Line #104 Film/GodBlessAmerica


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3	->'''Michael Fuller:''' ''[wounded]'' Are you really willing to DIE, just because you don't think I'm NICE? [...]\
4	'''Roxy:''' He just wishes everyone would act nice. I, on the other hand, think your politics are SHIT! (BAM!)\
5	'''Fuller:''' You bitch...\
6	'''Roxy:''' Yep! (BAM! BAM-BAM-BAM!) ''[standing over the fresh corpse, with the smoking gun in her hand]'' Exactly what part of his politics do you agree with?\
7	'''Frank:''' ''[still holding the gun with which he just shot and wounded a guy because he didn't like that guy's attitude in a television show]'' Less gun control, of course.\
8	'''Roxy:''' Frank, then every nut would have a gun!
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10	Have you ever watched a particularly annoying RealityShow and thought to yourself, "Man, someone should give those little twits what they have coming to them"? Well, Creator/BobcatGoldthwait, maker of ''Film/WorldsGreatestDad'', feels your pain.
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12	''God Bless America'' is a 2011 BlackComedy film written and directed by Goldthwait and starring Creator/JoelMurray (brother of Creator/{{Bill\|Murray}}) and Tara Lynne Barr. The plot is basically ''Film/FallingDown'', [[PlayedForLaughs played for very dark laughs]].
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14	The film follows Frank Murdoch, a middle-aged schlub who has lost his wife and his job, and worse, has just found out that he has terminal brain cancer -- ''[[TraumaCongaLine all in the span of one day]]''. Contemplating suicide, Frank's life is changed when he watches a ''Series/MySuperSweetSixteen''-esque show in which a SpoiledBrat named Chloe throws a tantrum over getting the wrong [[CoolCar fancy luxury car]] for her birthday. While most people would probably find extra motivation to go through with it after watching such a scene, Frank instead sets out to make something of the time he has left, killing Chloe and declaring war on all the annoying {{jerkass}}es and vapid pop culture figures of America. Along the way, he meets Roxanne "Roxy" Harmon, a teenage classmate of Chloe's who shares Frank's misanthropy, and joins him on his crusade.
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16	The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011, and was released on demand on April 6, 2012. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul4CZrnEFxU Here's]] the [[NotSafeForWork red-band]] trailer, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdBJRfuHUPo here's]] the green-band version.
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18	----
19	!!Tropes:
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21	* AbuseMistake: In several scenes, the audience is led to believe that someone is about to accuse Frank of mistreating Roxy. Disturbingly, nobody ever gets this wrong idea, not even when this little girl is covered in blood and alone in a car at night with an old man who shares no family resemblance with her. When someone ''finally'' gets the idea that the girl might be abused, it's a creep who asks because he wants to join in.
22	* AbusiveParents: Roxy's mom was a trailer park crack whore, and her mom's boyfriend repeatedly raped her. [[spoiler:[[BlatantLies Except she's lying through her teeth]] -- she actually came from a normal, loving family.]]
23	* ActivistFundamentalistAntics: Not only from the Westboro Baptist Church expy, but also from Frank himself.
24	* AKA47: {{Inverted\|Trope}}. Frank get his hands on a real one later on, so from his point of view it's averted. The thing is that the rifle is actually a Chinese licensed model.
25	** This substitute is actually fairly common in American films, as Russian weapons tend to be much more expensive.
26	* AssholeVictim: Pretty much everyone the protagonists kill qualifies.
27	* AttentionWhore: Roxy. The movie makes it clear that she is just as bad as Chloe and the various reality stars the film lampoons, she's just very self-entitled and typically teenage-hipsterish about it, preferring to think of herself as much more intelligent than any other teenager because she takes in a bit of older media. Yet she constantly badgers Frank to call her attractive and is disappointed when the news don't mention them by name after an attack.
28	* AuthorFilibuster: TheMovie, particularly when Frank's at work and in the climax.
29	* BlackAndWhiteInsanity:
30	** With his strict morality of right versus wrong, Frank's reality crumbles. He comes across as being less capable of comprehending the world than Roxy, who easily exploits his insecurity to get him to embark on his misguided crusade. While he's a WindmillCrusader, she seems to simply be in it ForTheEvulz.
31	** The cable news pundit, the Tea Party members and the fundamentalist picketers Frank kills are also portrayed as suffering from this, either genuinely or simply pretending to get attention.
32	* BlackComedy: Right there in the first few minutes of the film. Frank has a fantasy about killing his neighbors. The woman first holds the baby in front of her in defense, then throws it in the air (where it stays out of sight for the cameras, mind you). Frank shoots (with a shotgun), and the room is filled with blood and what can only be referred to as baby-snow.
33	* BlandNameProduct: Several real-life television shows are parodied relentlessly in the film:
34	** American Superstarz stands in for ''Series/AmericanIdol'' (with its own William Hung, named Steven Clark), while TMZ becomes [=TMI=]. As mentioned above, the plot starts when Frank watches a show akin to ''Series/MySuperSweetSixteen''.
35	** A radio station features a spot-on expy of The Opie & Anthony Show, as well as an over-the-top commercial parodying Taco Bell.
36	* CharacterFilibuster: About half of the entire movie dialogue is derived from Frank and Roxy indulging in this trope.
37	* ChekhovsSkill: Frank's ability to spin around and shoot an enemy at an indicated angle ("Nine o'clock!") that he demonstrates during Roxy's shooting training, comes back in the finale, [[spoiler:when Roxy returns just in time to warn him of a security officer sneaking up on him from behind]].
38	* ConspicuousInTheCrowd: Towards the end, Frank (who is casing a TV studio where he plans to commit a shooting spree) is identified as a threat by a security guard because he is the only one in the crowd of fans going wild over the arriving celebrities who just stands there, perfectly still and expressionless.
39	* CruelMercy: A lighthearted version. Frank decides not to kill Brad (his ex-wife's fiancé) because he wants him to suffer dealing with Frank's spoiled daughter Ava.
40	* CuteButPsycho: Roxy is a cute-as-a-button teenage girl - who is also a psychotic murderer.
41	* DisproportionateRetribution: Take more than one space when parking your car? Talk loudly with your friends in the theater? Make an ass of yourself on national television? Frank and Roxy will come after you.
42	* DrivenToSuicide: This almost happens to Frank and [[spoiler: Steven Clark. However, the latter's reason is a bit more selfish and petty.]]
43	* EvenEvilHasStandards: As Roxy says of Frank: "So you can kill a teenager, just not fuck one?"
44	* FromBadToWorse: Frank's whole life crumbles, starting with him finally realizing that his estranged daughter doesn't feel anything toward him. Then he loses his job. Then he is diagnosed with a brain tumor. All of that in a single day.
45	* FromNobodyToNightmare: Frank and Roxy.
46	* GodwinsLaw: One of the people Frank sees on TV is a Radio/GlennBeck clone who loves to invoke this, complete with an image of UsefulNotes/BarackObama's face photoshopped onto a Nazi.
47	* GunPorn: On display during the gun dealer scene.
48	* GunsAkimbo: By Frank in the end. Mind you, he uses it to spread as much lead as possible -- he's not even ''trying'' to aim.
49	* HateSink: Almost everyone Frank and Roxy kills. There's Chloe, a stuck-up 16-year-old girl who is a SpoiledBrat who throws temper tantrums, relies on being [[RichBitch rich]] and [[BeautyIsBad pretty]], and according to Roxy, was [[AlphaBitch a class-A cunt]]. There's also her obnoxious parents and the Fox anchor {{expy}} that Roxy takes pleasure in shooting many times. There's also the man at the pancake store [[{{Ephebophile}} who tries to make moves on a 16-year-old girl]]. Finally, there's the Simon Cowell expy who bullies the contestants on his show.
50	* HypocriticalHumor: Tons of it from Roxy.
51	** After shooting Michael Fuller, Roxy asks Frank what part of Fuller's politics he agreed with. After Frank replies "less gun control", Roxy replies that this would mean every nut would get to own a gun. Coming from the girl who ''just shot a cable news talk show host due to his politics''.
52	** Roxy's slamming of ''Film/{{Juno}}'' and Creator/DiabloCody.
53	** [[spoiler:Roxy's breakdown, her rant about how she's smarter than everybody else, and the revelation that she lied about her parents abusing her show that she's ultimately no different from Chloe.]] May double as a case of ThisLoserIsYou for anybody who cheered on Roxy for killing all the assholes.
54	* ImprobableAimingSkills: Either Frank or Roxy hit Fuller in the leg from more than 100 meters, using handguns. That's possible, but still...
55	** Made slightly more probable in that both were aiming to kill him (and probably aiming for center-of-mass) - they just had a... ''[[AccidentalAimingSkills fortunate]]'' [[AccidentalAimingSkills miss]]. Later it's PlayedStraight though when Roxy manages to fatally shoot some Westboro Baptist {{expy}}s from a moving car.
56	* IndulgentFantasySegue:
57	** The opening scene, in which Frank confronts his irritating neighbors.
58	** Frank shooting his co-workers when he first arrives at work.
59	* InstantMarksmanJustSqueezeTrigger: When Frank is teaching Roxy how to aim.
60	* IntelligenceEqualsIsolation: This is what Roxy think of her life. However, there's no indication that she's ''actually'' more intelligent than her peers, and is simply an incredibly self-absorbed girl who thinks too highly of herself.
61	* {{Jerkass}}:
62	** Many of the people Frank and Roxy run into, but particularly this lovely gentleman.
63	--->'''Frank:''' "You really gotta take both those spots?"\
64	'''Asshole:''' "Yeah. Fuck you."\
65	'''Frank:''' draws gun "[[PreMortemOneLiner Fuck]] ''[[PreMortemOneLiner you.]]''"
66	** Frank and Roxy as well, especially Roxy with the reveal at the end that [[spoiler:she faked being abused by her parents, among other things.]]
67	* LittleMissBadass: Roxy qualifies. [[spoiler: And then you learn she's just a {{manipulative b\|astard}}rat with a huge ego.]]
68	* LittleMissSnarker: In addition to being psychotically violent, Roxy has quite a sharp tongue.
69	* MeaningfulName: Frank. As in open-hearted, outspoken.
70	* MisanthropeSupreme: Roxy hates pretty much everyone. To a lesser extent, Frank is one too, but even he thinks that Roxy goes a little too far at times.
71	* MistakenForDying: [[spoiler:The doctor confused Frank Murdoch's CAT scan showing his brain tumor with that of another of his patients, Frank ''Burdoch'', who ''did'' have a brain tumor.]]
72	* MistakenForPedophile:
73	** Roxy mistakes Frank for a pedophile when she first sees him spying on Chloe.
74	--->'''Roxy:''' "Hey creepy. Isn't the whole schoolgirl thing a little played out?"
75	** Later he's mistaken for one by a ''real'' creep. Frank is not amused.
76	* MouthyKid: Roxy is extremely talkative and snarky.
77	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: A Glenn Beck stand-in is seen a few times in the film.
78	* OneSteveLimit: {{Averted\|Trope}}. See [[spoiler:MistakenForDying]].
79	* OutlawCouple: Frank and Roxy are a non-romantic, father/daughter version of this. Roxy even lampshades this by dressing as Bonnie Parker in one scene. It's made quite clear in a few scenes that Roxy fantasizes about them being a more standard version of this trope, though Frank doesn't.
80	* PerkyGoth: {{Exaggerated\|Trope}} in both how Roxy is Gothic to the point of being psycho and how she's perky to the point of GenkiGirl. She's always talking and smiling while planning to kill people. Her clothes and hair are normal though.
81	* PetTheDog: Just before Frank gets into the studio through the Cast/Crew entrance, he spares the Security Guard after he's given a chance to convince him that he holds no loyalty for the TV show. Frank offers him a 5 second head-start to escape.
82	* ThePresentsWereNeverFromSanta: Used in one of Roxy's rants.
83	-->"Just because some court-appointed hillbilly president started taking orders from Jesus, or the Easter Bunny, or some other make-believe play-friend of his".
84	* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: Taken to new heights, yet supplied with a rather bitter aftertaste.
85	* RealityTV: Several non-flattering examples of the medium are seen, including a reality competition show called ''[[XtremeKoolLetterz Tuff Gurlz]]'' and {{exp\|y}}ies of ''Series/MySuperSweetSixteen'', ''Series/{{Jackass}}'' and ''Series/AmericanIdol''.
86	%%* RedemptionEqualsDeath: At least for [[spoiler:Roxy]].
87	* RefugeInAudacity
88	* ReplacementGoldfish: Frank treats Roxy more or less as a replacement of his own estranged daughter, much to the frustration of Roxy herself, who wants them to be a romantic OutlawCouple.
89	* RetiredBadass: Going by the medal in his gun box and his proficiency with guns, Frank is most likely ex-military.
90	* RuleOfSymbolism: For fun, try counting how much American iconography (flags, red/white/blue motifs, etc.) appears throughout the movie. You'll probably lose count within just the first ten minutes.
91	* ShootTheShaggyDog: Frank and Roxy both turn up at the ''Series/AmericanIdol'' {{expy}} show, Frank delivers a speech to the camera, [[spoiler:Roxy apologizes for lying, they both open fire, and are immediately gunned down by the nearby police. Cue end credits.]]
92	* ShoutOut:
93	** Frank's dream is at first just like [[Series/{{Dexter}} Dexter Morgan's]] fantasy about how everyone is cheering at him for "taking out the trash" by murdering undesirable people. It then moves on to portray Frank as being JFK about to get shot, a reminder that it's actually not all that cool when people kill people they don't like.
94	** The scene with the guns dealer is practically copied from ''Film/TaxiDriver''. Bonus points for using a Walther 38 as one of the guns -- the Walther PPK, its successor, was used in ''Film/TaxiDriver''.
95	** The gun dealer's line about the AK-47 is lifted directly from ''Film/JackieBrown''.
96	** An offhand remark mentions Robin Williams in a pool looking like Sasquatch. Goldthwait's previous film ''Film/WorldsGreatestDad'' starred Robin Williams and included a scene in a pool, for which he shaved his body.
97	* ShowWithinTheShow: Lots of them, and all of them despicable. It blends together with the main movie, since most of it is reality TV. Chloe is a Jerk Sue in her own show, but merely a huge {{Jerkass}} in the real life of the setting.
98	* ASinisterClue: Both Frank and Roxy fire from the left hand (at least, until he teaches her a proper firing stance).
99	* SirSwearsALot: Both characters swear a bit, but Roxy in particular is incredibly foul-mouthed.
100	* SpoiledBrat: Ava, Frank's young daughter. Made more prominent because Frank's ex-wife spoils her; there's a notable scene where Ava throws a tantrum over not getting an iPhone (she got a [=BlackBerry=]), and when Frank asks his ex why she bought a phone like that for her anyway, she dismisses him with a whine. It's indirectly addressed, but it's a big TakeThat towards the "helicopter parents" that emerged in TheEighties who coddle and spoil their children. There's also Chloe, the girl who threw a fit over not getting the luxury car she really wanted on her birthday.
101	* StrawmanPolitical: The parodies of Radio/GlennBeck, [[Series/TheOReillyFactor Bill O'Reilly]] and [[TheFundamentalist the Westboro Baptist Church]].
102	* SugaryMalice: The big difference between Chloe and Roxy is that Chloe is open about being a jerk, while Roxy is sweet and polite about her utterly depraved psychopathy.
103	* SuicideByCop: [[spoiler:Frank and Roxy's final fate at the end.]]
104	* TakeThat: Over and over, targeting pretty much everything that annoys writer Bobcat Goldthwait.
105	* TeachMeHowToFight: Frank teaches Roxy how to hold a gun steady and aim straight.
106	* TerminallyIllCriminal: Frank is diagnosed with incurable brain cancer early in the film and sets out on a killing spree, targeting people he considers detrimental to society. {{Subverted}} later on when his doctor discovers that he has misdiagnosed him and Frank has been healthy the whole time. By that time, though, Frank is too far gone and sets up an elaborate SuicideByCop at the set of the talent show he most despises.
107	* ThisLoserIsYou: Frank is a classic case, Roxy a variation. The audience is given every chance to identify with them. The red flags are everywhere, but portrayed in a way that allow viewers to ignore them at their leisure. However, just in case some people didn't understand from square one that they are both deeply mentally deranged [[spoiler:and that Roxy is just as petty and self-centered as the people she -- and, by extension, the audience -- hates]], it gets rubbed in for good measure towards the end of the movie. Double if you think that young teenage girls covered in blood are sexy.
108	* TrailersAlwaysSpoil:
109	** {{Subverted}}. The trailer appears to give a summary of the entire movie, but the movie quickly deviates from the trailer. Small changes at first, but enough for the viewer to be unsure about what will happen next.
110	** But also played painfully straight: [[spoiler: at least one trailer for the movie shows shots from the final shootout, revealing that Roxy will reconcile]]. Also, combined with TrailersAlwaysLie: in said trailer, Frank training Roxy in shooting is shown, along with Frank's line "you're aiming at the bear, right?". In the trailer, this is intercut with a shot of the Bill O'Reilly Expy being gunned down.
111	* UnflinchingWalk: Subverted. [[spoiler: Frank starts one after leaving a restrained Chloe to die a fiery death inside her burning car, but the flaming rag he stuck in her fuel tank falls out before it could actually ignite the car. He runs back over and tries to pick up the flaming rag, but, well, it's on fire. He ends up
112	* VillainProtagonist: Frank and Roxy are both insanely violent murderers.
113	* WindmillCrusader: Frank, who seems to believe that he's actually doing something worthwhile. Unlike Roxy, he seems rather naive -- not unlike the television kid he keeps identifying with and feeling sorry for for all the wrong reasons.
114	* WorldOfJerkass: Pretty much every character, and that includes the main characters, is either a raging asshole with a chip on their shoulder or at the very least extremely selfish and unrepentant about it.
115	* WriterOnBoard: The characters are pretty much mouthpieces for Goldthwait.

Context Film / GodBlessAmerica