An ordinary man frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them.An ordinary man frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them.An ordinary man frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them.
- Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations
- Adele (Beth's Child)
- (as Joey Hope Singer)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMichael Douglas considers this his favorite performance of all the movies he has been in.
- GoofsRocket is still visible inside the rocket launcher immediately after being fired.
- Quotes
Gang Member #1: Whatcha doin', Mister?
Bill Foster: Nothing.
Gang Member #1: Yes, you are, you're trespassing on private property.
Bill Foster: Trespassing?
Gang Member #2: You're loitering too, man.
Gang Member #1: That's right, you're loitering too.
Bill Foster: I didn't see any signs.
Gang Member #1: [pointing at a piece of graffiti] Whatcha call that?
Bill Foster: Graffiti?
Gang Member #1: No, man. That's not fucking graffiti, that's a sign.
Gang Member #2: He can't read it, man.
Gang Member #1: I'll read it for you. It says this is fucking private property. No fucking trespassing. This means fucking you.
Bill Foster: It says all that?
Gang Member #1: Yeah!
Bill Foster: Well, maybe if you wrote it in fucking English, I could fucking understand it.
- Crazy creditsThe role of Vondie Curtis-Hall, who plays the man protesting the bank, is credited as "Not Economically Viable Man."
- Alternate versionsIn the post-2009 releases, the Warner Bros. Pictures logo at the start of the movie is plastered with the 2003 variant.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Clock (2010)
- SoundtracksThe Stripper
Written by David Rose
Performed by David Rose and His Orchestra
Courtesy of Polygram Special Markets
Where Falling Down fails at times is during the scenes where it attempts to do too many things at once. The bits of humor throughout the film are mostly derived from over-the-top scenes, and at times Foster's actions seem cheesy and unrealistic. The fact that the film is two stories in one (Foster and Prendergast) provides a good contrast because the viewer gets to see both sides of the story. On one hand, we see an ordinary family man going bezerk (but in a way most of us can understand) and on the other hand we see a cop who believes Foster is a complete psychopath. Only the audience knows the truth. The film could have done without some of the lame subplots such as Duvall's marriage, even though those scenes illustrate his perception of being "weak" or "whipped". The film sets out to do a lot at once, which is quite necessary to create a thorough storyline, but at times doesn't come out right on film.
One scene that I have always found moving and powerful is the scene where Bill Foster sees the man who is "Not Economically Viable" protesting outside of the bank that denied him a loan. As everyone on the busy street goes about their business and ignores this man, Foster (and the viewer) are focused directly on him. Foster obviously sympathizes with this poor, hardworking man who is also being stepped on by society. As the man is escorted away in the police car he looks directly at Foster and says "don't forget me". In a gesture of sympathy and appreciation, he nods to him. The two characters share a connection. It is especially important to notice the symbolism of this scene. Both men are wearing the exact same outfits: a white short-sleeved dress shirt, black tie and black pants. They are on the opposite sides of the street. When they look at each other, even though they are white and black, it is as though they are looking into a mirror and seeing the same thing: a victim of society.
Overall, a slightly sad story that tries to do a whole lot, succeeds in most of it and provides lots of entertainment. A good storyline and an excellent observation of modern society.
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Un día de furia
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $25,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $40,903,593
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,724,452
- Feb 28, 1993
- Gross worldwide
- $40,903,593
- Runtime1 hour 53 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1