Comments on: Can you make Officespace look good bt comparison?

Question: Can you make Officespace look good bt comparison?

oddman — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:41:57 -0800

I need a movie with horribly unethical working environments.

I'd like to screen a movie for my students which depicts a really unethtical workplace. Ideally the movie would feature things like sexual harrasment, conflicts of interest, disregard for privacy, nepotism, and the like. Something like the movie Office Space but with more, and different, kinds of unethical behavior.

I'm definitely not looking for movies focused on the unethical actions of businesses (like Enron) toward their communities or about unethical businesses in general. I want the unethical behavior to be focused on the workers. Which is to say I'm not interested in corporate ethics per se, but specifically in the unethical treatment of employees.

I've scanned this thread already.

By: ROTFL

ROTFL — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:44:41 -0800

The first two that come to mind are The Apartment and Glengarry Glen Ross.

By: oddman

oddman — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:45:30 -0800

Ahem, alternatively if you could recommend some specific episodes of TV shows that I could string together, that would be fine. Perhaps a selection of episodes of Mad Men or The Office (or any show, really, those two just came to mind quickly). I really would need specific episodes, though. (I'm swamped with work and couldn't go hunting down half remembered references.)

Thanks.

By: muddgirl

muddgirl — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:46:11 -0800

9 to 5. Not only is the boss sexist and horrible all-around, he is also an embezzler. The main characters engage in some unethical behavior as well. (May be too fanciful and dated).

By: oddman

oddman — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:50:06 -0800

I'd never heard of The Apartment, but the wikipedia entry makes it sound pretty good. I counted, sexual harrasment, cronyism, favoritism, and blackmail! Sweet. If only they had questionable drug policies it would be perfect! (And it might still be.)

Thanks.

By: DrDreidel

DrDreidel — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:51:20 -0800

Boiler Room

By: CRM114

CRM114 — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:52:32 -0800

If you're willing to get a little surreal, Brazil sounds exactly like what you're looking for.

By: phunniemee

phunniemee — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:56:02 -0800

A couple years ago for a college course we watched a film that depicted some seriously unethical working conditions and the effect that it had on the workers, their families, and how businesses were run in general. I can't for the life of me remember the name of it, but I've got some details if anyone knows it. I have no idea when it was made, but it was in black and white, and I think set in NYC. It followed a Mexican woman (maybe named Ana?) who was working with a lot of other people in a sweatshop-type job as a seamstress for a business run by a Korean couple. Her daughter was back in Mexico, sick, and the mom was working to send money home, but because her job sucked, she kept not getting payed, and it was just generally horrible. I think the film also followed some other stories, too, but we only watched the sweatshop part.

Sorry about the title fail. Maybe you could ask your librarian for help tracking it down?

By: oddman

oddman — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:56:29 -0800

I've got the Brazil box-set at home, love the movie, but it's too much dystopia, too little office malfeaseance.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:57:46 -0800

In The Company Of Men

By: rhizome

rhizome — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:59:35 -0800

Swimming With Sharks

By: oddman

oddman — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:59:43 -0800

9 to 5, at least the begining parts seems like a decent possibility.

By: Fiasco da Gama

Fiasco da Gama — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:59:48 -0800

The Apartment is fantastic, both for your purposes and as a film.
I've recommended these union movies before: Matewan, Germinal, and Norma Rae.

By: Foam Pants

Foam Pants — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:00:23 -0800

Well, what about serious classics like Norma Rae or On the Waterfront? But, it sounds like you want something light-hearted.

By: MeatLightning

MeatLightning — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:00:40 -0800

Wall Street

By: mullacc

mullacc — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:01:30 -0800

Swimming with Sharks. Along similar lines, the TV show Entourage for Ari and his talent agency.

Also, perhaps the TV show House?

By: valkyryn

valkyryn — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:06:24 -0800

Umm, The Office? Michael Scott (Steve Carell) routinely does things which would result in litigation. Harassment, insensitivity, breaches of contract, you name it, it happens. Pick an episode. Any episode. I guarantee that something will happen that would create liability for someone.

How about House? Not only does House commit at least two different actionable malpractice offenses every episode, but the whole place is rife with harassment, sexual and otherwise.

Both of those shows are all-but-guaranteed hits for any episode you care to screen. In almost every episode, at least one person does at least one thing which is illegal, or would at least provoke some sort of civil action.

By: Ostara

Ostara — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:09:54 -0800

Silkwood? The story of Karen Silkwood, a metallurgy worker at a plutonium processing plant who was purposefully contaminated, psychologically tortured and possibly murdered to prevent her from exposing blatant worker safety violations at the plant.

By: backseatpilot

backseatpilot — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:15:11 -0800

The Secretary?

By: elmono

elmono — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:16:11 -0800

Secretary

By: elmono

elmono — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:17:43 -0800

jinx backseatpilot!

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:26:28 -0800

The Toy

Not a good movie, but it has neat little book-ended scenes. In the first one, Richard Pryor's character debases himself to get a job, and Ned Beatty's character remarks something like, "Is it that bad out there?" Meaning, is it so bad out in the job market that you would do this to yourself? Pryor nods, yes. Yes, it is.

Later, Ned Beatty's character is similarly debased in order to preserve his job, and Pryor remarks, "Is it that bad in there?" They're both victims of cutthroat environments.

By: aquafortis

aquafortis — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:31:05 -0800

From the Office: "That's What She Said"

By: Grlnxtdr

Grlnxtdr — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:39:26 -0800

Seconding(?) Silkwood.

By: Westringia F.

Westringia F. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:48:06 -0800

This list of labor films is worth checking out (via).

Also n'thing Silkwood.

By: goo

goo — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:53:50 -0800

The TV series' The Shield and The Wire, and the Australian TV miniseries Blue Murder would all fit the bill, if police is an appropriate context. A Blue Murder quote in the opening seconds (upon the officers seeing a traffic accident) - "Nah, we gotta turn around. We're in for overtime if we report this" and them turning around and driving off the other way.

For The Shield - any scene with Vic Mackey and Dutch (although the scenes with Vic and Kavanagh (season 5) might be more telling for a more advanced audience), and for The Wire season 2 highlights corruption in US ports and beyond (and provide a great scenario for discussion about the sociology of labour).

I also highly recommend the Australian TV series' Frontline, The Hollowmen and The Games for discussion about the edge cases - are they corrupt and unethical, or just downright stupid? - in a humorous context. Frontline is about a high-rating current affairs show, Hollowmen about political staffers and The Games about the administrators for the Olympic Games.

By: chococat

chococat — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:58:58 -0800

Clockwatchers is sort of a dark/sad comedy about temping and there's some unethical stuff in there.

By: mingodingo

mingodingo — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:10:29 -0800

I immediately thought of North Country.

By: Melismata

Melismata — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:27:47 -0800

Working Girl, with Harrison Ford. Also, Secret of My Success with Michael J. Fox. These two movies have almost identical plots.

By: Joe Beese

Joe Beese — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:30:30 -0800

The "workplace" is a bit amorphous - but Dirty Pretty Things is as sharp and sad a portrait of human exploitation as I can think of.

By: Kickstart70

Kickstart70 — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:37:38 -0800

Dirty Pretty Things was the first movie that came to mind.

By: Confess, Fletch

Confess, Fletch — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:37:43 -0800

Brazil

By: webhund

webhund — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:51:07 -0800

Just about any episode of The Sopranos - or Deadwood come to think of it.

By: macska

macska — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:53:22 -0800

Disclosure?

By: one_bean

one_bean — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:00:43 -0800

Roots

By: plasticbugs

plasticbugs — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:08:33 -0800

The Hudsucker Proxy

By: aquafortis

aquafortis — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:13:36 -0800

The Sweet Smell of Success

By: hardcore taters

hardcore taters — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:47:39 -0800

There are parts of A Scanner Darkly that would work.

By: SisterHavana

SisterHavana — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:13:37 -0800

The Devil Wears Prada?

By: Oriole Adams

Oriole Adams — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:38:21 -0800

The "Let's Call It Quits" episode of Roseanne (part 1, part 2) features a boss who is demeaning, sexist, demanding, and just overall disgusting.

By: phrakture

phrakture — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:25:26 -0800

Meet the Feebles for the lulz

By: davey_darling

davey_darling — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:29:27 -0800

Fast Food Nation

By: pushing paper and bottoming chairs

pushing paper and bottoming chairs — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:48:02 -0800

Serpico details corruption in the police force. Based on the true-life experiences of police officer Frank Serpico.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:33:57 -0800

Which is to say I'm not interested in corporate ethics per se, but specifically in the unethical treatment of employees.

Well, hey, Roots. Or Amistad, which delves into the legal aspects.

Silver City has some stuff about worker mistreatment (and a note-perfect parody of Bush by Chris Cooper). But it's more about corruption and corporate influence on politics ultimately (and unfortunately not as good as some of the 70s thrillers in the same vein like The Parallax View).

Robocop is all about medical experimentation without consent. Outland is about ... well, I've already said too much by listing it.

By: alchemist

alchemist — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:11:21 -0800

a comedy, but still... "The Secret of My Success"

By: biffa

biffa — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:45:02 -0800

Dirty Pretty Things

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:57:40 -0800

The Corporation

By: KevinSkomsvold

KevinSkomsvold — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:27:32 -0800

How about the Truth In Advertising video? Its a classic.

By: oddman

oddman — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:19:23 -0800

I screened The Apartment and the beginning of 9 to 5, to great effect. Thanks, internets!