Top 100 Movies Of The 1990's: #8 Office Space
Box Office: $10.8 Million Dollars
Oscar Nominations: None
Oscar Wins: None
MovieRankings.Net: 92/100
Available To Stream: Disney+, Amazon Prime ($4)
Office Space is the funniest movie I've ever seen.
I don't have it as the greatest comedy ever. In fact, I have another comedy ahead of it on this list. But, for sheer laughs, Office Space is the movie that makes me laugh the most.
This came out before both versions of The Office and was the first real look at horrible office life is. I'd say it's still the best look at it. I encountered so many of these miserable headaches when I had a real job. Hawaiian Shirt Friday (we even had Jeans Friday. Fun!). Having to celebrate and sing Happy Birthday. They even nail the monotony and florescent light Hell that welcomes you each and everyday.
This is not to say every office job is bad. I've had good and bad ones. If you are reading this, I hope you are in a good one. If you're not and reading this in an impersonal cube working for a bland corporation, I promise things will get better. I've been there. Hell, most of us have. You just have to keep your eyes open for better opportunities and you'll land one in less time than you think.
Office Space not only gives you permission to hate your job but also actual reasons. It's not just the job itself that drives these characters crazy. In this, you have Initech which is helping banks with Y2K and then Chotchkie's Resturant were Jennifer Aniston's character works as a waitress. They complain very little about the actual jobs. It's having to wear flair that's annoying. It's the constant lack of respect or care. Why corporate America thinks we want to work in these conditions is bizarre.
You saw real pushback with COVID. People started working from home and didn't want to go back. This isn't because people are lazy. They weren't being fulfilled in the office. They made being at work so much worse than actually doing the work. They still haven't fixed this. Instead, they blame the millions of workers instead of looking at where they don't to go.
The casting is perfect. Ron Livingston is such a great everyman. In a weaker movie year, Gary Cole should have gotten an Oscar nomination as Lumburgh. John C. McGinley, Stephen Root and Deidrich Bader all had bigger tv careers than movie ones but are all fantastic. There is not a single character I would change about this movie. There is not a line I would take out. Not a second I would edit out. I don't know how you can tell this story any better.
Why is this so great? Mike Judge. He wrote and directed the funniest movie I've ever seen. This isn't an accident. He created the very different but both hysterical Beavis & Butthead and Silicon Valley. He wrote and directed the very funny Idocracy. I'm not the biggest King Of The Hill fan but I can certainly appreciate it. He might be the most underrated creator in comedy.
The reason this tiny movie that opened in 8th place still exists today is how relatable it is. I did see this in the theaters in 1999 but that was an empty theater. These GIF's still hit because Office Space is still a sadly relevant look at how we work. As long as certain offices are so horrible, this movie will still be so funny.
Finally, fuck PC Load Letters.
8. Office Space
9. The Sixth Sense
10. Boogie Nights
11. Jurassic Park
12. Jackie Brown
13. A Few Good Men
14. The Fugitive
15. The Truman Show
16. Fargo
17. Swingers
18. Reservoir Dogs
19. There's Something About Mary
20. Sleepers
21. Schindler's List
22. Rushmore
23. Fight Club
24. Saving Private Ryan
25. True Romance
26. Dumb & Dumber
27. Kingpin
28. Donnie Brasco
29. Heat
30. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
31. Rounders
32. Unforgiven
33. Trainspotting
34. The Game
35. Out Of Sight
36. Carlito's Way
37. Seven
38. L.A. Confidential
39. Speed
40. Gattaca
41. Misery
42. Tombstone
43. Ransom
44. Wayne's World
45. The Insider
46. Back To The Future Part III
47. A Bronx Tale
48. The People Vs. Larry Flynt
49. Eyes Wide Shut
50. The Sandlot
51. Happy Gilmore
52. Contact
53. The Green Mile
54. Man On The Moon
55. Boyz N The Hood
56. Grosse Pointe Blank
57. Independence Day
58. The Rainmaker
59. Go
60. The Firm
61. Magnolia
62. The Talented Mr. Ripley
63. Tommy Boy
64. The Usual Suspects
65. In The Line Of Fire
66. My Cousin Vinny
67. Awakenings
68. JFK
69. Toy Story
70. Home Alone
71. Jerry Maguire
72. Titanic
73. Billy Madison
74. Apollo 13
75. Braveheart
76. Edward Scissorhands
77. Cape Fear
78. The River Wild
79. What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
80. 12 Monkeys
81. Stir Of Echoes
82. Mission: Impossible
83. Total Recall
84. Quiz Show
85. For Love Of The Game
86. Being John Malkovich
87. Men In Black
88. Scream
89. Alive
90. Three Kings
91. Glengarry Glen Ross
92. Die Hard With A Vengeance
93. The Blair Witch Project
94. Twister
95. Dirty Work
96. Election
97. Tremors
98. Any Given Sunday
99. The Wedding Singer
100. Clerks