Everyone has had a job they didn’t really like, but had to do it anyway, right? Since Office Space is the wish fulfillment movie we all love, I thought we’d dig into some little behind the scenes tidbits about the film and have some fun! Um, yeeeeeah, we’re going to need you to check these out…
1. Mike Judge has stated that the iconic Milton was based on a co-worker he once had who threatened to quit his job because the management kept asking him to change his office so many times. Turning that story up to 11, Milton became an unhinged co-worker that finally had enough and decided to do something about it!
2. A scene was originally in the film showing Lumbergh getting rather irate when his car was towed from his parking spot. It relieved Gary Cole, who played the character, because he and others felt it was important that Lumbergh stay at the exact same monotone and emotionless state throughout the film.
3. In the meeting room, behind Peter, the pie chart you can see that looks rather complicated has a title that is barely visible. It’s called ‘Planning to Plan‘.
(20th Century Fox)
4. While everyone knows the famous fax machine stomping scene, it should be noted that Peter never actually connects any of his blows with the device.
5. If you look closely Bob Slydell, the taller consultant called into the office, doesn’t have typical suspenders. They’re actually buckled belts.
6. There was a two-hour process to put together Tom’s full body cast and apply it. Special hidden joints were added to the backs that were cloth-based just in case of an emergency, so that the actor could move rather than be locked in position.
(20th Century Fox)
7. Office Space made more money once it was released on VHS and DVD than it did in theaters, a fact that the home-theater division’s head at 20th Century Fox wasn’t made aware of until he was on a phone call interview with a magazine. They told him the numbers, which were dramatically much larger than box office, much to his amazement.
8. Mike Judge loosely based the film off of a Herman Melville short-story called Bartleby the Scrivener. Judge is a known Melville fan and has included bits and pieces of his work in all of his films and TV shows.
9. The moment with the ‘PC Load Letter’ outburst wasn’t originally planned. It came as David Herman was delivering his lines and kept getting confused by what the fax machine was saying to him; he added it in out of an improvised frustration.
(20th Century Fox)
10. Sadly, those fans that might want to go visit the shooting location of Chotchkie’s have missed their chance. Chotchkie’s was actually a restaurant called The Alligator Grille which closed down in 2009. A lot of tourists, not a lot of customers as people had hoped to it would resemble the look of the film; when met with the restaurant’s own branding, they would leave. There was talk of even re-branding to be closer to the film’s set but ultimately they didn’t go with it.
