotive is that while it does explore in depth the film and its conception, Parton’s song, and its subsequent spin-offs, the Lane brothers examine the social climate and movements that gave birth to 9 to 5. In the film, viewers are introduced to the social movements that made 9 to 5 not only possible, but so important for its time. What the Lane brothers accomplish in their documentary is the revelation that 9 to 5 was a direct response to 2nd wave feminism in the States, and the story and much of the character’s experiences in 9 to 5 were directly inspired by the hardships, tribulations, and sexual harassment women in the workforce were facing in late 1970s America.

The documentary encapsulates the progress and setbacks American women face in terms of progress. The filmmakers use 9 to 5’s impact to show how far women have come, but how far they still have to go in terms of equality. The documentary connects 9 to 5 with 2nd and 3rd wave feminism, and highlights how the film 9 to 5, and Parton’s song, are still relevant to women and their struggles for equality today. The film ends with showing the setbacks for women in American culture, such as the failure to pass the Equal Rights Amendment which would have guaranteed equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex, and Hillary Clinton’s loss in the 2016 election, but it also shows the progress American women have made including the 2017 Women’s March, the election of Kamala Harris as the first United States female Vice President, and the hope for equality in all areas of public life for women. The film ends with a rallying cry for more progress to be made, including equal pay and rights for women, and for women to finally break the glass ceiling in American politics.

The documentary features a new version of the classic Parton song, this time performed by she and Kelly Clarkson as a slow, harrowing duet. Parton specifically requested to re-record the song in a new, sombre way, stripping the song of its fast paced, bubble gum pop roots as to show the progress women still have to make in the workforce and Western culture. By ending the film with this new arrangement, it beckons listeners to not give up the good fight and become complacent, but rather continue to fight for the causes that inspired 9 to 5 and its subsequent adaptations.  9 to 5 is still an anthem for women and the progress they have made, but it’s also a bittersweet reminder of the hurdles that women still face in the fight for equality.

While the documentary perfectly examines the film and Parton’s title song, what makes it powerful is that it shows that 9 to 5 transcends film and song, and instead is a women’s movement that is still growing. What Still Working 9 to 5 reveals to its viewers, is that while progress has been made for women in Western society, so much work is yet to be done. Still Working 9 to 5 shows the struggles and triumphs of women in the workforce, and how 9 to 5 was one of the first films to give them a voice and bring attention to their movement to wider audiences. Still Working  9 to 5 serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for gender equality and the vital role that music and art play in shaping social movements. It shows that the film and Parton’s song are still symbols of empowerment for women everywhere, connecting the dots between popular culture and the feminist movement in America.

Review by James Reeves

Published 3rd May 2024