Dolly Parton talks about fighting the patriarchy once again for the 9 to 5 sequel
9 to 5, the 1980 comedy that starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and our mother Dolly Parton, was groundbreaking in its time as a film that questioned the patriarchal bullshit women often face in the workplace. Needless to say, the topic is still very relevant today. That’s why a 9 to 5 sequel completely makes sense, and if it’s starring the original badass trio, then we’re even more for it.
During a conversation at the Grammy Museum in L.A. with producer Linda Perry, with whom she worked with on the soundtrack for Dumplin’, Parton shared details on the upcoming sequel, which she’ll begin filming with Fonda and Tomlin this year. “It’s a very interesting thought, how the hell are three old bags like you going to do a sequel for 9 to 5? We’re gonna call it “Ninety-Five,” joked Parton. In the new film, which was written by the original film’s screenwriter Pat Resnick along with Rashida Jones, Judy, Violet, and Doralee will team up to fight the powers that be once again.
“They came up with the idea of these three girls still working at Consolidated, the company that we worked at years ago,” said Parton. “They still have the same problems: the harassment and not getting paid properly, so these girls say, ‘Whatever happened to these three women that made so many great changes?’ So they find us, and we’re now three important women in our own businesses in different parts of the country.”
Parton also spoke about her decision to star in the film back in 1980: “There’s people that work harder than others and don’t get paid, and I believe we should all be paid for what we do. For 9 to 5, I wanted to do it because I wanted to be in a movie with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin,” Parton confessed to a laughing audience. “I didn’t really know what it was about and I didn’t really care at that time, but it was the first time I had been asked to do a feature film.” Parton, who had told Fonda she would be in it if she could write the theme song, joked, “I said, if this is a hit, I’ll be part of something big, but if it’s a flop then it’s gonna be all on them.”
The conversation with Perry was part of the opening for the Grammy Museum’s exhibit Diamond in a Rhinestone World: The Costumes of Dolly Parton. The exhibit aligns with Parton’s tribute at the upcoming Grammy Awards, which will feature performances by Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, and more. Parton is also being honored as the 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year for her philanthropy work.
From now until March 17th, fans can view Parton’s iconic clothing at the Grammy Museum in L.A., which ranges from pieces she wore in 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias to her rhinestone-studded stage outfits and includes one particularly majestic prop: her bedazzled mini saxophone. When asked by an audience member which movie costume was her favorite, Parton answered, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, in which she played a brothel madam. “I made a better whore than I did a secretary. I dressed down for Doralee,” Parton said jokingly.
