Do you ever have a movie that you don’t exactly love, but you love one part of it? For me, that’s “Falling Down” with Michael Douglas. On one level, it’s the story of an angry white man who–pushed over the brink by personal disappointment and perceived societal deterioration–snaps.
On another level, it’s kind of about all of us, and the building of pressure. After all, the bespectacled crew cut-sporting protagonist loses his shit when the Los Angeles freeway–was it the 10?–has come to a complete stop. Persistent heat and traffic with no end. That’s a bad day.
Anyhow, my favorite part is when you see this black man, well dressed if I recall–I haven’t seen the movie in 20 years or so–is protesting outside a bank that has refused him a loan.
His protest patter is brilliant, so much so that it is committed to my memory after only one viewing:
“They told me I was not economically viable. What does that mean, not economically viable?”
I feel you, man. I feel you.
–Sarah Torribio
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