IMDb RATING
6.4/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
A clueless boss has no idea what to do with his mundane office worker whose refusal of duties only gets worse each passing minute.A clueless boss has no idea what to do with his mundane office worker whose refusal of duties only gets worse each passing minute.A clueless boss has no idea what to do with his mundane office worker whose refusal of duties only gets worse each passing minute.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Stu Klitsner
- Professor Bum
- (as Stuart Klitsner)
Catherine DiNapoli
- Rocky's Girlfriend
- (as Catherine di Napoli)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDick Martin's final acting performance.
- GoofsWhen "The Boss" goes to check out a new place for their office, he settles on a place with no electrical outlets on 3 of the walls. (The 4th wall is not shown) There's a Xerox and every desk has a computer. This arrangement would be completely unacceptable for any office manager.
- Crazy creditsBefore the opening credits begin, viewers are given a portrait and short biography of Herman Melville, upon whose story the film is loosely based.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Stargate: Atlantis: The Lost Boys (2005)
- SoundtracksPhantasie #3 In D Minor
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (as Mozart)
Background music on piano by Nancy Spottiswoode
Featured review
I'd prefer to see this film again...
I loved this film and I cannot believe how so few critics liked it. What were they thinking? Apparently one critic thought since it was based on a short story that the film should be shorter. Of course, once one critic says its too long, every other critic has to agree. I guess David Mamet is an exception to the rule. Bartleby is not too long. It deserves it's running time so that we can absorb the story more closely. When we hear Bartleby repeat the same words: "I'd prefer not to" we are not given any explanation for the comment but yet it becomes extremely poignant. Eventually everyone in the office begins to use the word "prefer" and we see how Bartleby has affected the workplace like a disease. The film is very bizarre particularly because of the way the boss reacts to Bartleby. Instead of just firing the guy for not doing his job, he tries to reason with him. Eventually Barlteby gets in an even more bizarre predicament that has even more to do with just "prefering not to" work. The boss is obsessed with Bartleby and the film turns very Kafkaesque. We see a capitalist scenario where people topple on another for greed, power and respect. The film is based on the short story "Bartleby the Scrivener" by Herman Melville. It was appropriate to mention the source because the story seems very relevant not only to our modern culture but also to what Melville went after writing Moby Dick. The film also has a wonderful score with a Theramin instrument and a brilliant cinematography.
helpful•72
- mcshortfilm
- Nov 29, 2005
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Bartleby at the Office
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $148,479
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $14,599
- May 27, 2002
- Gross worldwide
- $148,479
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![Crispin Glover, Glenne Headly, Seymour Cassel, David Paymer, Maury Chaykin, and Joe Piscopo in Bartleby (2001)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTMwMDk5ODA1MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNzY1OTU3._V1_QL75_UY133_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg)