Falling Down (1993)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writer (WGA):

Ebbe Roe Smith (written by)

Release Date:

26 February 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The adventures of an ordinary man at war with the everyday world.

Plot:

An unemployed defense worker frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society, begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them.

Plot Keywords:

Birthday | Gang | Traffic Jam | Baseball Bat | Convenience Store

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Michael Douglas	...	William 'D-Fens' Foster
Robert Duvall	...	Detective Martin Prendergast
Barbara Hershey	...	Elizabeth 'Beth' Travino
Tuesday Weld	...	Amanda Prendergast
Rachel Ticotin	...	Detective Sandra Torres
Frederic Forrest	...	Nick, The Nazi Surplus Store Owner
Lois Smith	...	Mrs. Foster / William's Mother
Joey Hope Singer	...	Adele Foster-Travino
Ebbe Roe Smith	...	Guy on Freeway
Michael Paul Chan	...	Mr. Lee
Raymond J. Barry	...	Captain Yardley
D.W. Moffett	...	Detective Lydecker
Steve Park	...	Detective Brian
Kimberly Scott	...	Detective Jones
James Keane	...	Detective Keene

Also Known As:

Chute libre (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and strong language.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

France | USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Iceland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 (re-rating: 1997) (uncut) | South Korea:18 (original rating: 1994) (cut) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:16+ | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Peru:14 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

1000 N. Crescent Drive, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Alcor Films

Trivia:

The man who is yelling about being "not economically viable" in front of the bank is wearing the exact same clothes as D-Fens. Even the tie pattern is the same.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After D-Fens fired his missile under the pavement, the cameraman's sneaker and part of his leg is visible as he starts running for his shot.

Quotes:

Nick: Why don't they call you guys officer-esses?
Sandra: I beg your pardon?
Nick: You know, like actress. Something to signify... You know.
Sandra: Oh. I guess they feel a police officer is a police officer. Not a... You know.
Nick: Okay then. Sorry I couldn't have been helpful, Officer-ess.

Movie Connections:

Features The Lion's Busy (1950)

Soundtrack:

LA SCHMOOVE

An important look at the decay of society

Falling Down is the kind of film that has much more more happening than many of us want to know about. It is disguised simply as a film about an apparent nut who goes out and tries to right the wrongs that have been done to him and in his trek across Los Angeles he becomes an anti-hero.

While that may be true to an extent, read more into it and you can see a film that tries to show us that there is something terribly wrong with how we live. I wasn't alive in the 50's, in fact, I was born in the 70's. So I can't honestly tell you if life was easier back then. But what I can tell you is that times were a bit more simple then. For the most part, you had one income in the household. You had T.V and radio as your entertainment and kids went outside to play. Now you must have both parents working so you can have that double income. Kids are obsessed with the internet and videogames and so on. What does all of this have to with the film? Everything!

Falling Down is about the decay in one man's life and how it affects not only him but those around him. There is one very powerful scene in the film that can sum up everything.

There is a key moment in Falling Down that is sad in it's reality, but true in it's opinion. Douglas is in a surplus store and the guy running it is a Nazi sympathizer. When Douglass doesn't share his opinions, they get into a confrontation. The guy snaps and tells Douglas to spread against the wall. He obliges and then the Nazi guy wants to handcuff him. He tells Douglas to give him his hand, he does. Then he tells Douglas to give him his other hand. Douglas is supporting himself on the wall in a 30 degree angle and if he gives the guy his other hand " he'll fall down. " Which is precisely what he tells the Nazi guy. This is a microcosm of the film and a microcosm of what may be wrong with not only society but people in general. There is a theory in wrestling that your arms and legs are like a table, if you take out any two of the legs or arms, your opponent falls down and is vulnerable. Same thing with a human being. Take away so many of his limbs ( job, wife, dignity, credit rating, kids, etc. ) and it may be only a matter of time before that person does snap. This movie shows us what happens to one individual that does snap. He wasn't all that bad to begin with, but as time went on and he was " lied " to, he can't handle it and finally one day, he has had enough. I think this film is more important than people realize and if you have only seen it once, see it again. You may see something that you didn't see before. Hats off to Schumacher and Douglas who had the guts to make this film.