Office Space (1999)

Mike Judge is a genius. Need I say more? Oh, right...it's a review so I do. Trust me though, the man is brilliant. He gave us Beavis and Butthead, after all. Folks, if you haven't seen this one, get yourself on over to Blockbuster or add it to your Netflix queue right NOW. No matter what type of job you've done, no matter how long ago, this will have you laughing yourself silly. It's one of my all time favorites...I've seen it at least 50 times and it never gets old. And yes, I know nearly all the lines by heart and can quote at random when the situation allows.

The IMDB lists the plotline as 'Comedic tale of company workers who hate their jobs and decide to rebel against their greedy boss'...and it is that, but so much MORE!

The core character is Peter Gibbons, wonderfully played by Ron Livingston. He's employed as a programmer at Innitech, updating bank software code for the '2000' switch day after day after day, listening to coworker Nina repeating continuously in her high pitched voice 'Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking...' His irritating girlfriend Anne may be cheating on him. He lives in an apartment with walls so thin he's on very intimate terms with his neighbor, Lawrence. His life is nothing like he expected it would be, and he feels like each consecutive day is the worst day of his life.

Enter Anne's hypnotherapist. He hypnotizes Peter but dies of a massive heart attack before completing the process, leaving Peter in an artificial state of blissful apathy toward all things causing his misery. As a result, he fails to turn up for work (on a Saturday...argh!) and instead sleeps the day away. He bravely marches into a local restaurant and asks a waitress, Joanna, out...he's admired her for some time, but lacked inspiration and courage before his session to make a move. In one of my very favorite scenes, Peter and Joanna are at lunch (the restaurant next door to where she works) and she asks him what he does, and he tells her. He follows this with 'I don't like my...job..and I don't think I'm going to...go...anymore'.

Back at the office, Peter's coworkers Michael Bolton and Samir Nagheenanajar, along with the rest of the employees, face being terminated by the 'efficiency experts' that have been brought in to clean house. Peter faces the experts with bluntness that they think is refreshing, and instead of being fired for slacking he gets promoted while Michael and Samir are canned. Together, they hatch a plan to slowly steal miniscule amounts company funds over time in order to earn enough for the three of them so they never have to work again. Of course, their plan backfires and hilarity ensues.

I won't ruin it any further for you, but I will point out that Peter's boss, Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole) is the epitome of every evil boss I've ever had. His best line? When he finds fault with something the efficiency experts (Tom & Tom) mention, he interjects "Um, I'm going to have to go ahead and sort of disagree with you there."

Milton Waddams (Stephen Root) is the office scapegoat, his desk being moved from place to place until he winds up in the basement...he was actually let go years back but because of a 'payroll glitch' has been getting paid the entire time...and the Toms decide to 'fix the glitch' and let things work themselves out. His constant muttering reminds me of myself, I'm frightened to admit.

Filled with so many situations anyone who has ever had the displeasure of being employed by someone has encountered, this movie is a rare treasure that will force you to THINK as well as laugh. If you hate your job and your boss is an asshole does it make it okay for you to steal from him/her? Does what you do make you who you are? Is money so important that you should sacrifice your life, your love and your soul to obtain it?

Only you can answer those types of questions, folks...and in the meantime, go pick this one up and share it with your coworkers. And sneak out a printer you hate, head for a deserted field, crank up 'Die Muthaf*cka die', and bash the hell out of it with a baseball bat. It WILL make you feel better. Seriously.