“Falling Down”: A Look Back At Angst, Violence and Self-Destruction
<p>Watching the protests, unrest and violence of the last few weeks made me think back to a movie I watched on cable as a teenager in the mid 90s: “Falling Down.” Starring Michael Douglas and directed by Joel Schumacher, “Falling Down” is a dark comedy centered around a white, middle-class Defense Industry worker (nicknamed D-Fens) who, after sitting in a LA traffic jam on a sweltering summer day, snaps and goes on a violent odyssey across Los Angeles. He walks through different neighborhoods interacting with the rude, angry and selfish residents (usually with explosive results) on his way home to see his estranged wife and kid. Meanwhile, Pendergast, a desk-jockey cop on his last day before retirement, brilliantly underplayed by Robert Duvall, must track down this maniac and stop him, all while struggling against the abuse and neglect of his colleagues and boss. I remember liking the concept. What brings someone to say “enough is enough” and push back at the slings and arrows our society heaps upon the average man just trying to go about his business? I decided to revisit the movie to see how it has aged and if the story and message resonated today.</p>
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