The Directors Cut

Directors Cut: Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) is a lost, deranged, and soon-to-be disgruntled employee of software giant Initech. However, the landscape of the office – almost another character by its own right – sets    the backdrop to represent the habitual, commonplace, (and to greater affect) inhibiting workplace.

Although comical at times, Director and Writer Mike Judge works to emphasis the collective identity of “Corporate Culture” in present-day America. This is furthered when confronted with a set of characters which have realized the end of a journey after college, realizing themselves with half of their mid-twenties lost to a cold, disengaged, and exploitive cultural phenomenon – the corporate office workspace.

At a time when layoffs threaten to abandon them in the midst of an outsourcing boom, Peter Gibbons and two best friends, Smair Nagheenanajar (Ajay Naidu) and Michael Bolton (David Herman), revolt in an act of redemption in planting a computer virus within Initech, effectively embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Along the way, our Protagonist learns what matters most to him in his life through a series of obstacles with both love interest Joanna (Jennifer Aniston) and confronting his suppressive workplace “Boss,” Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole) in a progressive act of “whole hearted” optimism in knowing that nothing can prevent him from leading the life he seeks in happiness. This film speaks truths to the many which, unfortunately and undoubtably, empathizes with this trio of characters which reflect the modern American.

Editors Cut: Though it be unfortunate to say, this “Special Edition” of Office Space neglects to provide any printed materials. This comes as a stark contrast to what was expected from a film of such great cultural impact. Among other features are new animated menu screens featuring character sound bites. Adding substance to these features is “Out of the Office: An Office Space retrospective with Mike Judge,” which provides an interesting interview with Cast & Crew on the high context characters, their inspiration in Office Space, and the origins of Milton.

Other interesting, while also satisfying, are eight Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes – including “Peter Lies to Lumbergh” & “Peter Goes Off on Nina!” However, this Special Edition extends itself from your television to your monitor as well. With Screen Savers, Wallpapers, Icons and Sound Bites, the DVD-ROM features compensate well enough in providing more interactive materials for fans. With Dolby 5.1 Surround and both English and Spanish subtitles.

Final Cut: To necessitate that an argument be made in persuading another to add this film to their personal collection is unjust and without any need for reason or logic. “Office Space” has inscribed in American culture the remorse and revelation of a “renewed” generation in American history.

Writer and Director Mike Judge has captured the spirt of American life at a time in which it sought to reinvent itself as the fathers of their past during a time of industrialization. With ample, if not adequate, additional content and material, “Office Space: Special Edition with Flair” is an absolute essential to contemporary American cinema.