In this wildly inventive and over-the-top comedy written and directed by Mike Judge, creator of "Beavis and Butt-head" and "King of the Hill," white-collar office work is savaged with zany glee. Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston), a computer programmer at Initech Corporation, is at the end of his rope. The tedium and meaninglessness of his work leads him to an "occupational hypno-therapist" who dies of a heart attack after putting Peter under a power-of-positive-thinking spell. This turnaround transforms his life — he no longer cares about a steady paycheck or the orders of his soulless zombie of a boss (Gary Cole). And when two efficiency experts hired to downsize the company interview Peter, they're swept away by his carefree attitude and honesty. They recommend him for an upper-management position.
Although the second part of Office Space spins out of control with a high-tech embezzlement scheme Peter cooks up with two co-workers, this comedy scores its points with satirical commentary on corporate malaise and employee dissatisfaction. The most vivid contrast in the story is between the carefree spirit of Lawrence (Diedrich Bader), Peter's next-door neighbor who's a construction worker, and Milton (Stephen Root), Initech's most put-upon and totally unhappy worker.