ATLANTA — Jane Fonda drives herself to interviews. No limo, no entourage, not even a Mercedes. Just a little silver Toyota Prius. When she pays the parking attendant, the woman doesn't even recognize her. Told she just took a couple of bucks from Jane Fonda, she gasps, "That was her? I love her movies."
It is indeed her. Devoted mother and grandmother, Oscar-winning actress, Henry's daughter, Ted's ex, political activist, entrepreneur, Braves fan. Fonda keeps re-inventing herself, in life as well as in her career. The hard-eyed hooker in "Klute" couldn't be further from the resentful daughter in "On Golden Pond," who couldn't be further from the sex kitten in "Barbarella" (the Fonda movie for those not very fond of Fonda).
But it's the naive secretary in 1980's "9 to 5" that brings her out for a chat. The film was given a "retro-premiere" in Atlanta's Symphony Hall, a benefit for the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, which Fonda founded.
The junket to publicize "9 to 5's" release was held in Dallas late in 1980 — the same weekend the world would find out who shot J.R. Asked if she had a guess as to whodunit, Fonda replied, "I don't know, but I hope it's the secretary." It was.
At 66, Fonda is beautiful. It's not a question of having "aged well," but the plain fact that beauty exists in different ways at different stages. Dressed in a simple black turtleneck and a long flowing skirt, she comes off as smart, energetic, passionate. And ready to talk about anything.
Question: Do you know what movie Claus and Sonny von Bulow went to see the night she slipped into her fatal coma?
Jane Fonda: Oh, no. Not . . . that certainly wasn't the intended effect (laughs).
Question: But "9 to 5" was intended to have an effect. It tackled sexual harassment and the glass ceiling long before these issues were taken seriously. Do you think it succeeded?
Jane Fonda: I do. There's been a tremendous evolution that I think emanates from the core of women. Women perceive themselves differently. They realize they have a right to be respected, to be safe, to be free of harassment. It's not about asking your assistant for coffee per se. It's, do you, as the boss, treat the people who work with you respectfully. If you see someone as a human being, then it's fine to ask for a cup of coffee. You'd do the same thing if they needed something.
I think that's beginning to enter the work force. Enough? No. 100 percent? No (laughs). But we've definitely made progress, and I'd like to think "9 to 5," through its use of comedy, helped. I've met a lot of women who say it made them rethink their position in the office.
Question: How did the movie come about?
Jane Fonda: Some of my friends were organizing clerical workers. The National Association of Office Workers was headquartered in Cleveland, so I took Colin Higgins (the director) there to meet 40 clerical workers, most of whom worked for large institutional companies. We sat in a circle and everyone said something about themselves and the conditions of their work situation. It was interesting stuff, but when we'd gone all the way around, Colin had this inspired idea. He said, let's go back around and tell me if you ever had a fantasy about killing your boss? And from that came the core of the movie.
Question: It was originally meant to be a much darker film.
Jane Fonda: Well, my co-producer, Bruce Gilbert, and I had read an article about a secretary in southern California who'd actually killed her boss. It was kind of a dark story. But you know how it changed? I went to see Lily's one-woman show and I was smitten. I said, I have to work with this woman. I want her to be one of the secretaries. Then, when I was driving home, Dolly was singing on the radio and I thought . . . Dolly hasn't ever been in a movie, but what a combination. Dolly, Lily and me. The moment it was us, obviously it was a comedy.
Question: You've made a lot of movies. Where does this one rank as far as being a favorite?
Jane Fonda: It's way up there. There are four movies that are at the top: "Coming Home," because it was the first movie I was actively involved in creating. "Klute," because it was my breakthrough as an actress. "On Golden Pond," because it was such a tremendously universal movie and it gave me a chance to do something for my dad before he died. And "The China Syndrome," just in a different kind of way.
What I loved about "9 to 5" is, well, it's like in tennis, when you swing the racquet and hit the ball in what's called the sweet spot. Life is full of sweet spots and "9 to 5" is definitely a sweet spot for me. At the time, I hadn't been known for humor (laughs). I think that's changed. But back then, everything was so serious. So the fact that I could make a movie about an important issue and it was funny was good for my soul.
Question: Since you made "9 to 5," there've been other movies about women in the workplace. In "Working Girl," Sigourney Weaver reminded us that female bosses can be every bit as bad, if not worse, than male bosses. Does that surprise you?
Jane Fonda: No, it doesn't surprise me. We still live in a culture that privileges men and there are women who, consciously or unconsciously, step into a male role. They think that's what you do in a position of power. You want to have a little of the masculine in you — things like strength, efficiency, drive. The problem happens when it gets out of balance, man or woman, and these things become aggressive killer competition.
It happens in any group that is oppressed, i.e., not on an even playing field. People within that group become Uncle Toms, Aunt Toms, Uncle Tomahawks. They try to gain power by acting as a ventriloquist for those already in power.
Women must recognize that we do bring something to the table. The masculine ethic tends to be hierarchical. There's always someone below you. If you're at the very bottom, you kick your dog. Or your wife. A woman's paradigm is circular. And a circle in motion is a spiral. Everyone is sitting across from each other. No beginning. No end. It's organic. Translate that into the workplace and the culture of the organization changes. When you walk into that kind of space — and it can easily be a space run by men — it feels different.
Question: You've talked recently about coming out of retirement. Are you really serious about that?
Jane Fonda: The minute I made the decision (to return to acting), something deep inside me just opened up. I am going to have so much fun.
I'm all revved up about going back to work, but that doesn't mean anyone else is going to be particularly excited. Someone showed me an episode of "Six Feet Under," where the mother is admitting to her gay son that, when she was his age, 'I had a thing for Jane Fonda.' So I called up my agent and I said, talk to the producer and tell him to write a cameo for me to come on as her lesbian fantasy. That was seven months ago. I haven't heard a thing.
Question: When you turned 60, you told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution you wanted to figure out what you wanted to do with the last part of your life. It's six years later. Any answers?
Jane Fonda: If you asked me what my greatest strength was, it would be that I'm constantly on a search and open to change. When Ted and I split up, he said to me, you're not supposed to keep changing after 60 (laughs). But being interesting isn't what it's about. It's being interested. I call it a long, slow journey to the center of yourself. I want to continue on that personal journey. I want to use it to correct the balance between the masculine and feminine paradigm. Which, right now, means I want to bring the feminine forward (laughs). Because things are way out of kilter.
Question: Speaking of Ted. . . .
Jane Fonda: Oh, we speak at least once a week, if not more. We're still very, very close. We're really good friends. He's going to be my date to the premiere.
He's been one of the most important things in my life. There's no question about it. He brought me here, and every time I fly back to Los Angeles, I say, 'Thank you, Ted.' I love California, but this is my home.
Question: When you were honored by the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2001, you said you were proud that "my state of Georgia has the best, the biggest, the most profound art college in the country. Your state of Georgia? Really?
Jane Fonda: There's something so generous and porous about Georgia. It has a huge heart. I have deep friendships here. You can have deep friendships in California, but it's so big and the problems are so overwhelming that you can go numb. It's hard to go numb in Georgia. Here, when a change happens, it really happens. I was lobbying in the Capitol recently and talking to some very conservative legislators. It was so interesting because, we might not agree on everything, but we were able to view each other as human beings. I was able to sit and listen to their narratives from my heart and accept that (part) of it that made a lot of sense. It's one of the great gifts Ted brought me, as an individual and by bringing me to the state of Georgia. His philosophy is, open your arms to everyone. And open your heart.
E-MAIL: eringel@ajc.com@desnews.com