Co-writer-director Colin Higgins’s 1980 movie is based on the story by Patricia Resnick, who also co-writes the screenplay with Higgins.
This extremely bright and jolly office-set satirical comedy is propelled by the tremendous performances of the terrific on-form cast, zipping the hilarious screenplay along.
Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton form a winning team as Judy Bernly, Violet Newstead and Doralee Rhodes, the three feisty secretaries who hatch a plan to get rid of their horrible, male-chauvinist pig of a boss Franklin Hart Jr (Dabney Coleman, who is good fun too).
It is Parton’s first movie.
A five-season TV series (1982- 88) followed with Rachel Dennison, Valerie Curtin and Sally Struthers.
Parton’s bouncy hit title song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song. She won three Golden Globe nominations – Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture – Female and Best Original Song – Motion Picture. No luck there then but she did win two Grammy Awards – Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance – Female.
Also in the cast are Sterling Hayden, Elizabeth Wilson, Henry Jones.Lawrence Pressman, Marian Mercer, Renn Woods, Norma Donaldson, Roxanna Bonilla-Giannini, Peggy Pope, Richard Stahl, Ray Vitte, Edward Marshall, Alan Haufrect, Earl Boen, Jeffery Douglas Thomas, Tom Tarpey, Michael Delano, Barbara Chase, David Price, Gavin Mooney, Peter Hobbs and Terrence E McNally.
It is shot by Reynaldo Villalobos, produced by Bruce Gilbert, scored by Charles Fox and designed by Dean Mitzner.
It was a monster hit. Costing $10 million, it grossed $103 million in the US alone.
© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6404
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