- Jared Huizenga
TCFF Spotlight: Still Working 9 to 5
Over the course of 10 days, October 19-28, film fans and filmmakers from across the country will descend upon the ShowPlace ICON Theatre at the Shops at West End in St. Louis Park for the 2023 Twin Cities Film Fest.
More than 140 films – including features, shorts, animation, and documentaries – will screen over the course of the festival, both in-person and online. In addition, a large number of directors, producers, and actors will walk the red carpet, present their films, and take part in Q&As and discussions about their work.
Over the course of TCFF 2023, we’ll be chatting with some of those filmmakers and stars to find out more about what they’re bringing to the TCFF screens.
Film: Still Working 9 to 5
Screening: 4:45 p.m., Sunday, October 22, and TCFF Streams
On any given Sunday, you’ll find me laying on my couch watching movies in between naps. This is something I’ve done since I was very young, a weekly tradition if you will, started by my mom. Having limited choices available to us via basic ’80s cable, the movies were often things she grew up on in the ’60s (some of them old even then) – Frankie and Annette, Gidget, Elvis Presley, Shirley Temple, etc.
Occasionally, however, a newer title would find its way to our screen. One of my mom’s favorites, which was completely lost on me at the time (minus the catchy theme song), was the 1980 comedy “9 to 5.” The movie starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton as three women who hit their tipping point and turn the tables on their sexist boss, played by Dabney Coleman. (As a single mom working at the front desk of a law office run by three men in the 1980s, it’s easy to see why it resonated with my mom.)
With the film and its topics still relevant more than 40 years, filmmakers Gary (co-director, producer) and Larry Lane (executive producer) teamed up with Camille Hardman (co-director, producer) to shine a light on the film and the issues it highlighted.
“We say ‘when our ‘9 to 5’ fandom met her ‘9 to 5’ feminism it created the film we have today,” Gary Lane said, while taking some time to discuss the film.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your film.
Our film, “Still Working 9 to 5,” really takes you behind the scenes with the original cast of the 1980 film. But we also show you the true meaning of what the film meant for working women everywhere. A true message was hidden behind the laughter.
Q: Now tell us something about it that we might not be able to glean from the trailer or description.
It took us over a year to get all four interviews of the original cast of Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dabney Coleman. Also, the new duet you hear in the trailer is Dolly Parton and Kelly Clarkson, created exclusively for our film; they perform it in the films end credits.
Q: If someone is only going to see one film at the Twin Cities Film Fest, why should it be this one?
Our documentary will make you laugh out loud with all the wonderful behind the scenes of the making of such a well-loved classic film. But we also open your eyes, that not much has changed in the 43 years since the original. Sadly, working women still struggle in the fight for equal pay, equal job advancement, universal childcare, and sexual harassment – all issues “9 to 5” shined a light on.
Q: Prior to TCFF, where has the film screened, and what has the response been so far?
The film has screened all over the world, we are proud to hold a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 9.3 on IMDb. We have also won 10 jury and audience awards. We were also nominated for a Critics Choice Doc Award for Best Historical Documentary.
Q: What was it that drew you to submit your film for the Twin Cities Film Fest?
We previously had our documentary, “Hollywood to Dollywood,” screen at TCFF in 2012! So, we are honored to have another film screen in your beautiful area. We are also twins ourselves – Gary and Larry Lane.
Q: What’s next for your film after this festival?
We are heading to London November 5 for our London Premiere and the Doc'n Roll Film Festival.