Office Space (1999)

Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) just can't seem to catch a break. His girlfriend is cheating on him, he has an obnoxious neighbor, and he's completely miserable with his job as a small cog in a company called Initech. Then he visits a hypnotherapist, who dies just after putting Peter into a state of complete bliss. Free of worrying about making a living, he no longer feels the need to keep his job, just as the company is going through a massive downsizing. However, his new attitude only makes him more valuable in the company's eyes, and his friends Michael (David Herman) and Samir (Ajay Naidu) are fired instead. Together, they scheme to plant a virus inside Initech's computer system that will pull money into their own account. Hilarity ensues.

Trivia: Gary Cole's character wears a large, gold class ring of the style that are common for graduates from military academies. This ring was originally a prop produced for the short-lived science fiction series "Crusade" (1999), on which Cole played captain Matthew Gideon. The ring was worn in every episode, and was supposed to show that Gideon was a graduate of Earthforce Military Academy. "Office Space" was the first project Cole worked on following the cancellation of "Crusade" (1999) and wore the ring as an in-joke, referring to his previous job. The set for Chotchkie's is actually the restaurant "the Alligator grille" in Austin, Texas. Chotchkie's is a take-off on the popular T.G.I. Friday's restaurant chain. The T.G.I. Friday's waiting staff wear striped shirts and suspenders adorned with buttons and name tags. The restaurants themselves are frequently decorated with assorted knick-knacks and memorabilia. A reference is made to T.G.I. Friday's when someone mentions "Thank God it's Friday" while at the restaurant.

The Red Swingline stapler is the only constant in the life of abused employee Milton Waddams (stephan Root), who snaps after it is stolen. The red Swingline was no longer in production when Office Space was made (the prop department created it using automobile paint), but due to popular demand Swingline released a limited run of the red version in 2004. It remains a symbol of quiet dissent amongst office workers. The official Swingline product page describes the product thus: “Discover the stapling star of any office space-the bold head-turning design and legendary performance of Swingline’s Rio Red Stapler.” The Rio Red may be a reference to Milton’s eventual tropical retreat. This model has become the best-selling in Swingline history.

Usually the phrase "From the creators of Beavis and Butthead" doesn't illicit much hope for a full length feature film, but Office Space is very funny. Ron Livingston acts as a straight man to the insanity that is Initech. This movie is amazingly quotable. What really makes this movie is the peripheral charactors: Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole), the boss, "Ahh, I'm going to have to go ahead and ask you to come in on Sunday, too..." his slow talk and the use of "Yeah" just drives you crazy; Brian the Chotchkie's Waiter, "So can I get you gentlemen something more to drink? Or maybe something to nibble on? Some Pizza Shooters, Shrimp Poppers, or Extreme Fajitas?" He has too much flair for Jennifer Aniston to take (37 peices to be exact); And last but by no means least Milton Waddams (Stephan Root), "Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler... " and "I could set the building on fire." A man who was laid off five years ago, but nobody told him, and a social misfit that mumbles. You really have to listen to what he says because it is the funniest parts of the movie. Milton is actally the first character Mike Judge came up with. The animated shorts featured Milton and Bill Lumbergh. The funny thing is if you are in a corporate invironment, (offices and cubicles) you can pretty much point out co-workers that would be able to replace almost every one of the workers at Initech, which makes it that much funnier.