The Good

This is one of the greatest movies of all time. It is just as relevant now as it was when it was first released.

The Bad

Someone should tell Hanoi Jane to lighten up.

I jumped at the chance to review this movie. Nine to Five: Sexiest, Egotistical, Lying Hypocritical Bigot Edition is Office Space for the 1980s. This tale of three woman (Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton) who talk about killing their "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" boss (the always sensational Dabney Coleman), and then actually have to hold him hostage when, through a funny chain of events, he actually finds out about their "scheme," is as poignant in how it reflects the workplace now as it was when it was first released back in 1980.

The jokes, the setups and the acting all work just as well as they did when I saw this movie way back then. At seven years of age, I can't say that I got everything this movie was putting across but I sure did my best to try. Throughout the years, I have continued to screen the film and having been a part of the corporate workforce, I can say that except for the hours getting satanically longer, Nine to Five gets things as right as ever.

Features

Commentary Track

Okay, Jane Fonda just seems out of it on this track. Did they do this by speakerphone and everyone just put on the movie at the same time? Everyone speaks at a normal volume and Fonda is just yelling throughout this track. She also cuts off Lily Tomlin repeatedly. Aside from this, I loved hearing all three girls and the film's producer talk about making this movie, coming up with the theme song and everything else.

Nine @ 25

This is a pretty standard featurette that is only marred by Jane Fonda's insistence that this movie captured the cultural zeitgeist of some sort. Personally, I really preferred the reminiscing of the actors, especially Dabney Coleman, who was as candid as he could be with every question that was thrown his way.

Deleted Scenes

There are ten deleted scenes in total here. They have titles like "Secretaries Rule," "Shocking Mr. Hart" and "Judy's Copy Room Redemption." What I really liked about these was that they weren't too involved and they illuminated aspects of other scenes. Best of all, while it was great seeing them, I didn't mind that they were cut.

"Remembering Colin Higgins

A featurette that looks back at the man who directed this film. It's sort of sad, I think, that the world only seems to know and remember a handful of directors. Someone like Colin Higgins really knew his craft and was someone who also had a nose for great material. He is the kind of director that if he were alive today would probably be up for multiple Oscars.

Gag Reel

A reel featuring mistakes, messed up lines and just about everything else from our cast. These are always fun to watch but even funnier here simply because we know our cast is filled with such talented performers.

Nine to Five Karaoke

The opening segment in which the song plays in the movie is given to us here with no vocals to be heard. Users can also follow a bouncing ball so as to be able to keep up with the words. Not the greatest of special features but it's fun nonetheless.

Video

Widescreen - Anamorphic 1.85:1. As I have only watched this movie on VHS for all these years, it was really a treat to see a widescreen version of this film. While I think the picture is sharp and the colors are solid, there is no doubt a huge datedness to this movie. However, it plays just as strongly as ever and I like that restraint was used to not make this film look like something it isn't.

Audio

Dolby Digital. English Stereo - English, French and Spanish Mono - Subtitled in English and Spanish. Close Captioned. I had to turn my TV about three quarters of the way up but other than that everything was fine. Once I got around to looking at the Special Features, I actually had to lower things a bit. I often find that I have to turn DVDs up a bit louder on my tiny system, so I don't think that says anything negative about the Nine to Five: Sexiest, Egotistical, Lying Hypocritical Bigot Edition's audio prowess.

Package

Fonda, Tomlin and Parton sit around Dabney Coleman who is tied up on this front cover. There is a real minimalist look to this packaging that almost doesn't let on that it is a Special Edition. The back features a bunch of shots from the film, a description of what Nine to Five is about, a "Special Features" listing, a cast list and some technical specs. Pretty simple stuff but this is a movie that really speaks for itself.

Final Word

Okay, I know that Jane Fonda is probably going through that point in her life where she needs to know that she has made a contribution with her cinematic work, but telling the viewer repeatedly how important this movie is is just not the way to go. We know how right on this film is. We know what it was trying to do when it released. To try and artificially say this movie was something it was or wasn't, I think ends up doing it a disservice. The greatest strength of Nine to Five was the fact that above all it was a comedy. It featured layered jokes and lots of rich performances from everyone that ultimately enabled it to not be forgotten.

Isn't the fact that this film is getting this kind of release enough to put across the idea of just how important the Nine to Five: Sexiest, Egotistical, Lying Hypocritical Bigot Edition is?

Nine to Five was released December 18, 1980.