IMDb > Falling Down (1993)
Falling Down
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Falling Down (1993) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 4)
Falling Down (1993) -- Michael Douglas plays a patient man who's patience gets pushed too far
Falling Down (1993) -- An unemployed defence worker frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society, begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them.
Falling Down (1993) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   39,428 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writer (WGA):

Ebbe Roe Smith (written by)

Contact:

View company contact information for Falling Down on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

26 February 1993 (USA) more

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller more

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations more

NewsDesk:
(70 articles)

Film School 101: Protagonists
 (From Atomic Popcorn. 1 November 2009, 4:57 AM, PST)

Amorphous Androgynous: 'Liam loved remix'
 (From digitalspy. 28 October 2009, 8:30 AM, PDT)

User Comments:

An Unusual Performance for Douglas...But a Good One!!! more (311 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Michael Douglas ... William 'D-Fens' Foster

Robert Duvall ... Detective Prendergast

Barbara Hershey ... Elizabeth 'Beth' Travino

Tuesday Weld ... Amanda Prendergast

Rachel Ticotin ... Detective Sandra Torrez

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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:

Chute libre (France)
more

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 more

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Company:

Alcor Films more


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

The stripper for Prendergast (Robert Duvall) is named "Suzie". When she starts dancing, someone says "Susie Q", a reference to the Creedence Clearwater Revival song used in Apocalypse Now (1979), which also featured Duvall. more

Goofs:

Continuity: The window in D-fens' car at the beginning can't roll down, but he steers the car off the road by pushing the car and putting his hand through the window onto the wheel. more

Quotes:

Sergeant Prendergast: Get a positive ID on the gym bag.
Captain Yardley: Prendergast, what do you think this is?
[Holds up his own gym bag]
Sergeant Prendergast: A gym bag.
Captain Yardley: Does this mean you're putting me under arrest?
more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Batoru rowaiaru (2000) more

Soundtrack:

LA SCHMOOVE more


FAQ

Is this film based on a true story?
more
47 out of 50 people found the following comment useful.
An Unusual Performance for Douglas...But a Good One!!!, 2 April 2004
Author: David Drebsky (Paninoguy@aol.com) from Brooklyn, NY

Falling Down (1993)

Tagged as `the adventures of an ordinary man at war with the everyday world,' Joel Schumacher's `Falling Down' tells the tragic tale of William Foster aka D-FENS, a now unemployed defense worker who finds himself trapped on a hot summer day in bumper-to-bumper Los Angeles traffic. Having been pushed past the brink of sanity, Foster loses it and storms out of his car, walking around town and trying desperately to see his little daughter for her birthday, a daughter who is untouchable because of a court order against him by his estranged wife. Along the way, Foster will run across character types we've all come across: the 'war veteran' bum who is really just a lowlife looking to score some quick cash, an irate Korean grocery store owner, a homophobic neo-nazi army retail store owner, a crusty elitist country club golf player, super friendly fast food workers, young Hispanic thugs, and so forth. And each one will chip away at what remains of his patience and tolerance for stupidity, fueling a rampage.

Up against this anti-hero is Prendergast, a veteran cop who has felt many of the same pains as Foster, but who serves as sort of a foil to him. Foster has lost everything, and while Prendergast has lost quite a bit (his wife is a basketcase, his little daughter died years ago under mysterious circumstances), he still retains some optimism, calmness, and dignity. As Prendergast, who is on his last day on the job, begins to put together the pieces of the mysterious crime spree plaguing the city (he seems to be the only one smart enough to figure out it's all the doing of one man!), it pits him in an inevitable confrontation between him and Foster.

Michael Douglas, playing Foster / D-FENS plays an incredibly complex character. On the one hand, you know much of what he does is so wrong, but at the same time there's immense satisfaction at seeing him lash out at those deserving of it. And while he tries to stay calm, he finds himself constantly provoked by those who have 'wronged society.' In fact, many of the things he does could so easily have been avoided if the 'victims' were not so positively despicable. You can't help but feel at the end of the day, when Foster gets his due, that he's, in some small way, made Los Angeles a better place despite the carnage he's unleashed.

And this is perhaps what is so strange about the movie. There seems to be no clear message. Who was right? Who was wrong? It becomes a very blurry line over the approximately 2 hours of the movie's run. I've seen it now several times and I still can't give any definitive answer. Perhaps this is a strength, that different people will view this movie in different ways. Some will see this as the story of a noble, decent man who modern society has beaten down and crushed, and who desperately tries to struggle against the tyranny and betrayal. Others will see Foster as a lunatic who needed to be put down. No one, I think, will find that Foster doesn't warrant some sympathy.

Personally, I think Foster got the wrong end of the stick. His wife's anger and fear of him seems somewhat unwarranted, and though it is clear that Foster (and not just society itself) has brought many of his problems upon his own head, he is tired and angry and rightfully resentful at the course his life has taken. He feels he has nothing to live for, so he takes it out on anyone who crosses his path. I recommend this movie because the performances are all-around great, it delivers a solid cast, and as the portrayal of one man's journey down the path of madness, few have done better.

Grade: A-

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (311 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Falling Down (1993)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Where has he been going? lucian770
Falling Down fully explained jetsmanian
The guy with the 'Not economically viable' sign odyossu-1
This movie reminds me of Grand Theft Auto anthonyroxs
I Laughed My Ass Off... judasrising666666
michael douglas TOO OLD for this part! andrewapeck
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Training Day Mystic River The Dark Knight Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Hot Fuzz
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Crime section IMDb France section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.