Office Space (1999) movie analysis and film criticism for advanced ESL students based on the English Immersion Program
Office Space (1999) movie trailer
Office Space (1999) movie analysis
Office Space (1999) is a satirical black comedy that takes aim at the soul-crushing tedium of corporate life. We follow Peter Gibbons, an IT technician stuck in a monotonous job, yearning for fulfillment. The film hilariously captures the frustrations of office culture: micromanaging bosses, malfunctioning printers, and pointless TPS reports.
Peter’s discontentment reaches a boiling point, but an unexpected encounter with a hypnotist changes everything. With newfound apathy, Peter stops caring about work and accidentally stumbles into a scheme to embezzle money from his company. This sets the stage for a hilarious rebellion as Peter, along with his disgruntled co-workers or colleagues, decide to get revenge on their oppressive office environment.
Questions for discussion
- Peter’s frustrations with Initech are numerous. Besides the TPS reports, what specific aspect of office culture does the film satirize the most?
- Hypnosis plays a key role in Peter’s transformation. How does his newfound attitude lead him to unintentionally commit a crime?
- The film features several memorable side characters. Besides Peter, who else embodies the rebellion against Initech and what method do they use to resist the corporate machine?
1. Office Space satirizes the soulless, monotonous and tedious environment of work. For example the boss “Bill Lumbergh” constantly checks on the employees and imposes unnecessary rules and reminders, in a way it is annoying.
2. Hypnosis led Peter to adopt a carefree mindset, causing him to not consider the consequences of his actions. As a result, he convinced and persuaded his friends to join him in committing a crime.
3. The movie featured several memorable and relatable side characters. For instance, Michael Bolton, who was frustrated with the company’s policies, agreed to cooperate with Peter and his plan to sabotage the company. Additionally, there is the character Milton, who was treated unfairly by the company. Eventually, his patience was over, and he sat the building on fire at the end.
Excellent comment! Thank you so much. We will surely discuss all these details in our upcoming class. As I said before, Office Space is one of my favorite films in the genre of comedy.