Office Space

The first feature length film by Mike Judge, “Office Space,” is the quintessential story of being frustrated with life and deciding to change it. The film centers on Peter Gibbons, played by Ron Livingston. Peter works at a faceless programming company called Initech, where he is a slave to his cubicle and to the rat race in general. Peter and his friends Michael Bolton, played by David Herman, and Samir Nagheenanajar, played by Ajay Naidu, equally hate their jobs, but are very hesitant to do anything about it. Tired of his manic-depressive behavior, Peter’s girlfriend Anne, who he suspects of cheating on him, takes him to an occupational hypnotherapist, who puts Peter in a state of complete relaxation, but has a heart attack and dies before Peter snaps out of the trance. With his new mindset of optimistic apathy, Peter now finds himself free to do whatever he wants, without regard for any consequences.
The film used a very different style of humor than what many Mike Judge fans were used to when he was still writing “Beavis and Butt-Head.” Instead of a lowbrow compilation of fart jokes and obvious sexual innuendo, “Office Space” utilizes a much more Seinfeld-like brand of situational humor to point out the annoyances of everyday life as a cubicle worker.
The incredibly dry script is one of the reasons why this movie has become a cult classic. In one scene where Michael and Samir are talking about why their names are less than desirable, Samir suggests that Michael go by “Mike” instead. Michael replies, “Why should I change? He’s the one who sucks.” Also, when Peter is talking to efficiency experts brought in by the company, he tells them, “Ya see, I’m not lazy, I just don’t care.”
The highly relatable cast of characters is another reason why this movie has the staying power that it does. Everyone has known someone like Michael; someone who likes to put on a facade that they’re not bending to the will of authority, but when given the opportunity to speak up, they conform like everyone else. Peter’s neighbor, Lawrence, played by Diedrich Bader, is everything Peter wishes he could be before the hypnotherapy: crass and senseless, but nonetheless very happy with his life as a construction worker.
While the film may not have meant to be inspirational, it definitely could give some people hope that their seemingly bleak situations could be improved with a few minor changes in their demeanor and attitude. With Peter’s apathy comes success that he never could have thought possible before visiting the hypnotherapist. The film doesn’t suggest that not going to work will get you promoted, but that changes may not be as unattainable as they seem.