Daily Dialogue — August 3, 2017

MR. LEE: Take the money.
D-FENS: You think I’ m a thief? No, you see, I’ m not the thief. I’ m not the one charging 85 cents for a stinking soda! You’ re the thief ! I’ m just standing up for my rights as a consumer. I’ m rolling back prices to 1965. What do you think of that? Doughnuts. Package of six. How much?
MR. LEE: $ 1.12.
D-FENS: Too much. Aspirin. Price?
MR. LEE: $ 3.40.
D-FENS: Oh, please! AA batteries. Package of four.
MR. LEE: $ 4,29.
D-FENS: Nice try. I think this whole shelf looks suspect. One soda 12 ounces.
MR. LEE: Fifty sen!
D-FENS: Sold.

— Falling Down (1993), written by Ebbe Roe Smith

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Transaction, suggested by Gisela Wehrl who also recommended today’s movie.

Trivia: The Korean American Coalition protested the film for its treatment of minorities as well as the Korean grocer. Because of this and the boycott threats that followed, this movie was banned in South Korea.

Dialogue On Dialogue: A theme which runs through the movie is how it’s small items — the price of soda, unsatisfactory fast food, stalled traffic — which combines to provide a psychological pathway for D-Fens to lose his cool. Later it’s revealed there are more substantive reasons.