Fight Club (1999)

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Plot Summary

(This kind of movie is very special, so I decided not to go over some plots and keep the end of the movie in secret so that those who haven’t seen the film can experience a big surprise.)

Los Angeles 1990s,

A young urban professional (the narrator) who worked for a major car manufacturer and suffered from insomnia . Although he didn’t really have any social interactions, he decided to attend group therapy sessions for people who had survived various diseases, which in turn allowed him to sleep. But the use of these support groups was ruined when he met a young woman named Marla, who was also going to all these support group therapy sessions. Marla’s presence lessened the of the pressure of his life. But, his life really changed when he met a soap manufacturer named Tyler on a flight home. Tyler, in many ways, was the exact opposite of the narrator. Due to unusual circumstances with his own condo, the narrator moved in with Tyler, who lived in a large but old and poor house in an abandoned part of town. After some real fights with Tyler in a bar parking lot, the narrator found the fighting became a ritual between the two of them, which helped him deal with the other more difficult aspects of his life. The fights also attracted others who not only wanted to watch but joined in. Understanding that there are other men like them, the narrator and Tyler started a secret fight club with strict rules for its members. As the fight club’s popularity grew, so did its scope in all aspects. Marla then became a circle not specifically of the fight clubs but of Tyler and the narrator’s lives. As the nature of the fight clubs became out of control in the narrator’s view and his life, he no longer understood what was happening around him and decided that there was only one way out: killing himself.

What’s in it for me?

This movie has everything I could possibly want from a film and the thing that excites me the most, is that it probably has even more that I am yet to discover. I also think that people may have different views of the film depending on their current life. I watched the movie 3 times in different periods of time, each time I figured out a new thing to think about.

This film first of all challenge our concept of happiness. For some people, happiness is just a good sleep. It’s also about taking action. It is a story of how one man changes his life when he decides to “just do it” and there are motivations for anyone to do the same thing for whatever they want to achieve in life. Even deeper than the message to take action, is the criticism of those who don’t dare to take action, of those who avoid living in the moment to pursuit unreal values. It’s a result of consumerism and materialism. I found another message of the movie that may be live your own life, don’t live other’s.

Who’s in the movie?

Director:

David Fincher.  He was nominated 2 Oscars for Best Achievement in Directing with The Social Network (2010) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). He’s also known for directing Gone Girl (2014), Se7en (1995), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Zodiac (2007)

Stars:

Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt won an Oscar for Best Motion Picture of the Year with 12 Years a Slave (2013). He’s also know for Moneyball (2011), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Babel (2006), Twelve Monkeys (1995), Inglourious Basterds (2009), Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Mr. & Mrs Smith (2005). Brad Pitt had two infamous divorce with Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie. 

Edward Norton. Norton was nominated Oscars for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role  with Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), Best Actor in a Leading Role with American History X (1998), and Best Actor in a Supporting Role with Primal Fear (1996). 

Ratings

People like this movie should watch

The Machinist (2004)

Se7en (1995)

Gone Girl (2014)

American Psycho (2000)

American History X (1998)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Lost in America (1985)

Photo from Imdb

Plot Summary

Los Angeles 1980s,

David and Linda Howard were successful “yuppies” in LA. He’s an advertising executive, waiting for a promotion to be a vice president of a big advertising company. She’s an assistant manager in a department store. On the morning of David’s last day at work (he didn’t know it would be his last day,) he had a long, luxurious telephone conversation with a Mercedes dealer, talking about a $80,000 car. A few minutes later, he’s called into the boss’s office and told that he would not get the promotion he thought he deserved – to be the company’s vice president. Instead, he’s going to New York to handle the Ford account. David’s angry and humiliated his bosses. He decided to quit his job. David then went to Linda’s workplace to convince her to quit her job to spend the rest of their lives traveling around America like in the movie “Easy Rider.” The couple liquidated their assets, bought a Winnebago (a luxurious mobile home with wheels in 1980s,) and estimated they still had enough cash (they called it nest egg) for their long trip.

Their first destination was Las Vegas as Linda wished they would have a luxurious wedding for one night. It turned to be a disappointing night because they hadn’t reserved a senior room which would have a king bed and a bathtub, and only got a junior room although David spent $100 for the receptionist. Getting up next day’s early morning, David didn’t see Linda and started looking for her. It turned out that she’s at the hotel’s casino when he slept. She lost all of their savings playing roulette. David then tried to talk to a casino manager into giving back the money. Although David kept convincing the manager about improving the casino image by giving back the money, his effort didn’t work.

With nowhere to go, the couple quarreled at the Hoover Dam, where David was very angry at Linda and she hopped on a car leaving him. David chased after the car, then found Linda in a restaurant with another man. As David tried to talk to Linda, the man thought David wanted to hurt Linda so he punched David in the face. Linda had to yell “Call the police,” the man then drove away as he’s a wanted man.

The couple then decided to go to Arizona, ended up in Safford. Here, the desperate couple tried to find work to support themselves. David had an interview with an unemployment counselor, who listened and baffled to David explaining why he left a $100,000-a-year job because he couldn’t “find himself.” He ended up taking a job as a crossing guard with nearly $6 an hour. Meanwhile, Linda had a job at a local hot dogs store with the fact that her new boss was a teenage boy.

Only a few days after beginning their pursuit of the dream of dropping out of society, David and Linda decided that it’s better to get back to their old lifestyle as soon as possible. They pointed their mobile home toward New York where David begged for his old job back. He finally got his job back with a 31% salary cut while Linda got a job with Bloomingdale’s and was expecting their first child.

What’s in it for me?

“To those few that have the courage to drop out and find themselves, may God be with you and take you through Utah, avoiding Nevada completely.” – This final line in the movie tells it all. Yes, not everyone has the courage to drop out of society to pursuit their dreams, but when you have it, you should be careful with your other desires (gambling in Vegas is a typical example.) That’s only the second time Linda plays gambling and she lost all of their nest egg. Needless to say, gambling can be an addictive habit, even in short-term, and it can happen to anyone.

I also think about another saying, “You don’t know what you’ve got, till it’s gone.” It’s true because David and his wife only recognize they suit the old lifestyle with high-paid jobs when they are almost broke and working dead end jobs. It’s also true because David almost loses his wife after an argument at the Hoover Dam till he realizes she’s more important than their nest egg.

I’m in a dilemma in my late 20s just like the couple in the movie. On the one hand, I want to give up everything just to travel the world, do what I want to do, enjoy my life. On the other hand, I’m afraid of dropping out of society. What about my family? What about my friends? What about my future? It’s easier said than done, and as the saying goes, “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.”

Who’s in the movie?

Director:

Albert Brooks. He’s also an actor and a writer. Brooks was nominated Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role with Broadcast News (1987), nominated Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture with Drive (2011). As a  director and writer, Brooks’s also known for Modern Romance (1981), The Real Life (1979). As an actor, he’s known for Concussion (2015), Drive (2011), Taxi Driver (1976).

Stars:

Albert Brooks as David.

Julie Hagerty as Linda. She received many awards at US Comedy Arts Festival, but also famous for being nominated Razzie Awards for Worst Supporting Actress with Freddy Got Fingered (2001).

Ratings

People like this should watch

Easy Rider (1969)

Into the Wild (2007)

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)