Falling Down (1993)
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A disgruntled man's desperate journey through Los Angeles becomes increasingly violent as he tries to reach his family.
The story
Set in Los Angeles, the film follows William Foster, a disgruntled and unemployed defense worker. After his car's air conditioning fails during a traffic jam, Foster abandons his vehicle and begins walking through the city. His frustration with the environment and various encounters leads him into a violent rampage as he attempts to reach his family for his daughter's birthday. Meanwhile, a retiring police officer, Martin Prendergast, begins investigating the escalating incidents caused by Foster's actions.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
William Foster is stuck in Los Angeles traffic and, after his air conditioning fails, abandons his car to walk. He becomes involved in a series of escalating conflicts: he destroys merchandise at a convenience store after a dispute over change, survives a shootout with a gang, and causes a scene at a fast-food restaurant where he accidentally fires a gun into the ceiling. He later encounters a man at a bank and a shop owner at a military surplus store, where he eventually kills the owner after a confrontation over the man's bigotry. After acquiring a rocket launcher and accidentally destroying a construction site, Foster reaches a pier where his ex-wife and daughter are located. He is confronted by Prendergast, who manages to get the woman to throw Foster's gun into the ocean. In the final confrontation, Foster tricks Prendergast into killing him.
- First release year
- 1993
- Runtime (minutes)
- 112
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joel Schumacher
- Writers
- Ebbe Roe Smith · writer
- Cast and characters
- Michael Douglas · William Foster; Robert Duvall; Barbara Hershey; Rachel Ticotin; Frederic Forrest; Tuesday Weld
- Genres
- action; drama; crime; thriller; psychological thriller
- Themes
- class system; economic pressures; mental health; social inequalities
- Tone and mood
- bleak; tense; darkly entertaining
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; urban decay; man on the edge; violent rampage
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews upon release, with praise for the lead performances but criticism of its violence and tone. It has since gained cult status and is noted for its exploration of complex social themes.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 77% · scale: percentage · review count: 60; Metacritic · score: 56 · scale: 100 · review count: 21; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Edgar Award · Best Motion Picture Screenplay · 1994 · Won; Cannes Film Festival · Nominated for the (Joel Schumacher) · 1993 · Nominated
- Production trivia
- Filming was interrupted by the 1992 Los Angeles riots.; The script was originally intended to be a television film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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