Mike Judge’s cult satirical black comedy Office Space marked the 25th anniversary of its 1999 theatrical release earlier this year.

“Let me ask you something. When you come in on Monday and you’re not feeling real well, does anyone ever say to you, ‘Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays?'” – Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston)

This wasn’t Judge’s first feature as he already made an animated film. However, it was his first time making a live-action film. What a film it was! He used his script to lampoon the working environment of 1990s software companies. Peter Gibbons works with close friends Michael Bolton (David Herman) and Samir Nagheenanajar (Ajay Naidu). He also crushes on Chotchkie’s waitress Joanna but is slow to develop the courage to talk with her–this is despite already having a girlfriend, Anne (Alexandra Wentworth). Meanwhile, collator Milton Waddams (Stephen Root) makes his live-action debut after appearing in the animated shorts. Anyway, Peter, Michael and Samir decide to rebel against Initech vice president Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole) and the rest of the company leadership. That’s the gist of it.

The film’s setting clearly makes it a 1990s movie with how much has changed in 25 years. Judge discussed the film’s office setting in an interview and why it’s at a software company rather than Wall Street.

“It seems like every city now has these identical office parks with identical adjoining chain restaurants. It’s easy to despise and dismiss those places. Too easy. That’s what I want to look at.”

In another interview, he said he wanted it to be “unglamorous,” similar to his own “bleak work situation” earlier in his career.

Had this film been made during the Joseph Breen era, Peter, Michael, and Samir would not have gotten away with their crimes. They end up getting away with it because Milton burning the place down. It’s an ending that you never see coming. And even then, Milton–much like Rodney Dangerfield–is still not getting any respect. Even during the film’s epilogue, we see him being ignored while on vacation!

When Office Space was first released, it was a box office disappointment. You couldn’t blame writer/director Mike Judge for choosing to move onto the next thing. Anybody in the right mind would feel no choice but to do so. Next thing you now, it gradually develops a following and the rest is history. A number of lines are frequently quoted while the printer destruction is parodied to no end. Judge found that out during a Starbucks run while he was working on Idiocracy with Etan Cohen. In fact, SXSW even honored the anniversary with a reunion panel back in March. Interestingly enough, my first viewing did not come until after seeing an early screening of Extract in 2009. I may have been ten years too late but I finally understood the cult following.

Office Space may have disappointed at the box office in 1999 but as the film turned 25 years old, it’s clear why it was able to attract a cult following.

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Mike Judge
CAST: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root, Gary Cole, John C. McGinley, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, Diedrich Bader, Micheal McShane, Richard Riehle, Alexandra Wentworth

20th Century Fox released Office Space in theaters on February 19, 1999. Grade: 4/5

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