Falling Down
Director Joel Schumacher had an interesting career in the 1990s. Schumacher released nine films that decade and for me his most interesting film is Falling Down, a thriller starring Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall. The title could either refer to Douglas' character, a recently laid off defense worker who decides on his daughter's birthday that he has had enough of people telling him no and begins a dangerous 20-mile journey on foot across Los Angeles to go see her and his ex-wife, despite a court order to stay away from them. Falling Down may refer to society itself, which is represented through various characters all of whom are struggling in one way or another. Spoilers below: Douglas was originally approached to play Prendergast, the part that went to Robert Duvall, but he wisely noted that the fellow who snapped was a more interesting character. Although it was a risky role for a star of his caliber once Douglas took the part some of the more extreme acts were toned