Office Space (1999)
I have seen Office Space so many times that I can almost recite the entire thing from memory. Hell, I could probably write a fairly complete version of the script if somehow all memory, except mine, of the film was erased from the world. Now, I certainly couldn't make a masterpiece like Mike Judge did, but I could make a serviceable replacement. As far as I'm concerned, there is not another movie that captures the mundane elements of life in as humorous a way that Office Space does. It says so much about the human condition and what it means go to work everyday.
Since it was released over a decade ago, Office Space has built an amazing cult following and has ingrained itself into the American pop culture. Have you ever heard someone mention a TPS report? Ever been accused of having a case of the Mondays? How about asked about your flair? All of these originated in Office Space and if you don't get the references, it's time you did. So watch it, then come back and talk about your favorite quotes, moments, Superman 3, TPS reports, page load letters, and the work of Micheal Bolton.
Office Space is a very funny satire about the living, breathing organism that is the work place. When it is brought up in a conversation, it is rare to hear a negative comment about it. Like you said, tt is a film that has appeared to have gained cult status. With that said though, I still feel that is over looked. Like I said, people always say good things about it but it also rarely comes up in conversation. I rarely hear someone say that this is one of there favorite comedies? Would agree that it seems to be somewhat underrated and over looked? If so why do you think this is? Also how much truth about how people feel about their work does the film hold.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure that it's underrated. For a film to be made in 1999 and still get heavy airplay on Comedy Central (once a month at least), that's a pretty big accomplishment. Entertainment Weekly placed it 5th in in the "25 Great Comedies from the Last 25 Years" in 2008. That is another fairly large accomplishment. The reason why few people claim it as their favorite comedy is probably because of its uneven quality. The first 3/4 of the film is as good as any comedy ever, but the last quarter just doesn't gel. The studio is to blame for this; not the cast or crew. Despite the less than stellar ending, it still places in my top 5 movies.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Office Space accurately depicts how people feel about their jobs. It's rare that anyone "loves" their job. Even if a person enjoys what they do, they more than likely have days where they dread going. The main character, Peter Gibbons, is a bit of an over-exaggeration. "So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life." Peter is not on a normal level, but his journey from being so bleak to finding contentment is one that the audience can rally behind. It can inspire people to pull through the hard times.