College Crunch

JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater became a pop culture hero when, after receiving what he'd decided was the last bit of abuse he'd ever take from a passenger, he issued some choice words over the plane's intercom before grabbing some beers and escaping via the inflatable emergency slide. His actions were extreme, yes, but who among us hasn't dreamed of making a grand exit from a crappy job? Slater's meltdown is the same reason people cheered for the young woman who quit her job via a series of incriminating dry-erase board messages, even though that turned out to be a hoax. Everyone, from college students slaving away at internships to long-time pros dealing with awful bosses, dreams of executing that perfect walk-out, whether it's against a manager, a teacher, or just someone you can't stand anymore. However, real-world takedowns sometimes land people in hot water, so while you dream of making a scene, maybe it's a good idea to live vicariously through these classic movie meltdowns. All the fun, none of the paperwork. Take a look:

1. Jerry Maguire: Years before he went bananas in real life and starting vaulting over furniture on daytime talk shows, Tom Cruise made a scene in Jerry Maguire as the titular sports agent forced out on his own. When he's fired, he takes the opportunity to lecture the rest of the office about manners and take the company fish from the tank. A master class in how to have an awkward but memorable meltdown.
2. Half Baked: This is probably the most memorable (or at least quotable) moment in Half Baked, a stoner comedy starring Dave Chappelle and Jim Breuer. Fed up with his job, Scarface (Guillermo Diaz) offers some simple but harsh words for his coworkers before hitting the road. (Dialogue NSFW, as it will be with some of the other clips on the list.)
3. Glengarry Glen Ross: The film version of David Mamet's play is known for many things, including an awe-inspiring monologue by Alec Baldwin, but it's Al Pacino's rant at the end of the film that qualifies as a true meltdown from a salesman to his boss. When Kevin Spacey's character winds up blowing a deal for Pacino's Ricky Roma, he finds himself on the receiving end of an epic tear-down.
4. Network: Peter Finch's role as Howard Beale, "the mad prophet of the airwaves," won him a posthumous Oscar for best actor in Network, a fantastic film about media and manipulation that's as relevant today as it ever was. The scene in which Beale exhorts his viewers to reclaim their humanity and shout "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take this anymore!" is immortal, and one of the best on-screen freak-outs of all time.
5. American Beauty: Kevin Spacey also took home an Oscar for his work in American Beauty, playing a man so fed up with his meaningless corporate existence that he chucks it away to chase the true meaning of life. He gets the best of his boss by turning in a brutally honest self-evaluation and then blackmailing his way into financial security. For anyone who's ever hated their job, the moment is a thing of, well, beauty.
6. Fight Club: "I am Jack's smirking revenge." Forgive the low video quality on this one, but the list wouldn't be complete without Fight Club. Fed up with the pointlessness of his job and faced with a need for quick cash, the narrator arranges to get all he wants by beating himself up and then pinning it on his boss. This would be almost impossible to pull off in real life, but it would be awesome to see someone try.
7. Bridget Jones's Diary: Bridget Jones (Renee Zelleweger) spends much of the movie in love with her rotten boss (Hugh Grant), so when she finally tells him off, it's a great moment. The rest of the office cheers her on, too. How great would that be?
8. Office Space: Peter (Ron Livingston) took the easy way out of a crappy job by hypnotizing himself into a state of bliss, but Joanna (Jennifer Aniston) has no such option to deal with her odious boss and his inane requests that she wear more "pieces of flair." Her walk-out is perfectly done. I used to wait tables, and I could only dream of doing this.
9. Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Brad (Judge Reinhold) scores a few meltdowns in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The first one costs him his job flipping burgers, but when he eventually winds up working at a convenience store, he hits his limit and fights back against a robber. His freak-out even lands him a promotion, lucky guy.
10. Joe Versus the Volcano: Joe (Tom Hanks) quits his job in dramatic fashion, but the best is when he gets to the door and realizes that this is his opportunity to finally clear the air and let his boss know what he really thinks of him. The result is one of the best "I quit" meltdowns in modern movies, as Joe rants about the chances he's never taken.