Falling Down ---- *** (out of 5) (1993)
Cast: Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin, Tuesday Weld
Director(s): Joel Schumacher
Screenwriter(s): Ebbe Roe Smith
Released on: February 26, 1993
Reviewed on: March 4, 2005
Rated: R - for profanity, violence, and mature themes
An average, everyday guy named William Foster is stuck in a morning traffic jam in Los Angeles. The combined stress of the drivers around him, the heat, and the lack of air-conditioning causes him to snap. He randomly gets out of his car and walks off the street with his briefcase in hand. And, as if motivated by years of frustration and anger, this middle-class man with glasses, a crew-cut, and a white shirt and tie goes on an unexplained rampage. At the same time, a police officer named Martin Prendergast wakes up to his last day on the force, and as easy as retirement seemed at the time, the eruption of violence caused by Bill Foster keeps him on his toes. As more clues are gathered regarding the identity of this mysterious man with a raging temper, Prendergast attempts to map out his trail of destruction as Foster assaults a Korean clerk, fights with gang members, and shoots up a fast food restaurant, amongst other things. Ironically, his only goal is to convince his ex-wife to let him give his daughter a birthday present.
FALLING DOWN is the cinematic version of a disturbing reality, but at the same time, it's a guilty pleasure. Seeing someone who appears to have been stepped on their entire lives and then watching them lash out against anyone that steps in their way, no matter how intimidating the individual, is an entertaining plunge into an unrealistic fantasy. One of the first moments when we know for sure that Foster means business, is when he is placed in the age-old situation of having a gun pointed at a defenseless person and debating on whether or not to pull the trigger. Shattering all of our assumptions, Foster abandons good-heartedness and opts to shoot. From then on, we're positive that he is capable of anything, and the unexpected inclusion of automatic weapons and a grenade launcher clearly shows that the man is out to prove a point.
Almost from the very start of the picture, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of "D-Fens" other than Michael Douglas. His image, performance, and facial expressions of subdued rage are right on target, and everything about him screams "disgruntled employee." On a day when it seems that everyone is out to push his buttons, Douglas exhibits perfectly how any normal person would react at first but then takes it to the utmost extreme, making his violent explosions actually more amusing than shocking. Backed up by decent supporting actors, Douglas is accompanied by Robert Duvall, who embodies our vision of a police officer who seems tired after years of work and struggling to meet the needs of his demanding wife. Not only that, but the rest of the force is started to disrespect him, and Prendergast keeps his cool 90% of the time, awaiting the moment when he catches Foster and proves them all wrong. In many ways, he and Foster are strikingly similar, and their subliminal comparisons are the strongest elements of FALLING DOWN. Despite being ridiculed and cast out, they each have to devise a way to ultimately do the right thing, even if it means going alone and stirring up some trouble.
In the end, FALLING DOWN is one of those films that has the uncanny ability to please fans of mayhem and chaos, and at the same time, address a serious issue that's slightly unsettling if you think about it outside of Hollywood's boundaries. It's mainly about workplace homicide and trying to identify each person to prevent anymore of this from occurring in the modern-day United States. Even though the message of the film is to be taken seriously, the picture itself can be taken on a much lighter level, since it should be appealing to the average adult who has occasional fantasies of the things that William Foster carries out.
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