Hasitha Fernando on Office Space as it turns 25…
Where do we begin with Office Space? A movie that has spawned the creation of countless memes and buzzwords. A film that has effortlessly captured the dreary monotony of the corporate world and the frustrations of its white-collar workers. An effort whose relevance ceases to diminish even 25 years later. And so, on its silver jubilee we dive in to look back at the brilliant satirical comedy and what went on behind-the-scenes during the making of this film…
God-awful job stints and a series of animated shorts were the basis for the movie
Mike Judge can be aptly labelled the king of modern-day satire. His ability to satirize elements of his own life and experience in a manner that is relatable to a broader audience is without a doubt a gift and is something that he’s capitalized with the creation of irreverent TV shows like King of the Hill and Silicon Valley. The idea for Office Space originated from a series of animated shorts titled “Milton” created by Judge, which was aired on Liquid Television in 1991, and later on Saturday Night Live.
The hilarious effort was a product of his work-related frustrations and the monotonous nature of desk jobs at the time. During an interview Judge once revealed that he once spent 8 hours a day alphabetizing purchase orders and another as an engineer for three months in the San Franciso Bay area in the 1980s. Judge had a good working relationship with 20th Century Fox at the time due to the success of his animated sitcom King of the Hill, so Fox chairman Peter Chernin approached Judge to make an ensemble-cast film based on his “Milton” shorts and that’s how things got kick-started.
The studio wanted a PG-13 rated version but the cast vocally disagreed
A studio trying to maximize its profits by changing the rating of a movie is never unheard of. So, as expected with a risky new property like Office Space the studio execs wanted the effort to be PG-13, to make it more marketable and appeal to a broader audience. However, the cast and crew revolted and responded in the most atypical way imaginable – by dropping F-bombs and uttering profanity in every scene they are in, to make getting a PG-13 rating literally impossible for the studio. And the best part? It worked! Talk about teamwork and creative genius.
The film had some major celebrity fans
Despite being a box-office disappointment when it debuted, Office Space has gone on to achieve a cult-like status through positive word-of-mouth, repeated airings on Comedy Central and strong home video sales. Because of this the movie ended up having its fair share of famous fans who reached out to director Mike Judge in order to appreciate what he’s done. Some of these big names including Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, and Madonna. The latter even took the filmmaker out for dinner.
Dissatisfaction with the casting process nearly derailed production
While Mike Judge was more than satisfied with some of the cast who had joined the production, namely David Herman as Michael Bolton and Stephen Root as Milton, he was pretty frustrated with the rest of the cast. Most of all he was unhappy he couldn’t find the right guy to play the film’s lead, Peter Gibbons – the unmotivated software programmer. Because of this Judge considered abandoning the project altogether but was advised by Fox President Tom Rothman to consider Good Will Hunting’s Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for the movie. And it was while waiting for a meeting with Matt Damon in New York that Judge received a call from Ron Livingston’s agent requesting an audition for his client. Suffice it to say Livingston nailed the audition and production on the movie went forward.
Jennifer Aniston was cast to accommodate a studio mandate
Jennifer Aniston was a fairly well-known name in the late 90s thanks to the success of the comedy sitcom Friends. So, naturally Fox wanted the actress in some capacity in Office Space since they wanted a recognizable star in their film. Since her part in the movie was rather small the sub-plot involving her and her dispute with her boss (played by Mike Judge) involving “flairs” were added. Aniston ended wrapping up her scenes within two weeks and Judge was more than happy to have had her on board.
That red stapler and Milton’s “coke bottle” glasses
The script for Office Space called for a distinctive stapler that needed to really stand out, so the prop department ended up making a red stapler just for the movie. Mike Judge approached Swingline about a possible product placement agreement, but the stationary supplies company declined the offer, as they’ve discontinued their red stapler a few years prior. However, following the film’s release Swingline decided to bring back the product due to popular consumer demand. In the movie, Stephen Root’s character wears hilariously thick lenses in his glasses. These prop glasses made it impossible to see through, so the actor wore contact lenses to offset this vision impairment. And having the stapler be a bright red color certainly eased the performer’s interactions with the inanimate object at least!
A cuss word was added to the dictionary thanks to the film
“Assclown” was added to the Webster’s Dictionary in 2018, and the text credited writer/director Mike Judge with coining that unique cuss word. However, the original script crafted by Judge doesn’t have that particular expression and the swear word was something that was ad-libbed in the spot by actor David Herman. The performer’s original line, which described the famous singer he shared his name with, ran as “no-singing asshole” but Herman improvised the line and delivered it as “no-talent assclown” unintentionally birthing a new cuss word.
Without Beavis & Butthead Do America there’d be no printer scene
One of the most iconic and parodied scenes from Office Space has been the printer scene which takes place shortly after the trio Peter, Samir and Michael quit Initech with the hopes of implementing their ‘grand scheme’. The scene was inspired by a tortuous experience Judge underwent with a malfunctioning printer, during the making of Beavis & Butthead Do America. The whole ordeal left such a lasting impact on Judge that three years later he exacted revenge by including an entire scene featuring a printer being bashed to bits for Office Space. Much of this sequence was improvised, but actor Ajay Naidu added that they were trying to evoke how the Mafia would punish or kill someone in real life.
The gangsta rap soundtrack was a cause of concern for the studio
Tom Rothman, who was head of Fox at the time vehemently objected to the use of gangsta rap in the movie’s soundtrack. Judge agreed and said if test groups who view a screener of the film responded negatively, he’d go ahead and remove that portion of the soundtrack. Much to the studio’s chagrin this particular aspect was something that was particularly praised by test audiences and so… the gangsta rap soundtrack stayed. Booyah!
The creation of a cult classic and a lasting legacy
Office Space was made on a modest production budget of $10 million and by the conclusion of its theatrical run went on to gross only $12 million worldwide. This was a disappointing box-office haul overall and dissuaded Judge from pursuing a sequel to the movie for the longest time. However, fate intervened, and the effort went on to sell exceptionally well on home video and DVD, going on to become the quintessential cult classic we all know and love.
Comedy Central premiered Office Space on August 5, 2001, and that airing drew over 1 million viewers. Due to its high-level of popularity by 2003 the channel had broadcast the film another 35 times and these repeated broadcasts certainly helped develop the film’s cult following according to Ron Livingston, “It felt like it kind of went viral before that concept even existed.” Entertainment Weekly even ranked Office Space fifth on its list of “25 Great Comedies From the Past 25 Years”, despite having given the film a middling review originally.
Over the years the movie has been a tremendous influence on many creatives and that much is obvious when we watch television shows like The Office and Severance. The film’s influence or contribution to modern-day ‘memes’ is also something that cannot be summed up in words. These memes capture the day-to-day struggles of the corporate world and the mundanity of office life succinctly and brilliantly, offering up a healthy dose of humor to all white-collar workers across the world. Even the expression “TPS report” has come to connote pointless, mindless paperwork nowadays, within the corporate spheres. The movie’s ability to remain fresh and relevant even 25 years later serves as a testament to what Mike Judge has crafted – an unforgettable corporate satire for the ages.
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Hasitha Fernando is a part-time medical practitioner and full-time cinephile. Follow him on Twitter via @DoctorCinephile for regular updates on the world of entertainment.
