Product: Office Space (1999)
Rating: 4.0
Not perfect, but Oh! the lines you'll be repeating
Having been, in my more desperate days, a server for the oppressively corporate T.G.I. Friday's restaurant chain, I can say with some authority that Mike Judge based Chotchkie's more on Friday's than on Chili's or Applebee's or any of those other horrible chains. The "flair" rules to which Jennifer Anniston's character is forced to adhere are absolutely dead-on correct. In fact, about the only difference between Chotchkie's and Friday's is that the vertical stripes on the servers' shirts are green, not red. "Office Space" is a cult film in that it really speaks to a certain segment of society to the point of leaving those outside that segment in the dark. Of course, the number of Americans who work in cubicles in suburban technology parks (and also in corporate theme restaurants) number in the millions, so the "Office Space" cult could be a very large one. Basically, if you work or have worked in one of these environments, you'll probably love this film. If you haven't, then it probably won't be so compelling. As far as the plot goes, it's very wicked and cutting and easy to follow, until Peter's fraud scheme kicks in; then "Office Space" becomes a rather pedestrian heist flick. But the first 80% of the film is incredibly funny, with lots of memorable characters and unforgettable lines. My favorite exchange: "What would you do if you had a million dollars?" "2 chicks at the same time, man."