If you've never had a meltdown as a grown-up, you're not human. While most people would not go on a violent rampage like Michael Douglas' character in Falling Down, many can empathize with him because he is going through a very difficult time in his life.
Falling Down is a study of human behavior and remains controversial and debated long after its 1993 release. Despite its serious subject matter, Falling Down is also a dark comedy. The fast food restaurant sequence still cracks me up and is one of my favorites.
While Michael Douglas was the film's headliner, Robert Duvall had considerable screen time in Falling Down, and the movie is as much about his character, the investigating police sergeant, as it is about Michael Douglas'. In a sense, there are parallels between the two.
It dawned on me that I've featured several films in MOVIE OF THE WEEK with Robert Duvall--Days of Thunder, THX 1138, Deep Impact, Jack Reacher, The Apostle, and now Falling Down. And this is a tiny fraction of all the films he has done. Robert Duvall has been in so many movies that even I haven't seen them all. Still, it takes only a handful to see what an exceptional actor Robert Duvall was with his memorable performances, particularly in The Apostle, which he also wrote and directed.
May Robert Duvall rest in peace.
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