It’s a well-known fact that here at Peaches Christ HQ, we’re a deeply spiritual bunch.
As such, we often turn our thoughts to the Holy Trinity, allowing the solace of their presence and worldly miracles to heal us in times of sorrow. In the darkest of hours, it is their light that brings us through to a fabulous new morning.
Of course, for those less devout than we, I’m speaking of none other than the divine trio of Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton.
…and if you thought we were talking about something else, you really haven’t been paying attention.
Of course, independently, each of these women is a dynamic force of entertainment, a towering beacon of greatness that elicits the heartiest of gay gasps when even one of their names is mentioned. Bring them together, however, and you have a union tantamount to Nick Fury assembling the Avengers.
Such a summit of sass occurred approximately once in the winter of 1980, and the result was the epic masterpiece that is 9 to 5.
Hugely celebrated for over three decades, the Colin Higgins directed story of three women in the workplace who turn the tables on their misogynistic boss remains as popular as ever for the outstanding performances of its three leads and continued relevant commentary on the glass-ceiling politics of the modern workplace. Also, it’s just one hell of a fun film.
In celebration of the ongoing, and perhaps unlikely, cult-like status of 9 to 5, Peaches Christ is poised to unleash a new Midnight Mass spectacular centered around the movie this November 23rd. Starring Peaches, Heklina, special guest Pandora Boxx (of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame), and a slew of Midnight Mass regulars, the show will pay homage to the iconic women of the film in a tribute that will be both skinny and sweet.
In preparation for the show’s unveiling, Peaches and I got together to talk about the amazing union of these three women, and what their individual contributions to cinema meant to us. With 9 to 5 itself serving as a wholly satisfying filmic entrée, Peaches and I initially considered compiling a list of films the trio made on their own to offer up to readers as “appetizers” to view leading up to the event. We wanted to urge our dear children of the popcorn to rediscover some of the ladies’ finer movie moments, and possibly introduce some of these films to a new audience for the very first time.
However, since the whole spirit of 9 to 5 is about coming together, Peaches and I felt it would be rather disingenuous to merely select the films ourselves. As such, we decided to have our first PeachesChrist.com roundtable, wherein we asked various pop culture voices to weigh in with some of their favorite films starring Lily, Dolly, or Jane. Each woman has left such a dynamic, indelible mark on pop culture, we knew that the responses would be as inspired as the movies themselves.
Ducking the boss, we gathered a remarkable group around the water cooler to dish on our ladies, and I think you’ll be pretty pleased with the line-up.
In addition to film selections from Peaches and myself, you’ll get exclusive commentary from luminaries such as drag icon Coco Peru, Louis Virtel of thebacklot.com, and the sensational Drew Droege (you probably know him as YouTube’s “Chloe”). Also joining us is filmmaker Jim Hansen, who not only directs the aforementioned “Chloe” videos, but is also set to helm the upcoming horror comedy You’re Killing Me (written by Jeffery Self and co-starring Droege).
Each of our contributors brought their own unique style and voice to this piece, and helped prove our initial point about how much impact the films of Tomlin, Fonda, and Parton have had on audiences. Through their recommendations, you’ll see thoughts that are short and sweet, others that are epic love letters, and some that move past the movie as a way to discuss a reverence for the woman in the spotlight. Each film recommendation offered up by this group was unique, but they all shared a similar passion, and because of their infectious enthusiasm, I have a whole slew of movies I’m suddenly dying to revisit.
So, take note, because we’re about to go woman by woman through a Master Class of the greatest films Lily, Dolly, and Jane have to offer, recommended from some of the very finest voices on the subject.
Without further ado, here are the movies our roundtable revealed are the solo cinematic must-sees of the three women who work hardest from 9 to 5.
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Jane Fonda
Peaches Christ – Few films reach the camp cult prestige of Barbarella, which is why it’s a no-brainer when it comes to my choice of Fonda flicks. It’s a playfully sexual film and ridiculously gaudy approach to the space epic, and Jane looks so flawless in all her various outfits, it almost goes without saying that she inspired generations of drag queens to come. In fact, Barbarella is so revered in drag circles, we did it for Midnight Mass a few years ago (re-envisioned as “Bear-berella”) to much success. Big hair, fierce outfits, mad scientists, hunky angels and more make this the ideal movie for the Peaches Christ audience, and I can’t get enough. It may not be Jane’s favorite of her own works, but people can’t get enough, and I totally understand. Space will never be this stupidly sexy again.
Michael Varrati– For me, the go to Jane Fonda movie will always be Barefoot in the Park, adapted from the Neil Simon play of the same name. Jane plays the liberal counter to Robert Redford’s uptight conservative male lead, and it’s a battle of the sexes where the war zone is a five-flight New York City walk up apartment. I realize that Jane playing a liberal taking on a conservative agenda isn’t exactly a stretch, but she’s never done so in such a girly girl fashion. Of course, I say that with absolute love. Jane’s playful and quirky here, and matched with Simon’s dialogue proves to be a force of nature. Barefoot in the Park proves not only to be a delightful romp, but a great early glimpse of an actress poised to endure.
Coco Peru (Drag Icon, Consummate Entertainer) – My pick would be Klute. Jane plays a prostitute and not the sweet, Pretty Woman-type either. Her therapy scenes are amazing and you feel like you’re a fly on the wall. When you watch it, you need to pay close attention to those scenes. I should have seen Klute years ago. Those two scenes alone would’ve saved me a ton of money in therapy bills! Jane got the Oscar for it, and as you watch her act in the film, you know why she won. Amazing actress.
Louis Virtel (West Coast Entertainment Editor of thebacklot.com, Verbal Voguer) – For me, Jane Fonda is the Annie Lennox of acting. She delivers intensity in the service of integrity, and at her toughest she’s still willingly — blazingly — vulnerable. Plus, like Annie, she represents her self-possession with a variety of unforgettable haircuts and sneers.
My favorite Jane movie is They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? As Gloria Beatty, a hopeless participant in a Depression era dance marathon, Jane is given the task of selling the movie’s not-so-matinee-ready message: “The whole world is like central casting. They got it all rigged before you ever show up.” The contest brutalizes her, but the way she snaps at her lost-soul companion (Michael Sarrazin) is not just nihilistic or grim; it’s also bad-ass and hilarious. She is fire and glamor and death and conscience. And she knows it. Truly, this is one of the great dour movies, and Jane’s unflinching harshness earned her the first Oscar nomination of her seven to date. Somehow this movie is empowering; it’s reassuring (at least to me) to see that even the most cynical sisters can do it for themselves.
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Lily Tomlin
Peaches Christ- Lily Tomlin in a science fiction comedy of errors? Please and thank you! The Incredible Shrinking Woman is as close as Lily Tomlin ever came to making a drive-in style genre film, and while it isn’t exactly in line with the Roger Corman-style films its title emulates, it’s fun to see Lily bring her brand of comedy to an even wackier situation than usual. Also, Lily Tomlin pulls quadruple duty in this movie, playing four different characters across the film’s run time, showing off her skills of inhabiting varying personalities, which feels like a nod to her sketch comedy days on Laugh-In and a guest on The Carol Burnett Show. Also of note is the fact that one of the scientists in this movie, “Dr. Ruth Ruth,” is played by Elizabeth Wilson, who portrays Roz in 9 to 5!
Drew Droege (YouTube’s “Chloe,” acting wunderkind, cast member of the upcoming horror comedy You’re Killing Me) – In the early-mid 70s, Lily Tomlin was an established TV comedian, known mainly for hilarious characters on Laugh-In. The second she appears in her very first film, Robert Altman’s brilliant and perfect Nashville, you immediately sense something else happening. She’s the only white member of a black gospel choir, performing as if she’s just been given 4 minutes to live. Moments later, this scene is sharply contrasted with a reveal of her home life as a no-frills mother of two deaf children and the wife of a checked-out Ned Beatty. After a series of mysterious phone calls, she finds herself at a local concert of country music legend Tom Frank, played by the beautiful Keith Carradine. He sexily sings “I’m Easy,” and every woman in the small bar hopes he’s singing to her. Then the camera pans to Lily, who silently conveys insecurity, longing and dread, knowing that this song is about her. The very next scene shows them in bed together, the next morning. Per Tomlin’s request, there is no scene in which they explain the nature of their relationship. It confounds me and delights me every time I watch it. Lily created a fully-realized, complicated, and flawed woman in only a few scenes, without relying on her great gift of comic timing. She always just tells the truth – no bullshit- and she’s my hero.
Michael Varrati- Like Drew, I am reverent of Lily’s work with the late, great Robert Altman. Because of this fact, I feel that I would be totally remiss if I didn’t offer up her performance in the subtle epic Short Cuts as my Tomlin film of choice. This tale of intersecting lives served as the blue print from which Paul Thomas Anderson would later derive Magnolia, but unlike its successor, Short Cuts focuses less on the coincidental fantastic, and more on the quiet impact our daily lives can have on the world around us. Playing a waitress who’s married to an alcohol limo driver (played by cult music legend Tom Waits), Tomlin eschews her trademark whimsy for a performance of sad intensity. This is a woman down on her luck, and her situation doesn’t seem to be improving. With each pass of Altman’s floating camera, we get a glimpse of the silent struggle Tomlin’s character makes every day, and though it is painfully obvious to the viewer, in a world rife with little bits of chaos, it’s just another passing moment. Short Cuts is a portrait of an actor and director working in perfect unity to convey the fact that life is defined by the littlest of things. Lily Tomlin is sublime and not to be missed here.
Dolly Parton
Peaches Christ- A classic to gays and women alike, Steel Magnolias is one of those movies people return to time and again. And why not? It’s a power cast comprising of some of our finest female actors, including Sally Field, Shirley Maclaine, Olympia Dukakis, Julia Roberts, and, of course, Dolly Parton. As the bubbly beautician Truvy, Dolly turns in one of her finest and most legendary performances, and she holds her own with the film’s heavy-hitters. She provides a comic counter to some of the film’s more serious points, and leaves the audience wishing that they had a gal pal like her at their side for life’s ups and downs. There’s already so much going for Steel Magnolias that has been remarked on over the years, you already know it’s worth the watch. On your next go-round, just pay special attention to the charm and magic Dolly brings to the table. It’s everything!
Jim Hansen (Director of YouTube’s “Chloe” and the upcoming film You’re Killing Me)- When I first saw Dolly Parton, I was fascinated. I couldn’t understand how she was real. Her hyper-sexualized appearance somehow came off as kid-friendly. That is her special talent. No matter what Dolly does, she is uniquely and genuinely Dolly. You feel like you know her and you can’t help loving her. It is very difficult to passively adore her. When you put a diamond in the mud it seems to sparkle that much brighter. That’s what Dolly Parton does in Rhinestone. Her voice stays pure even when forced to harmonize with Sylvester Stallone. That’s talent.
Michael Varrati – Why there isn’t a national monument built around housing the original 35mm print of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, I will never know. Although the film was already a well-established and loved Broadway play before it was adapted for the silver screen, it’s the cast of the 1982 movie that cements its greatness for me. With a roster that bolsters the likes of Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, and Jim Nabors, the movie already seems poised to echo the road comedies of the Smokey & the Bandit-era, but it’s the presence of Dolly Parton that serves as game-changing heart of the film. Playing Mona, the madam of the titular whorehouse, Parton brings much needed comedic gusto to a comedy of well-meaning prostitutes in the way only her genteel charm could.
…and then there’s the singing. Goodness knows I love a musical number, and Whorehouse provides Parton the chance to tear up the scenery in the way she knows best: Ol’ Opry style. Furthermore, unlike in Rhinestone (sorry, Jim), Dolly’s screen counterparts seem to really relish the chance to warble a tune. Even Charles Durning gets a moment in the sun with a whimsical little dance number, and that’s a sentence which doesn’t even seem like it should even be uttered, let alone be factually true. Although Dolly has less films under her belt than her 9 to 5 sisters, she makes up for it by having almost each one of them being a stand-out, memorable moment in celluloid. For me, none of those moments are greater than Whorehouse, where it’s proven that even hookers, when set to song, can win your heart.
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Have a favorite Dolly, Lily, or Jane movie you love? Tell us in the comments or tweet Michael your thoughts at @MichaelVarrati!
A good cast is worth repeating, and here’s what you need to know about our amazing guest contributors:
- To find out more about Jim Hansen and Drew Droege’s new horror comedy (written by and starring Jeffery Self), please visit the You’re Killing Me IndieGoGo page HERE, or like the film on Facebook HERE. You can also see their celebrated work on the Chloe videos over on YouTube.
- Coco Peru is a drag legend who takes her critically-lauded shows around the globe. Keep up with her latest over at her website www.misscoco.com! Also, you should check out the interview with Coco that Michael Varrati did here at peacheschrist.com a while back.
- Louis Virtel is the best pop culture commentators and writers working today, and his acerbic take can be found regularly at The Backlot. Also, check out his verbal vogueing skills in his wicked YouTube series
