Zen and the art of the office space: finding lighting in an office building

One of the funniest and most beloved movies of recent times is Mike Judge’s 1999 comedy Office Space. Starring one of my favorite actors, Ron Livingston, the story centers on a stressed-out employee, Peter Gibbons, who is hypnotized to that he no longer cares about his job, which ironically ingratiates him with upper management and leads to a promotion. At the end of the film, a series of events unfolds that result in the office building burning down.

Even if a viewer has never worked in an office environment, they could understand the tedious lifestyle because the film remarkably captures the routine of corporate work life. From getting up at the same time each morning to making the commute home, a work routine can feel repetitive if you don’t take the time to appreciate the minor details that add spice and variety to a potentially humdrum life. The film tries to convey this idea. The film recounts this idea in a moving way, which is what makes it so funny. In many ways, the office building becomes a place of illumination if one can look beyond the cubicle to see the photographs pinned to the walls.

Although the film goes so far as to show apathy towards work, there are hints of optimism in interrupting the monotony of life by introducing a slacker stereotype. Peter Gibbons, post-hypnosis, re-enters the building with the same body but with an alternate perspective. This is an extremely useful metaphor that comments on how people can move through life simply by existing without appreciating the potential for beauty in each moment.

The office space in the film is boring because a pre-hypnotized Peter Gibbons doesn’t see it anymore. One of the key moments in the film is when Gibbons, under his hypnosis, removes the bolts from his cubicle and breaks down the walls. Gibbons literally gets a new view of the office building, allowing him to be more relaxed and happy around him. In a satirical twist, Gibbons’ destruction of his space also becomes what leads to his promotion.

Although Gibbons gets a promotion after he starts slacking off, this wasn’t simply a way for the film to poke fun at corporate structures. Instead, the promotion argues that an appreciation of the seemingly drab is not only tolerable, but also encouraged. As Gibbons demonstrates, a more relaxed and optimistic outlook on life can lead to career advancements, reinforcing the idea that by changing the way we think about the average routine, we can achieve higher levels of satisfaction.

Office Space is a great comedy that doesn’t necessarily have to be viewed with much serious thought. Through its irony, though, it reveals some extremely useful insights that apply to both social and work life, making the film even more in service of its now-classic status. So if you find yourself stuck in an office building every day, fear not. You too can find enlightenment.