Movie Info
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Rob Jarvis, Abbie Murphy, Mandeep Dhillon, Ben Bailey Smith, Jo Hartley
Story: Mockumentary comedy written and directed by Ricky Gervais. David Brent: Life on the Road (2016) catches up with David Brent (Ricky Gervais) twelve years on from the mockumentary The Office to find he is now a travelling salesman with Lavichem. However, he hasn’t given up on his dream of rock stardom and is about to embark on a self-financed tour with his band, Foregone Conclusion. In an attempt to gain street cred, Brent cashes in his pensions and takes unpaid leave in a bid to turn his dream into reality.
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Top David Brent: Life on the Road Quotes
David Brent: Hello, I’m David Brent. You probably know me as the star of the BBC Two documentary, The Office, back in 2000 and… No, that was then, this is now. I’m currently a singer-songwriter. And a rep.
David Brent: We sell cleaning products. All toiletry needs, really. One size fits all. No, it doesn’t, actually.
David Brent: I am following my dream as the lead singer in the band Foregone Conclusion.
David Brent: [trying to sell his product] That’s as stiff as you like and it won’t damage your rug. Well that’s what I told her.
David Brent: I’m in the marketplace, so to speak. You know, young, free and single.
David Brent: I love puns. Highest form of wit in my opinion.
David Brent:I like making people laugh. Sue me. I like making people feel, more importantly. Comedy, music, poetry, philosophy, whatever, you know. I get inside your head Maybe get inside your heart.
David Brent: Are we talking bunse? We’re certainly not talking English.
Dom Johnson: [referring to Brent] There’s a similarity there, you know. I mean, in some ways we’re very alike. Except, you know, he’s white and old and his music is terrible. But, I mean, we’re both just trying to make it, you know, I’m just not a hundred percent sure what his “it” is.
David Brent: I did try and get the old crew back together, but they hadn’t really weathered as well as me.
David Brent: Here’s the band. Foregone Conclusion, Mark II.
David Brent: What do you call a bloke who hangs round with musicians? The drummer.
David Brent: I had a nervous breakdown. I spent a little bit of time in a facility. Voluntary, you know. But, no, not for me. I practice the ancient medical art of “bloody pull yourself together, mate.”
David Brent: So, I was on Prozac for about six months. Ballooned up to about sixteen stone at one point. I’d given up. The lads started calling me Brentasaurus. All good fun. Not at the time. I burst into tears and wanted to kill myself. But I turned it round, you know. Got fit. Inside and out.
David Brent: I found myself again, and I started to do what I do best. Entertain. Triple threat. Music, comedy, wisdom.
David Brent: And, you know, am I a free willist? I’m a do-as-thou-willist.
David Brent: Failure is not an option.
David Brent: On the road is where I really come alive.
David Brent: It’s good that I’m always sort of dressed for rock, isn’t it?
Dom Johnson: Double denim? I never double denim.
David Brent: Always double denim.
David Brent: People often say to me, they say, “Oi, Brent, you’re a philosopher. You’re a leader of men. You’re a great comedic mind. But is there anything you won’t joke about?” And I always say, “Yes, the handicapped.” So I will not laugh at them. Or with them, just to be sure. Also, you might get in trouble.
Mike: We’ve been in a lot of bands together, and I’d say David is, sort of, the personification of all of our most embarrassing moments ever, being in bands magnified by about a hundred.
Dom Johnson: My mum used to say there’s someone out there for everyone. And I think for David especially, it’s important to believe that. Because you just got to hope and pray deep down that there’s somebody out there who’s just totally given up on life that could make him very happy.
Dom Johnson: As soon as he’s around women, it’s like he can’t relax, you know, and that’s all he needs to do. Suddenly something just switches. It’s like a wall of Jenga that just, it just crumbles. There’s a moment you can just hear his body collapse. It’s bizarre.
David Brent: Let them know there is a big buzz around Mr. D. Brent, ipso facto, anyone on his team.
Dom Johnson: This is what David is. He’s like the boy that owns the football but he doesn’t really know the rules of the game. It’s his ball, right? So you have to… You can’t play without him. You know? But you kind of know he’s going to ruin it a little bit.
David Brent: Okay, we got a little treat now. We are going to get a little bit funky. I say a little bit, but probably too funky for some.
Dom Johnson: [referring to Brent] You think it’s painful to watch. Yeah, I have to stand on the stage next to him while he’s doing it.
Dom Johnson: [referring to Brent] I think people would accept him if he just was himself.
Andy Chapman: [referring to Brent] He’s excruciating on stage and off. And now we got to go and have a drink with him, you know. It’s awkward.
David Brent: Dom was meant to come on during “Native American” and didn’t. Why didn’t you come on?
Dom Johnson: I couldn’t.
David Brent: Why not?
Dom Johnson: Something came over me.
David Brent: Ooh, stage fright?
Dom Johnson: No, dignity.
Dan Harvey: I think you’re chasing something…
David Brent: I can’t have.
Dan Harvey: That you don’t need.
Dan Harvey: You don’t have to be on stage to be worth something. And people who like you are still going to like you even if you’re not performing.
David Brent: Problem is not a lot of people like me, do they?
David Brent: I don’t need to be a rock star, you know? That’s just something I enjoy doing. I can live without being “a success.” But I couldn’t have lived without trying. And I did that, so. And everything works out, doesn’t it?
David Brent: You think you want one thing along the way, and then you realize you needed something else.
David Brent: Life’s a struggle, with little beautiful surprises that make you want to carry on through all the s**t to the next little beautiful surprise. So, yeah. All good.
Karen Parashar: I do quite feel sorry for him, to be honest. The boys here, they’re quite rude to him. And I know he’s gone on this tour and he’s doing that, but I kind of feel like… Sorry, I don’t know why I’m getting emotional. I just feel like I can see through it sometimes. His smiles. I hope he does well.
David Brent: They can laugh. They’re no better than me. Just because they’re reps who like being reps, and I’m a rep who wants to be something else. With that attitude, they’ll be reps for the rest of their life.
David Brent: I might be a rep for the rest of my life, but I was a rock star once.