Product: Office Space (1999)
Rating: 5.0
Bellyaching Existential Comedy with Much to Ponder...
Mundane trivialities have a significant importance in many people's lives, as they have sunk into an existence where an income is more important than happiness. The unhappiness often begins with everyday routines such as getting back and forth from work while spending the majority of their time at a job where they are miserable. This suburban look on existentialism might be something that many can connect with, as everyday begins with the apprehension of the annoying alarm clock's sound and the irritating traffic congestions. Meanwhile, the people tend to complain about the mind-numbing dreadfulness of their existence, as they do nothing to create a change for themselves. A resulting factor is that they have entrapped themselves in the corporate establishment where their desire of objects is larger than the yearning for happiness. Mike Judge's film Office Space takes on the corporate induced melancholy through the eyes of a worn-out office worker Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) who takes matters in his own hands.The comical humor in the initial scene presents the notion of the large number of people who commute back and forth to work. Coming from Chicago, I can relate to the long and difficult ventures through the crammed highways, which also gets to Peter and his coworkers. This sequence also suggests how many people actually undergo the everyday torment of making a living, maybe with a job that they hate. Whether people hate their job, or not, the film encapsulates the essence of the frustration that comes with the occupational travel. In addition, Judge shows that he understands the accumulation of frustration, as the journey to work spills over into the working day when the workers vent their anger on uncooperative fax machines and annoyance of repetitive sound. If the problems were not enough with frustration and boredom, the bosses, here Bill Lundberg (Gary Cole), breathes down necks with overtime and better quality production. One of the frequent behaviors that helps Peter and his friends manage their frustration is to wish their lives away by desiring for time to move faster, which could hasten time to the returning commute home.The negative professional life that Peter possesses influences his personal and social life, as he returns home depleted after the emotional and psychological stress of his job. It even affects his sleeping pattern, as nightmares about work haunt him. The stress continues to increase as Initech, the company that he works for, has decided to downsize and his girlfriend has arranged for them to see a hypnotherapist to help deal with their relationship. However, amidst the hypnosis of Peter, that is supposed to help him feel more blissful, the therapist suffers from a heart attack. Peter remains within the peaceful ignorance of what is happening in his life, as he decides to sleep through the weekend and not go to work without feeling guilt, anguish, or any other kind of negative emotional response that would cause stress.The aftermath of not showing up at work for the weekend overtime begins to mount, and with the notion of the downsizing in the back of the mind, his future might seem dark in regards to employment and economy. However, in his mental state of happiness he finds strength to take control of his own life, which takes his life on a number of unexpected turns. If the corporate America experienced an overwhelming number of people undergoing hypnosis similar to Peter's, it would drastically affect the national economy. With this in mind, the film provides an interesting thought in regards to personal happiness and the commercial industry's desire to control people's pleasure with what people need for financial profits.Office Space presents a truly remarkable societal comedy that reflects on the average person's place in society in the shadow of socioeconomic status. It does so with a heavy dose of comic relief, as it portrays a wide range of interesting characters such as the flair wearing waitress Joanna (Jennifer Aniston), the closet tough guy Michael Bolton (David Herman), and the enterprising Samir (Ajay Naidu). Then there is the muttering Milton (Stephen Root) who the company has laid off, but never informed. These characters all provide an essential part of the story, as they help mirror different elements of the society. The film also provides an empowering perspective of how some people find a way to dig themselves out of their own miserable existence when things look awful. Altogether, every aspect of the story such as the score, cast, and story accentuates the terrific comedy that blends societal issues with dry everyday humor in a bellyaching manner.