It was 30 years ago that Michael Douglas played a man who goes completely berserk in the movie "Falling Down."
Douglas played William Foster, a divorced and very bitter white man, who simply stops his car right in the middle of a thick traffic jam in Los Angeles. He makes his way across town to visit his daughter, some distance away.
Of course, there are problems. First of all, his ex-wife does not want him there. In fact, she does not want him around their daughter, feeling that he is a destructive presence. And we learn just how destructive, as Foster simply snaps. From the traffic jam where the movie begins, to not being able to get breakfast at some fastfood joint, to then not liking the way that the sandwich he eventually does get looks, since it appears a whole lot less appetizing than the one which is advertised.
Indeed, this man grows mad about many of the little things which, frankly, also piss us off. But he has completely snapped, so he decides to do something about it with modern weaponry.
This movie came before mass shootings became an almost a regular thing, what some people have already labeled as the "new normal" in America today. It received some criticism at the time, and perhaps this was warranted, or perhaps not. You can make up your own mind about that. But there are a lot of things which most of us can relate to in this movie, a lot of the more hidden, everyday frustrations which, when they pile up, can often add to our everyday miseries.
Below is a link to an article with an interview with Michael Douglas, who discusses the movie in greater detail.
Enjoy!
Exclusive: As Falling Down turns 30, Michael Douglas reflects on one of his most controversial roles In an exclusive interview, Michael Douglas talks about the hot-button film's impact at the time, and its unsettling relevance today By Bryan Reesman PublishedMarch 1, 2023
https://www.avclub.com/michael-douglas-interview-falling-down-30th-anniversary-1850169468
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