Ryan McNeil
The day job has been tough lately, for reasons that I won’t get into here. One small side effect is that I find my thirst for media and concentration for blogging has taken a downward turn…but in both cases I’ve tried to keep upbeat and enjoy fleeting attempts at both to help shake off the work day.
While originally I was going to create a top five in honour of it, I thought I’d try to up the interactivity of this space and turn the question over to you…my loyal dozen readers.
What are some of your favorite workplace-related movies?
Sorry to hear about your day job troubles. I hope things pick up soon!
Well besides the obvious Office Space, I quite enjoy Working Girl and 9 to 5. For office-related comedy I’m more likely to go to television, though, like Newsradio, either version of The Office, or the new Better Off Ted.
It’s weird how when you say “workplace” immediately all think of is “office”, as if they are synonymous. Hmm.
Things should straighten themselves out by Friday…end of next week at the worst. Still, thanks for the support!
OFFICE SPACE was the first one that came to mind for me too, and I’m a hardcore fan of the american version of “The Office”. One of these days I must get to watching the Brit version.
hmmmm – my top 5 “work movies”:
5. Brazil
4. 9 – 5
3. Glengary Glen Ross
2. Office Space (it IS a classic)
1. Trading Places (playing the system for all it’s worth)
~ B ~
BRAZIL!!! How the heck could I have forgotten BRAZIL??!! Thematically apropos and delightfully surreal…great call B!
I’m smacking myself for not thinking of Brazil as well! Damn. The sequence with the building exploding and producing only paperwork- brilliant.
And Hatter, I hope you like the British Office! It is pretty rad but the American one is a bit more accessible. I actually liked Extras, Ricky Gervais’ next show better. Also a “workplace” theme except this time it’s movie sets.
Hope it gets better for you at work. I work in manufacturing, so I liked films like Bubble and The Machinist. I’m with the millions who love 9 to 5 and Working Girl. My 5th would be Big. Though I know little of corporate struggle, I like the way it is portrayed in this one. Good topic!
I’m trying to come up with movies that have main elements of the plot being working life – but I end up thinking of movies where someone is just doing their “job” like cops or lawyers. Everyone’s picking some great flicks – so, here’s my mixed bag – of not exactly “favorites” – but the work related films that I can come up with.
Baby Face [1933]
Weekend at Bernie’s [1989]
Being John Malkovich [1999]
CQ [2001]
Secretary [2002]
Better get on The Office UK – it’s outstanding!
@ Alex… LOVE “Extras” so it stands to reason I’ll dig the Brit Office too. Perhaps I’ll make that part of my summer viewing.
@ Linda… Ooooh, good calls both, nice to get some inclusions from someone who isn’t chained to a desk. Part of me is wondering if someone who works in a restaurant will chime in with somethin’ like WAITING or WAITRESS.
@ C Diddle… Awesome choices w. SECRETARY and MALKOVICH. Lump ’em in with BRAZIL and you have a nifty little workplace oddity film fest going on.
Great ideas gang!
1. Secretary
2. Boogie Nights (because porn is a job)
3. Cash Back
4. Punch Drunk Love
5. Office Space
“…Porn is a job”. Nicely put there Ivy!
Note to self – add CASH BACK to the to-see list.
Can’t do a top 5, but the first that come to mind are Glengarry Glen Ross and Office Space. Haven’t seen Clerks in ages, but that one reminds me of my days at Black’s Photo and, more appropriately, Blockbuster.
And I’d like to think of Fight Club as the anti-cubicle movie. It could be called Fight Club or How To Quit Your Day Job
1. The Visitor
2. Milk (because politics is a hell of a job)
3. Infernal Affairs (I wouldn’t like to try to find a mole within the police squad)
4. Bon Cop Bad Cop (not a masterpiece, but it’s entertaining)
5. The Good Girl
@ Cheshire… There have been plenty of lines from FIGHT CLUB running through my head this week!
@ Anh Khoi… Totally forgot about THE VISITOR, but that’s rather apropos! I don’t find my solace in playing a drum, but totally believe in the message the movie sends about shaking off an unrewarding 9-5 by retreating to a more creative place.