Office Space

Office Space is one of those movies that struggled initially at the box office. It was after being in theaters that it has gained a cult following in the years since its release, simply for one reason, everyone who has worked in cubicle's can relate to this movie and the vast array of characters that work at Initech. I have never met anyone that has seen Office Space, that the minute you mention the movie they can immediately either spout off their favorite quote from the movie or even their favorite scene. This is truly one of those movies that makes me wonder how it was even humanly possible for it to struggle as it did at the box office. Office Space is truly one of those great comedies that does not try to do too much, but instead it is simple in so may was that you can simply sit back relax as the jokes come that will make you laugh because they all flow seamlessly throughout the movie. After seeing Office Space it is truly no surprise to me as to one of the main reasons behind Office Space garnering this cult like movie status following is that of the character of Milton.

Ron Livingston stars as peter, a cubicle worker for Initech who really struggles most days with everything going on in his job and the complete lack of wanting to be at his job everyday. Only after a hypno-therapist dies in the middle of Peter being in a deep relaxation trance to help him handle the monotony of his job, does Peter find a relaxation and happiness in his life that had been missing. Livingston plays the role with such ease that he truly comes across as an everyday guy that the audience can relate to, because he ends up talking about his job in such a straightforward way in which many have felt about our own jobs from time to time. Livingston's interactions with everyone works so well together, especially his chemistry with Jennifer Aniston in her role of Joanna. Like Livingston, Aniston comes off in her role of the waitress as being just an average everyday person that is just doing what she has to in order to survive financially in today's world. The way she comes across in the role is that of being so simple that it is almost as if she is not even having to try to be an everyday person, and that is meant in the good way.

I love the supporting cast and they work so well together with everyone on screen. Gary Cole in the role of Bill Lumbergh the boss is one of those characters that is so easy to quote, because Cole plays the role with such a dryness that it is such a believable role for what many of our bosses can end up behaving just like. Milton played by Stephen Root is a role where he plays the character with such a social awkwardness and with these amazing set in stone quirky attributes. That while he could come across as annoying, instead he comes off as this funny character who in a way you root for in the end. The rest of the supporting cast were not only cast perfectly and fit in sow well together, but these characters are so perfectly thought out in that they all serve a purpose to what is going on throughout the story. There are times in other movies where you feel that characters have been added just to have another character and Office Space was able to avoid this pitfall.

The story for Office Space is one that does not throw much at the audience, but it is simply the simplicity that allows it to work so well. With a comedy movie it is always hard to strike that perfect balance of a story to keep the audience engaged and at the same time gives the right amount of comedic funniness without over saturating us with the comedy. Personally, I really enjoyed the story because it is not exactly an everyday I hate my job story one would expect. To go along with the story that comedy has to work and it does on so many points. Whether it is Milton's mumbling or Lumbergh's dull monotone voice each character has such a great real attribute to themselves that they could truly be someone you could come across in an office. I enjoyed the comedy they were able to pull out of everyday occurrences. One such example of this is that of the fax machine that never works so we end up getting a scene where we have gangster rap music playing while they put the fax machine through a beating from their kicking to even using a bat on it. One of my favorite lines that happens in the movie deals with Peter talking about flair that Joanna wears at Chotchkie's and how the Nazi's too had flair that they made the Jews wear.

Office Space is one of those cult movie comedy classics that no matter what kind of day you are having this movie has a strong ability to release those bad feeling and make them simply melt away. The casting was perfect in my mind, the normal guy feeling we get from Livingston is precisely what this character needed to have for the audience to like him. I am giving Office Space three and a half buckets of popcorn out of five. This movie is currently available through Netflix instant streaming or I do own an edited version if anyone so desires., but this is one that i would recommend highly if you are in the mood to have a relaxed night of watching a funny movie.

-The Movie Man