Falling Down is a 1993 American psychological thriller film[3][4] directed by Joel Schumacher, written by Ebbe Roe Smith and released by Warner Bros. in the United States on February 26, 1993.

It centers on Foster's trek across the city of Los Angeles as he attempts to reach the house of his estranged ex-wife in time for his daughter's birthday.

Along the way, a series of encounters, both trivial and provocative, cause him to react with increasing violence and to make sardonic observations on life, poverty, the economy, and commercialism.

After Foster calls "home" again and states his intention to attend his daughter's birthday party, his ex-wife Beth notifies the police because she has a restraining order against him.

Prendergast holds Foster at gunpoint and urges him to surrender, acknowledging his complaints about social inequalities but not accepting them as an excuse for his rampage.

"To me, even though the movie deals with complicated urban issues, it really is just about one basic thing: The main character represents the old power structure of the U.S. that has now become archaic, and hopelessly lost.

For both of them, it's adjust-or-die time ..."[10] Foster's signature haircut was the idea of Joel Schumacher and the movie's hairstylist, Lynda Gurasich.

Douglas would add concerning the character: "There's a lot of people who are a paycheck away from being on the streets and being out of work who did everything right, they've been responsible, they tried hard, [and] they don't know what went wrong!

The site's consensus states: "Falling Down's popcorn-friendly take on its complex themes proves disquieting—and ultimately fitting for a bleakly entertaining picture of one man's angry break with reality.

Vincent Canby of The New York Times called it "the most interesting, all-out commercial American film of the year to date, and one that will function much like a Rorschach test to expose the secrets of those who watch it.

"[5] Philip Thomas of Empire wrote in his review of the film: "While the morality of D-Fens's methods are questionable, there's a resonance about his reaction to everyday annoyances, and Michael Douglas' hypnotic performance makes it memorable.

"[20] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Falling Down encourages a gloating sense that we the long-suffering victims are finally getting our splendid revenge.

He seems weary and confused, and in his actions he unconsciously follows scripts that he may have learned from the movies, or on the news, where other frustrated misfits vent their rage on innocent bystanders.

[23]Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film four stars out of five, writing: There's no denying the power of the tale or of Douglas's riveting performance—his best and riskiest since Wall Street.

Falling Down is one of the great mistakes of 1993, a film too good and too original to win any Oscars, but one bound to be remembered in years to come as a true and ironic statement about life in our time.

"[26] Falling Down was released in theatres less than one year after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, during which Korean Americans and their businesses were targeted by rioters.

[27] The character of D‑FENS was featured on magazine covers, including the March 29, 1993, issue[31] of Newsweek, and reported upon as an embodiment of the "angry white man" stereotype.

Wolfe said: "Today, we might see D-Fens and the white supremacist as the infighting sides of the far right — one couches racism in coded words like "thug," while the other wants an outright ethnic cleanse.

"[34] An earlier 2008 review on the site was positive, saying, "Heat used as a metaphor for simmering rage is nothing new, but few films execute sweaty psychosis as well.

"[35] Falling Down has been the inspiration of musical artists such as Iron Maiden, Foo Fighters, Front Line Assembly and Heart Attack Man.

[citation needed] In the video game Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, a character resembling Foster recreates the rocket launcher scene in a cutscene, blowing up a construction site before walking away with a duffel bag.

Duckman has to pick up his new suit from the dry cleaner to be presentable on his children's birthday, but huge traffic and the law are going to stop him.

Frank Grimes, a one-off character on The Simpsons episode "Homer's Enemy", is modeled after Foster, having the same flat-top haircut, white shirt-and-tie, and briefcase.

[40] Death metal band Internal Bleeding sampled the same scene in their song Falling Down, named after the film, from their album Driven to Conquer.

[citation needed] The song My Name Is Mud by alternative rock band Primus is titled after one of the final lines spoken by the Sgt.

[41] Finnish band Beats and Styles referred to the movie poster with DJ Control holding a baseball bat instead of a shotgun for the cover of their 2009 album Schizosonics.