SXSW Review: ‘Still Working 9 To 5’: Documentary On 1980 Comedy Hit Shows How Far We Have Come And How Far We Have To Go

deadline.com:

The 1980 comedy hit 9 To 5 came at a crucial turning point for women in the workplace. Star/Producer Jane Fonda explains in the new documentary of its creation and the movement that spawned it, that she and producting partner Bruce Gilbert wanted to do a serious film on the struggle women had endured for decades, but instead decided that to get anyone to pay attention the only way to do it was with laughs.

Thus a smash hit comedy was born, initially with a screenplay by Patricia Resnick that as she explained was met with creative differences, and then later saw its problems solved when ironically a man, the late Colin Higgins (Harold And Maude) came in to write and direct the final film.The documentary, from directors  Camille Hardman and Gary Lane called Still Working 9 To 5 exhaustively chronicles the development and making of the movie from all angles, but has much more on its mind as a starting point to examine how equality for women in the workplace has come a long way, but sadly still has a long way to go 42 years after the debut of the original.

The film operates on a couple of levels with extensive behind the scenes coverage of the film itself, including the casting of Fonda, Dolly Parton in her first film role, and Lily Tomlin who turned it down at first thinking it was just too stupid but later came around.

All three are interviewed here as well as Gilbert, and  Dabney Coleman who plays the lecherous boss.Fonda explains the inspiration came from her involvement in the late 70’s with Karen Nussbaum and her National Association Of Working Women which Nussbaum founded with Ellen Cassedy, a group that focused on core issues at the time (and subsequently) dealing with sexual harrassment by male co-workers and