September 2nd, 2011
10:15 AM ET
Friday's Top Five: Office moviesWork sucks, but until you win the lottery, you’ll just have to savor holidays like Labor Day. To get a jump on the Monday dedicated to not working, consider this list of movies about coffee breaks, corporations and cubicle culture. Forget about what you're supposed to be doing right now. That email can wait, and conference calls never start on time. Waste some time, look busy in the process, and share your favorite work-related movies. Here are mine: 1. "Office Space" (1999): “I don’t like my job and I don’t think I’m going to go anymore.” – Peter Gibbons
2. "Fight Club" (1999): “This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time.” – Narrator (Chuck Palahniuk supposedly wrote the first chapter while killing time at work).
3. "Glengarry Glen Ross" (1992): “Coffee is for closers.” – Blake
4. "The Secret of My Success" (1987): “He's not a person, he's a suit! You're mailroom. No consorting.” – Fred Melrose
5. "Nine to Five" (1980): “They're showing the Boss who's the BOSS!” – movie tagline
Honorable Mentions: "Swimming with Sharks" (1994): “You're happy. I hate that!” – Buddy "Head Office" (1985): I didn't get this job because I'm a moron... I got this job because IIIIIIIII'm NOT a moron!” – Howard Gross "Wanted" (2008): “My job title is account manager. I used to be called an account service representative, but a consultant told us we have to manage our clients, and to not service them.” – Wesley "Horrible Bosses" (2011): The title speaks for itself.
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"I've got a head for business and a bod for sin." WORKING GIRL was the first thing that came to my mind.
What about the only office movie to win an Oscar as Best Picture - "The Apartment" way back in 1960? Was Jack Lemmon and director Billy Wilder at their best!
The GREATEST office films....
1. Jungle Fever (1991)
2. Fatal Attraction (1987)
3. Strictly Business (1991)
4. The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)
5. Big (1988)
Honorary mentions: Dilbert (TV series)
Loved 'fight club' but it is more suitable as action film.Hitch and wat a woman wants are great too.
Trading Places. Eddie Murphy. To funny. Talk about horrible bosses.
Another vote for Desk Set. A very smart and funny movie.
1. Hudsucker Proxy- a great film from the Cohen brothers starring Tim Robbins and Paul Newman
2 Being John Malkovich
3 Working Girl
4 Secretary
5 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
That is my list. I think it is better than what the CNN entertainment intern came up with. I like 2 of the movies on their list, Office Space and 9 to 5.
Todd Solondz's "Happiness" from 1998 has got to be in the top 5.
oh and if they are counting the office scenes in fight club than you had to include coming to america. there were a few scenes that took place in the mcdowell's.
Boomerang was a great office movie back when eddie murphy was in his prime. look it up and watch it if you haven't seen it people.
Boiler room missed you p girl 1st time.
Boiler room ?
What about "9 to 5" with Dolly Parton? Hee hee just kidding! Dolly rocks regardless of that movie!
Enjoy the weekend and thanks for the movie tips!
"I said no salt .."
Who said that line .. for $64 million answer.
"Uh, we hear you've been missing a lot of work lately."
"Well, I wouldn't exactly say I was missing it."
Technically, "Falling Down" did not take place in an office but it is a good example of what can happen when things at the office go really bad.
Womp womp womp
Absolutely HTSIBWRT...I third that! Awesome awesome movie. Robert Morse was hilarious. The best office movie ever.
No one mentioned "She's Having A Baby" with Kevin Bacon...there are office doldrums in there, too.
Disclosure is fantastic so is GGGR with Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey.
Hello out there, Working Girl, well duh.
Tin men was agreat movie and nastagic too. Dreyfusnd Devito are both comedy genius!
The Secretary. Next topic.
In the Company of Men
Let us not forget: Man in a White Suit and Double Indemnity.
A delightful office film by Preston Sturgess during the depression: Christmas in July.
If they're counting Fight Club. Why not count Mr. Anderson and The Matrix
How about Jerry Maguire? The office scene when he gets let go and 'wigs out'- that was hilarious!
Suprised to not see Jerry Maguire on the list
Paper planes? The clash wrote that hook in 1982 for the album combat rock u idiot
The person is an idiot because they didn't know some obscure song by The Clash from back in 1982?!
It's amazing how people get so tough on the web. I'm sure that you may think you're a rebel since you listen to The Clash, and I wouldn't know who you were if I tripped over you, but I'd be willing to bet that you wouldn't call that person an idiot to their face for something as mundane as this. If you are that socially inept then you should seek counseling.
Don't be an Internet tough guy, and have compassion for other human beings. Who knows, that could've been a relative of yours that made that original post, or it could've been ANYONE. Relax, and enjoy the labor day weekend...get out of the house and take a walk, or go hit the gym.
Time for me to go hit the pool.
American phycso..[Looking at Paul Allen's business card]
Patrick Bateman: "Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh my God, it even has a watermark!"
If "Fight Club" is considered an office movie, then "American Beauty" has to be on that list too! Lester was the ultimate office rebel!
Clerks. How can we forget Clerks?
Wanted? Really?
Best sales WORK movies...
USED CARS (esp for commissioned salespeople) &
TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES (esp for sales folks who travel)
Loved Trains, Planes and Automobiles, but that was absolutely not an office movie. It was a buddy/road movie. No office scenes that I can recall at all.
How about the beginning scenes in "Joe Vs the Volcano"? Office doldrums to the max!
Excellent pick! Hanks voiced what many of us have felt in bad office jobs.
"You look terrible, Mr. Waturi. You look like a bag of s**t stuffed in a cheap suit. Not that anyone could look good under these zombie lights. I, I, I, I can feel them sucking the juice out of my eyeball. Suck, suck, suck, SUCK... "
Not yet mentioned:
Baby Boom (Diane Keaton)
What Women Want (Mel Gibson)
Being John Malkovich (John Cusack)
Disclosure (Demi Moore)
"In Good Company" with Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace.
"Nine to Five " with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton
"Tin Men" with Richard Dreyfuss and Dani DeVito
To this list I would add: Citizen Kane, The Apartment, and His Girl Friday.
“They're showing the Boss who's the BOSS!” – movie tagline UMMMM......no? TONY DANZA IS DA BOSS! he declared it in the midst of pinching Mona's t!t
Ahhhh.... you young whippersnappers may have never heard of the musical 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'. It was a Broadway musical that was made into a movie musical in 1967 and stars Robert Morse. It's a scream. It's one of my favorite satires on the corporate world alongside of 'Head Office' and 'Office Space'
Absolutely, HTSIBWRT is the best...
Wow. I wasn't actually expecting CNN to pick all good movies. Well done.
I was surprised that "Head Office" made a mention on the list! The first half of that move is the funniest big business send-up I've ever seen. Eddie Albert as the CEO ("DIS-con-nect!")? Rick Moranis' panic on the phone about how he only APPROVED the decision, he didn't MAKE the decision? Danny DeVito's desperately funny and ill-fated run through the building when his deal goes bad? Don King's vapourous board room diatribe?
Amazingly sharp writing until the love story turns it into a silly chase film.
3 cheers KWS. As nice as it was to see Head Office on the list (absolutely No One gives it the time of day) it was just as nice to see your acknowledgement of it. A true classic, and amazingly gorgeous Jane Seymour to boot.
Big Business with Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin! They play twins switched at birth... the mean twin Bette plays walks into the office and one of the first things she says to her employee is "Is this how we dress for the office? You look like a blood clot".
I'd forgotten that one. I'd list it in the guilty pleasures column. It was fun.
'The Apartment',
"Glenngarry Glen Ross" should be in first place. It had all star cast.
Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired
Fight Club is not an "office movie". There are scenes that take place in an office, but that is only for about 5 minutes.
Wallstreet, Boiler Room, American Psycho, The Hudsucker Proxy... all notables.
Not sure that that "Office Space" trailer is real. Unless MIA's "Paper Planes" was written by that time, but it wasn't.
Top Office Movies ? In that order....
1. Horrible Bosses
2. Office Space
3. Secret of my Success
4. Working Girl
Well, that's it, that's all I can come up with....Dang, it's hard to come up with Office type movies....
Loved Working Girl! Office Space actually bores me to tears.
Quest For Fire
Ok, so when I was young and less discerning, Secret of My Success was mildly entertaining and MJF is a cutie pie, but in the top 5? NO WAY. What about Working Girl???? That's a way better "office" movie and you didn't even mention it!
I wholeheartedly agree with Office Space and Nine to Five!
Horrible Bosses is freaking HILARIOUS!!
I was wondering why Working Girl wouldn't be there and Success would, as well. I liked the MJF film enough to rewatch it several times over the years. I think it was Fox's best. But Working Girl is several notches better, on all levels. Great office politics film, and you get to see Melanie Griffith vacuuming nekked.
Another excellent office flick is The Devil Wears Prada.
"Quest For Fire"
HAHAHA! Nice.
any time we have a piece of malfunctioning equipment (usually the printer), we always say we're going to "pull an Office Space on it". LOVE love love that movie.
Anita...you read my mind. I LOVE Clockwatchers!
Haiku Tunnel is another good office movie
Don't forget "Clockwatchers" with Toni Collette, Parker Posey, and Lisa Kudrow. It's depressingly good!
ITA re: "Clockwatchers" – excellent cast!
Re: "Office Space," I remember wanting a red stapler...
Anita: Was scrolling down and wondering if anyone was going to mention this one. Probably one of theeeee most realistic movies about the office environment. ESPECIALLY if you've ever been a temp which many of us have. You are nobody, you are thought of as a temp and not a person...you are the most expendable...seriously...when I was a temp I had to ask for work from the bosses all the time...I did it mostly as a summer job thing. But these ladies had no future plans or real ambitions...they really were "temps" Just a great, great movie that I clicked with immediately.
Office Space rocks! I can watch that movie 20 times in a row and still laugh. It's funny because it's true.
I totally agree. Everyone that I recommended it to also loved it.
What about C.H.U.D.? I can't believe they left that one off the list...
umm, what about WALL STREET!!!
Another great "office" movie is DESK SET with Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Joan Blondell and Gig Young. The writing is smart, the acting sharp and the movie keeps you smiling.
That's a great add too! I love that movie. Getting ready to be taking over by machines even back then, lol. Classic.
"If you ain't first, you're last."
'Big' – Not an office themed movie, but so many of the scenes occurred in the office and showed office humor and politics.
all good movies...
How could they leave off the best office black comedy of all time "A Shock To The System"? Michael Caine is killer in this movie.
Great choice Loren, one of tye best business lines ever..." is he your superior?" " No, he's my boss."
GREAT pick! One of my all time favorites. GREAT addition!
THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS....WOOOOOOOOOOO! Michael J. Fox is KING!
Kevin spacey American beauty
Good point Mr. Fore. Here, Here!.....they just hate it that we make friends and chat.....oh well F em!