The Movie Dude: The holiday shopping antidote

Michael Douglas is the antihero driven to madness and violence in "Falling Down"

I actually ventured out and did a little shopping over the Black Friday weekend. That’s usually a giant headache I try to avoid, but I figured I’d give it a whirl this year.

And while I had no trouble getting from store to store and what not, I couldn’t help but notice that some of you weren’t so lucky. I wasn’t aware that getting a Vizio 32-inch flat screen was a matter of life and death, but apparently I was mistaken. It made me think, “Wow, sometimes society can go crazy.”

That led me to thinking of the movie I’m writing about this week, “Falling Down.” It’s not far off from my previous statement, except it’s reversed. It’s not about society going crazy, it’s about a man driven over the edge by society who decides to call society out, with dire consequences.

It starts out with William Foster (Michael Douglas) in his car stuck in traffic. It’s a hot day, and he’s tense and nervous enough as it is. When his air conditioner stops working he decides he’s had enough and leaves the car where it’s parked in the street and walks away. This is your first sign that Mr. Foster isn’t exactly in a normal state of mind.

He winds up in a convenience store. When he’s charged an exorbitant amount of money for a can of soda, he snaps. He goes off on a tirade about society and its flaws and caps it off by destroying the inside of the store with a baseball bat.

From this point on Foster begins a steady decline into insanity. The only thing keeping him somewhat grounded is his desire to see his daughter and wish her a happy birthday. His ex-wife (Barbara Hershey) wants nothing to do with him, though, and even went so far as to file a restraining order against him.

He’s not to be deterred, however, and makes seeing his daughter his goal. It won’t be a simple hop, skip and a jump to get there, though. He spends the day walking through the city to get to her, running into situation after situation.

He constantly monologues about the way we as a people have become flawed and you actually find yourself agreeing with him some of the time (some, not all, mind you). By the time he’s through there will be mayhem, gunshots, explosions and possibly murder. He puts it best when he shouts, “I’m going home! Clear a path!”

On the other side of the law, as all this is going on, you’re introduced to Sgt. Martin Prendergast (Robert Duvall). Coincidentally, he was stuck in the same traffic jam as Foster. It’s also his last day as a cop before he retires and he’s looking to ride it out peacefully.

His would be a wasted role if things were to go according to that plan, so of course they don’t. At the station he keeps hearing about the violent exploits involving a man wearing a white shirt and tie (Foster). With his interest piqued, he decides to include himself in the case and track the mystery man down.

It’ll be a long day for both Foster and Prendergast and by the time it’s through neither of them will be the same. Fine line, I know, but we’re not talking about a normal day.

It’s not a normal day and this isn’t a normal good guy/bad guy movie. Some critics have referred to Foster as a “suburban antihero.” Don’t you believe it — he’s a bad guy. He’s just not an evil bad guy.

Plus, he’s played by Michael Douglas, who is usually someone we associate with good guys. So it’s hard not to sympathize with his character even though he’s not doing “good guy” things.

Obviously that complicates the story, but it’s a good thing. Movies like this need not always be black and white. When shades of gray are thrown in, it makes the experience that much more dramatic and that much more enthralling.

Casting a role like William Foster is pivotal because you need someone who can play intense one second and bring it back down to earth the next. Douglas does a terrific job of keeping you on the edge of your seat, because you don’t know when or why he’ll blow up next.

Duvall is also great, but that’s no surprise because he’s always great, even in movies that aren’t. At least this time he has good material to work with, so his skills are amplified and more easily enjoyed.

Bottom line: “Falling Down” is a terrific thriller that will make you question your own beliefs when it comes to society. If you missed out on it when it was first released, do yourself a favor and don’t miss out on it this time.

The Movie Dude, Joe Altomere of Fort Myers, grew up in his parents’ video store in Plantersville, Texas. He owns close to 2,000 DVDs and Blu-ray discs and considers that only the start of his collection. E-mail him at jaltomere@yahoo.com.

© 2009 gonaples.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.