Falling Down is a 1993
psychological thriller film directed by
Joel Schumacher and written by
Ebbe Roe Smith. The film stars
Michael Douglas in the lead role of William Foster, a
divorcé and unemployed former
defense engineer. The film centers on Foster as he goes on a violent rampage across the city of
Los Angeles, trying to reach the house of his estranged ex-wife in time for his daughter's birthday party. Along the way, a series of encounters, both trivial and provocative, cause him to react with violence and make
sardonic observations on
life,
poverty, the
economy, and
commercialism.
Robert Duvall co-stars as Martin Prendergast, an aging
LAPD Sergeant on the day of his retirement, who faces his own frustrations, even as he tracks down Foster.