Office Space, based on the short “Milton” cartoons Mike Judge created in 1991 and added to for Saturday Night Live in 1993-94, is an excellent comedy that not only shows the necessity of relaxation but also emphasizes the stress that many American workers go through every day. The traffic jam in which Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston), the film’s protagonist, finds himself trapped at the beginning of the movie is the perfect jumpstart into the utter stressfulness of a work day, which Judge satirizes brilliantly, crafting highly memorable scenes of both comedy and romance. Fans refer to Office Space as a cult film, but this movie ranks as one of the best comedies of all time.
The cast is an amazing group of people perfectly fitted for their roles. Milton (played by Stephen Root) and Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole) are particularly funny and without them the movie could never have achieved such a high level of hilarity. Judge, who wrote the script as well as directed, has a great ear for the mundane language of the workspace. Listen especially to Lumbergh’s ability to bore people into getting what he wants or Milton’s squirrelyness and timid chattering that accompany his boss’s reduction of his workspace. Judge also captures the Darwinian ruthlessness of office politics and the inanity with which they are carried out. In the end, the red Swingline stapler is not only Milton’s last representation of office autonomy, it becomes a symbol for an insane world in which we define our sense of self through our ability to control our own office supplies.
Lumbergh and Milton stand out, but Judge makes all the characters here stand out; many of them would be exceptionally unfunny had it not been for both his comedic genius supported by the actors’ impeccable portrayals.
Office Space is probably Mike Judge’s best-known work, but he also created the animated television shows “Beavis and Butthead,” (1993) and “King of the Hill” (1997). In the film he plays the character Stan, the manager of the restaurant Chotchkie’s were Joanna (Jennifer Aniston), Peter’s prospective girlfriend, works. The “Not Enough Flare” scene in which he tells Joanna that she does not have enough flare only adds to the utter stressfulness of daily life portrayed throughout the movie.
Judge’s ability to take something seemingly boring and almost angering and turn it into a scene where laughing is inevitable is amazing. Sometimes his humor can seem over the top, irritating those with a negative disposition to begin with, but with the right attitude you can walk away from the movie feeling as though it was greatly worth the time.
The movie overall did not gross much in the box office, barely making it over the production cost of around 10 million dollars; however it sold a very large amount of videos and DVDs and has built a large fan base. Negative initial reviews stunted this movie’s ability to make money but eventually a larger number of people saw the movie and were able to fully comprehend its brilliance.
So when going into the movie remember one thing, always, always put a cover sheet on your TPS reports.
Calvin O'Keefe
Film Club
