MRQE Ranks: Cinema's Best Workplace Movies

1

Modern Times (1936)

Cast: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Chester Conklin, Tiny Sandford

Director: Charles Chaplin

Synopsis: This episodic satire of the Machine Age is considered Charles Chaplin's last "silent" film, although Chaplin uses sound, vocal, and musical effects... [MORE]

2

Network (1976)

Cast: Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Robert Duvall, Wesley Addy

Director: Sidney Lumet

Synopsis: A trenchant satire of "trash TV," Network seems to grow only more relevant with each passing year. Howard Beale (Peter Finch), the dean of newscast... [MORE]

3

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

Cast: Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison, Martin Milner, Sam Levene

Director: Alexander Mackendrick

Synopsis: Ernest Lehman drew upon his experiences as a Broadway press agent to write the devastating a clef short story "Tell Me About Tomorrow." This... [MORE]

4

His Girl Friday (1940)

Cast: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Gene Lockhart, Helen Mack, Ralph Bellamy

Director: Howard Hawks

Synopsis: The second screen version of the Ben Hecht/Charles MacArthur play +The Front Page, His Girl Friday changed hard-driving newspaper reporter Hildy Jo... [MORE]

5

The Social Network (2010)

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella

Director: David Fincher

Synopsis: Director David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven) teams with screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) to explore the meaning of success in the early 21st... [MORE]

6

Up in the Air (2009/I)

Cast: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Danny R. McBride, Jason Bateman

Director: Jason Reitman

Synopsis: Jason Reitman's adaptation of the novel Up in the Air tells the story of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), who makes his living personally handing out... [MORE]

7

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Cast: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich, Orson Bean

Director: Spike Jonze

Writer: Charlie Kaufman

Synopsis: Would you pay money to journey into the mind of the star of Con Air, The Killing Fields, and In The Line of Fire? Puppeteer Craig Schwartz (John Cu... [MORE]

8

Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Director: Peter Docter, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich

9

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Cast: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin

Director: James Foley

Synopsis: David Mamet's award-winning play about a group of desperate real estate agents comes to the big screen from director James Foley. In a role created... [MORE]

10

Fight Club (1999)

Cast: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf Aday, Jared Leto

Director: David Fincher

Synopsis: In this darkly comic drama, Edward Norton stars as a depressed young man (named in the credits only as "Narrator") who has become a small cog in t... [MORE]

11

The Apartment (1960)

Cast: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, David Lewis

Director: Billy Wilder

Synopsis: Widely regarded as a comedy in 1960, The Apartment seems more melancholy with each passing year. Jack Lemmon plays C.C. Baxter, a go-getting office... [MORE]

12

High Fidelity (2000)

Cast: John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet

Director: Stephen Frears

Synopsis: A man discovers that there's more to love than a good mixed tape in this dramatic comedy about music and relationships. Rob (John Cusack), an obses... [MORE]

14

Clerks. (1994)

Cast: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonhauer, Jason Mewes

Director: Kevin Smith

Synopsis: When Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) is reluctantly put in charge of the Quick Stop market on his day off, he tries, though half-heartedly, to perfo... [MORE]

15

Clockwatchers (1997)

Cast: Lisa Kudrow, Parker Posey, Toni Collette, Alanna Ubach, Paul Dooley

Director: Jill Sprecher

Synopsis: Four women reflect on their lowly place in the corporate caste system in this dryly satiric comedy. Iris (Toni Collette) is a college graduate who ... [MORE]

16

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

Cast: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen

Director: Judd Apatow

Synopsis: One man nervously ventures forth into the final frontier in this comedy starring comic actor Steve Carell. Andy Stitzer (Carell) is a cheerfully ge... [MORE]

17

Waitress (2007)

Cast: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Adrienne Shelly, Andy Griffith

Director: Adrienne Shelly

Synopsis: Trapped in a miserable marriage and blessed with the ability to transform her misery into delicious desserts, a small-town waitress finds her life ... [MORE]

18

Swimming with Sharks (1994)

Cast: Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley, Michelle Forbes, Benicio Del Toro, Jerry Levine

Director: George Huang

Synopsis: Originally screened at Telluride as The Buddy Factor, Swimming With Sharks is an uneven but engrossing picture, and a possible warning to anyone wi... [MORE]

19

In Good Company (2004)

Cast: Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson, Marg Helgenberger, David Paymer

Director: Paul Weitz

Synopsis: A middle-aged man finds a callow twentysomething usurping his professional life and worming his way into his family in this alternately funny and p... [MORE]

20

Nine to Five (1980)

Cast: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman, Sterling Hayden

Director: Colin Higgins

Synopsis: Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda), a housewife whose husband has left her for his secretary, begins her own secretarial career at a huge corporation. Violet... [MORE]

21

The Informant! (2009)

Cast: Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, Tom Wilson

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Synopsis: A rising star in the agricultural industry suddenly turns whistleblower in hopes of gaining a lucrative promotion and becoming a hero of the common... [MORE]

22

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

Cast: Tim Robbins, Paul Newman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Charles Durning, John Mahoney

Director: Joel Coen

Synopsis: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen concocted this stylish screwball comedic amalgam of Frank Capra and Howard Hawks. Tim Robbins stars as Norville Barnes, a ... [MORE]

23

Wall Street (1987)

Cast: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, Daryl Hannah, Terence Stamp

Director: Oliver Stone

Synopsis: "Greed is Good." This is the credo of the aptly named Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), the antihero of Oliver Stone's Wall Street. Gekko, a high-rol... [MORE]

24

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Cast: Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones

Director: Sharon Maguire

Writer: Helen Fielding

Synopsis: Based on Helen Fielding's hugely popular novel, this romantic comedy follows Bridget (Renee Zellweger), a post-feminist, thirty-something British w... [MORE]

25

Office Space (1999)

Cast: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole, David Herman, Ajay Naidu

Director: Mike Judge

Synopsis: Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) is a computer programmer working for Initech in Houston. Every day, he and his friends Samir (Ajay Naidu) and Michae... [MORE]

26

The Good Girl (2002)

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly, Tim Blake Nelson, Zooey Deschanel

Director: Miguel Arteta

Synopsis: Director Miguel Arteta and writer Mike White, who had previously collaborated on Chuck and Buck, turn an eye toward suburban boredom with the quirk... [MORE]

27

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, Adrian Grenier

Director: David Frankel

Synopsis: Lauren Weisberger's best-selling novel about a young woman who stumbles into the hectic worlds of high fashion and publishing comes to the big scre... [MORE]

28

Boiler Room (2000)

Cast: Giovanni Ribisi, Nia Long, Ben Affleck, Tom Everett Scott, Ron Rifkin

Director: Ben Younger

Synopsis: In this drama that explores greed and corruption in American business, Giovanni Ribisi plays Seth Davis, an intelligent and ambitious college dropo... [MORE]

29

Barbershop (2002)

Cast: Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Cedric the Entertainer, Sean Patrick Thomas, Eve

Director: Tim Story

Synopsis: Calvin (Ice Cube) never wanted to take over the family business, a barbershop on the south side of Chicago. Disgusted with the shop's crime-ridden ... [MORE]

30

Caddyshack (1980)

Cast: Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Bill Murray, Michael O'Keefe

Director: Harold Ramis

Synopsis: The smash success Caddyshack became a prototype for countless other wacky T&A-tinged teen comedies of the early 1980s. At an exclusive country club... [MORE]

31

The Company (2003)

Cast: Neve Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, James Franco, Barbara Robertson, William Dick

Director: Robert Altman

Synopsis: Robert Altman directs the musical drama The Company from an original story by actress Neve Campbell, based on her own experiences with The National... [MORE]

32

Direktøren for det hele (2006)

Cast: Jens Albinus, Peter Gantzler, Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Benedikt Erlingsson, Iben Hjejle

Director: Lars von Trier

33

Clerks II (2006)

Cast: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawson, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith

Director: Kevin Smith

Synopsis: You can take the clerks out of the Quick Stop, but you just can't take the Quick Stop out of the clerks as Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randall (Je... [MORE]

34

Outsourced (2006)

Cast: Josh Hamilton, Ayesha Dharker, Asif Basra, Matt Smith, Larry Pine

Director: John Jeffcoat

Synopsis: When the 32-year-old manager of a Seattle customer call center receives word that his entire Order Fulfillment department is about to be outsourced... [MORE]

35

Cashback (2006)

Cast: Sean Biggerstaff, Emilia Fox, Shaun Evans, Michelle Ryan, Stuart Goodwin

Director: Sean Ellis

Synopsis: A young insomniac attempts to cope with his sleepless nights by taking a job at a local supermarket, only to discover that he possesses a curious c... [MORE]

36

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Cast: Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow, Melonie Diaz

Director: Michel Gondry

Synopsis: When a bumbling movie lover becomes magnetized while attempting to sabotage a local power plant and accidentally erases all of the videotapes in th... [MORE]

37

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Cast: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner

Director: Adam McKay

Synopsis: Marking the directorial debut of Adam McKay, former head writer for Saturday Night Live and founder of the Upright Citizen's Brigade, Anchorman is ... [MORE]

38

Horrible Bosses (2011)

Cast: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey

Director: Seth Gordon

Synopsis: Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and Charlie Day star in this workplace comedy about three frustrated employees who hatch a plan to ... [MORE]

39

The Promotion (2008)

Cast: Seann William Scott, John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Lili Taylor, Fred Armisen

Director: Steven Conrad

Synopsis: A war of wills takes place between two men who want to run the same grocery store in this offbeat comedy from writer and director Steven Conrad. Do... [MORE]

40

Assisted Living (2003)

Cast: Michael Bonsignore, Maggie Riley, Nancy Jo Boone, Malerie Boone, Clint Vaught

Director: Elliot Greenebaum

Synopsis: The first film for writer/director/producer Elliot Greenebaum, Assisted Living chronicles a day in the life of a young nursing home janitor. Michae... [MORE]

41

Kinky Boots (2005)

Cast: Joel Edgerton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sarah-Jane Potts, Ewan Hooper, Nick Frost

Director: Julian Jarrold

Synopsis: A failing shoe factory that's struggling to maintain its footing following the death of its founder finds the inspiration needed to stay in busines... [MORE]

42

Observe and Report (2009)

Cast: Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, Anna Faris, Dan Bakkedahl

Director: Jody Hill

Synopsis: The Foot Fist Way director Jody Hill takes the helm for this Seth Rogen comedy concerning an ambitious mall cop who competes with a seasoned detect... [MORE]

43

Extract (2009)

Cast: Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Clifton Collins Jr.

Director: Mike Judge

Synopsis: Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig, Clifton Collins, and J.K. Simmons star in writer/director Mike Judge's comedy about a flower-... [MORE]

44

Pushing Tin (1999)

Cast: John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie, Jake Weber

Director: Mike Newell

Synopsis: The intense world of air-traffic controllers is played for both drama and laughs in Pushing Tin. John Cusack plays Nick Falzone, the top air traffi... [MORE]

45

What Women Want (2000)

Cast: Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei, Alan Alda, Ashley Johnson

Director: Nancy Meyers

Synopsis: A man finds himself getting an unexpected crash course in the psychology of contemporary women in this romantic comedy. Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson) ... [MORE]

46

Car Wash (1976)

Cast: Franklyn Ajaye, George Carlin, Prof. Irwin Corey, Richard Pryor, The Pointer Sisters

Director: Michael Schultz

Synopsis: Michael Schultz directed this kinetic, hyperventilating comedy (scripted by Joel Schumacher) concerning the crazed events that go on within a singl... [MORE]

47

Executive Suite (1954)

Cast: William Holden, June Allyson, Barbara Stanwyck, Fredric March, Walter Pidgeon

Director: Robert Wise

Synopsis: Cameron Hawley's novel Executive Suite appeared around the same time as two other tales of big-business intrigue, the 1954 film A Woman's World and... [MORE]

48

Blue Collar (1978)

Cast: Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel, Yaphet Kotto, Ed Begley Jr., Harry Bellaver

Director: Paul Schrader

Synopsis: Paul Schrader's directorial debut examines the trials of Detroit autoworkers living at the mercy of a heartless corporation and a corrupt union. Su... [MORE]

49

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Cast: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan, Joseph Schildkraut, Sara Haden

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Synopsis: The Shop Around the Corner is adapted from the Hungarian play by Nikolaus (Miklos) Laszlo. Budapest gift-shop clerk Alfred Kralik (James Stewart) a... [MORE]

50

Working Girl (1988)

Cast: Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Cusack, Alec Baldwin

Director: Mike Nichols

Synopsis: Unhappy with her job and her loser boyfriend, Melanie Griffith takes a secretarial post at a major Wall Street firm. Her boss is Sigourney Weaver, ... [MORE]

51

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

Cast: Robert Morse, Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee, Maureen Arthur, Anthony Teague

Director: David Swift

Synopsis: Robert Morse recreated his Tony-winning stage role in this 1967 film version of Frank Loesser's Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical. A humble w... [MORE]

52

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)

Cast: Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, Fredric March, Marisa Pavan, Ann Harding

Director: Nunnally Johnson

Synopsis: This meticulous and unusually long cinemadaptation of Sloan Wilson's best-selling novel The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit stars Gregory Peck as an e... [MORE]

53

The Secret of My Succe$s (1987)

Cast: Michael J. Fox, Helen Slater, Richard Jordan, Margaret Whitton, Christopher Murney

Director: Herbert Ross

54

Norma Rae (1979)

Cast: Sally Field, Ron Leibman, Beau Bridges, Pat Hingle, Barbara Baxley

Director: Martin Ritt

Synopsis: Norma Rae finds Sally Field cast in the title role, a minimum-wage worker in a cotton mill. The factory has taken too much of a toll on the health ... [MORE]

55

Broadcast News (1987)

Cast: William Hurt, Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, Jack Nicholson, Robert Prosky

Director: James L. Brooks

Synopsis: Writer/director/producer James L. Brooks scores on all counts with this clear-eyed look at the television news business and the dysfunctional types... [MORE]

56

The Crowd (1928)

Cast: Eleanor Boardman, James Murray, Bert Roach, Daniel G. Tomlinson, Lucy Beaumont

Director: King Vidor

Synopsis: As was the case with every film project that he cared deeply about, filmmaker King Vidor had to fight long and hard with his studio bosses to get T... [MORE]