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The movie "Office Space" (1999) is a funny look at the trials and tribulations of the cubical slaves of a big evil corporation. Written and directed by Mike Judge, the creator of "Beavis and Butt-head" and "King of the Hill," the movie is based on the "Milton" animation shorts.

The movie follows Peter Gibbons (played by Ron Livington), an unhappy software programmer at Initech. The company is the typical stenotype of an evil corporation: "Is this good for the company?" asks a sign over a sea of cubicles. There are also the annoying co-workers, malfunctioning fax machines, and endless memos that one associates with such soul-destroying corporations.

Peter is especially plagued by the fact that he actually has eight bosses. (We only see two onscreen: Bill Lumbergh [played by Gary Cole] and Don [Joe Bays].) Simply forgetting to change to a new cover sheet on a report brings a flood of bosses, who do not hear a single word that he says, and copies of the memo regarding the change of cover sheet.

Peter is not the most abused worker; that reward goes to Milton. A minor character in this move, Milton (played by Stephen Root), is a squirrelly character with thick glasses and a desire to keep his old stabler (it jams less than the new ones that the company has issued). He is mistreated, kicked around, and eventually exiled to the basement. Milton is a sad little man, which sole defense is to mutter that he will set fire to the building if they don't start to treat him better.

Peter is more fortunate. His girlfriend takes him to an occupational hypno-therapist. It is during hypnosis that Peter's life changes; not by design, rather by accident, for the hypno-therapist dies in the middle of it, leaving Peter in a state of mind where his cares, concerns and inhibitions have melted away.

After this, Peter starts acting weird; his girlfriend breaks up with him, and his coworkers start to worry. Peter skips work, destroys company property; and is bluntly honest with the two consultants (efficiency experts) Bob and Bob (played by John C. McGinley and Paul Wilson). "Honestly, in a given week, I do maybe fifteen minutes of actual work."

And his reward for this behavior is a new relationship with a waitress (played by Jennifer Aniston) and a promotion while several of his coworkers are downsized.

Anyone who has worked for a corporation, or a restaurant, will feel sympathy for the cubical slaves portrayed in this movie. Unless you are in management, or have no empathy, you want Peter to succeed and fulfill his dream of doing nothing.

"Office Space" brutal honesty about the fact that there is something wrong in corporate America is what makes this movie so strong; it is our own wish to strike about the injustices of our own jobs that makes it so funny and cathartic.

Learn more about this author, Morgan Drake Eckstein.
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