Office Space (1999)
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A frustrated programmer at a software company finds himself caught in the absurdities of corporate life and a malfunctioning printer.
The story
Peter Gibbons is a frustrated and unmotivated programmer at the software company Initech. He is forced to deal with a demanding manager, Bill Lumbergh, and the mundane frustrations of office life. After a hypnotherapy session goes awry, Peter finds himself in a state of indifference toward his job. Meanwhile, his coworkers—Samir, Michael, and Tom—deal with their own frustrations within the corporate structure. When the company brings in consultants to downsize, the dynamics of the office shift, and Peter begins a relationship with a woman working at a nearby restaurant, while the group navigates the absurdities of their daily routine.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Peter Gibbons, a disgruntled programmer at Initech, becomes indifferent to his job after a hypnotherapy session. He begins dating Joanna, a worker at Chotchkie's. When 'the Bobs' are hired to downsize the company, Peter is promoted while his colleagues Michael and Samir are laid off. They eventually sabotage the company's accounting system with a virus. They also destroy a malfunctioning printer in a field. After a series of complications involving a misunderstanding about Joanna's affections and a realization that their virus stole too much money, Peter prepares to confess. However, Milton, a coworker who was never properly laid off, sets the building on fire, destroying the evidence. Peter takes a job in construction, while Michael and Samir join a rival company. Milton escapes to Mexico.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 89
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mike Judge
- Writers
- Mike Judge · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Ron Livingston · Peter; Jennifer Aniston · Joanna; Stephen Root · Milton Waddams; Gary Cole · Bill Lumbergh; David Herman · Michael Bolton; Ajay Naidu · Samir Nagheenanajar; Diedrich Bader · Tom Smykowski
- Genres
- satirical black comedy
- Themes
- workplace frustration; corporate absurdity; anti-establishment
- Tone and mood
- satirical; humorous
- Premise and plot tags
- office life; software company; corporate satire
- Source material / true-story basis
- Mike Judge's Milton cartoon series
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and has gained a cult following, despite being a box office disappointment initially.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 82% · scale: percentage · review count: 103; Metacritic · score: 68 · scale: 100 · review count: 31
- Production trivia
- A scene involving the destruction of a printer has become a widely parodied internet meme.; Swingline released a red stapler in response to the film's popularity.; The film was intended as a companion piece to the 2009 film Extract.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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