History Film / GodBlessAmerica

'''Roxy:''' [[IResembleThatRemark But Frank, then every nut would have a gun]].

* 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 have emerged in TheEighties that coddle and spoil their children.

->'''Wounded Michael Fuller''': Are you really willing to DIE, just because you don't think I'm NICE? [[CharacterFilibuster [...] ]]\\
'''Roxy''': He just wishes everyone would act nice. I, on the other hand, think your politics are SHIT! ([[BoomHeadshot BAM!]])\\
'''Fuller''': You bitch...\\
'''Roxy''': [[InsultBackfire Yep!]] ([[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill BAM! BAM-BAM-BAM!]]) ''[standing over the fresh corpse, with the smoking gun in her hand]'' Frank, exactly what part of his politics do you agree with?\\
'''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.\\
'''Roxy''': [[IResembleThatRemark But Frank, then every nut would have a gun]].

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: Subverted. The trailer appears to give a summary of the entire movie, but the movie quickly deviate from the trailer. Small changes at first, but enough for the viewer to be unsure about what will happen next.

* WindmillCrusader: Frank, who seem to believe that he's actually doing something worthwhile. Unlike Roxy, he seem rather naive -- not unlike the mentally-handicapped television kid he keeps identifying with and feeling sorry for for all the wrong reasons.

->'''Wounded Michael Fuller''': ''Are you really willing to DIE, just because you don't think I'm NICE?'' [[CharacterFilibuster [...] ]]
->'''Roxy''': ''He just wishes everyone would act nice. I, on the other hand, think your politics are SHIT!'' ([[BoomHeadshot BAM!]])
->'''Fuller, dying words''': ''You bitch..."
->'''Roxy''': ''[[InsultBackfire Yep!]]'' ([[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill BAM! BAM-BAM-BAM!]])
->'''Roxy[[note]]standing over the fresh corpse, with the smoking gun in her hand[[/note]]''': ''Frank, exactly what part of his politics do you agree with?''
->'''Frank[[note]]still holding the gun with which he just shot (and wounded) a guy simply because he didn't like that guy's attitude in a television show[[/note]]''': ''Less gun control, of course.''
->'''Roxy''': ''[[IResembleThatRemark But Frank, then every nut would have a gun.]]''

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: Subverted. The trailer appears to give a summary of the entire movie, but the movie quickly deviate from the trailer. Small changes as first, but enough for the viewer to be unsure about what will happen next.

* WindmillCrusader: Frank, who seem to believe that he's actually doing something worthwhile. Unlike Roxy, he seem rather naive -- not unlike the retarded television kid he keeps identifying with and feeling sorry for for all the wrong reasons.

* GodwinsLaw: One of the people Frank sees on TV is a Radio/GlennBeck clone who loves to invoke this, complete with an image of BarackObama's face photoshopped onto a Nazi.

* AbuseMistake: In several scenes, the audience is led to believe that someone is about to accuse Frank of mistreating Roxy. Disturbingly, nobody ever get 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.

->'''Roxy''': ''But Frank, then every nut would have a gun.''

''God Bless America'' is a 2011 {{black comedy}} written and directed by Goldthwait and starring Joel Murray (brother of Creator/{{Bill|Murray}}) and Tara Lynne Barr. The plot is basically ''Film/FallingDown'', [[PlayedForLaughs played for very dark laughs]]. It 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,]]'' [[TraumaCongaLine no less]]. Contemplating suicide, Frank's life is changed when he watches a ''TV/MySuperSweetSixteen''-esque show in which a {{spoiled brat}} 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.

* RealityTV: Several non-flattering examples of the medium are seen, including a reality competition show called ''[[XtremeKoolLetterz Tuff Gurlz]]'' and {{exp|y}}ies of ''MySuperSweetSixteen'', ''Series/{{Jackass}}'' and ''Series/AmericanIdol''.

->'''Expy, dying words''': ''You bitch..."

* [[spoiler:ShootTheShaggyDog:]] Frank and Roxie both turn up at the ''Series/AmericanIdol'' {{Expy}} show, Frank delivers a speech to the camera, Roxie [[spoiler:apologises for lying]], they both open fire, [[spoiler: and are immediately gunned down by the ensuing police force. Cue end credits.]]

->'''Wounded Bill O'Reilly Expy''': ''Are you really willing to DIE, just because you don't think I'm NICE?'' [[CharacterFilibuster [...] ]]

Have you ever watched a particularly annoying {{reality show}} and thought to yourself, "man, someone should give those little twits what they have coming to them"? Well, Creator/BobcatGoldthwait, maker of ''WorldsGreatestDad'', feels your pain.

''God Bless America'' is a 2011 {{black comedy}} written and directed by Goldthwait and starring Joel Murray (brother of Creator/{{Bill|Murray}}) and Tara Lynne Barr. The plot is basically ''FallingDown'', [[PlayedForLaughs played for very dark laughs]]. It 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,]]'' [[TraumaCongaLine no less]]. Contemplating suicide, Frank's life is changed when he watches a ''MySuperSweetSixteen''-esque show in which a {{spoiled brat}} 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.

* 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, prefering 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.

* BlackComedy: Right there in the first few minutes of the film. Frank has a fantasy about killing his neighbours. The woman first holds the baby in front of her in defence, then throw 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.

* GodwinsLaw: One of the people Frank sees on TV is a GlennBeck clone who loves to invoke this, complete with an image of BarackObama's face photoshopped onto a Nazi.

** Arguably, Roxy's slamming of ''{{Juno}}'' and Creator/DiabloCody.

** Frank and Roxy as well for some people.

** An offhand remark mentions Robin Williams in a pool looking like Sasquatch. Goldthwait's previous film ''WorldsGreatestDad'' starred Robin Williams and included a scene in a pool, for which he shaved his body.

* StrawmanPolitical: The parodies of GlennBeck, [[Series/TheOReillyFactor Bill O'Reilly]] and [[TheFundamentalist the Westboro Baptist Church]].

Have you ever watched a particularly annoying {{reality show}} and thought to yourself, "man, someone should give those little twits what they have coming to them"? Well, BobcatGoldthwait, maker of ''WorldsGreatestDad'', feels your pain.

''God Bless America'' is a 2011 {{black comedy}} written and directed by Goldthwait and starring Joel Murray (brother of {{Bill|Murray}}) and Tara Lynne Barr. The plot is basically ''FallingDown'', [[PlayedForLaughs played for very dark laughs]]. It 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,]]'' [[TraumaCongaLine no less]]. Contemplating suicide, Frank's life is changed when he watches a ''MySuperSweetSixteen''-esque show in which a {{spoiled brat}} 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.

''God Bless America'' is a 2011 {{black comedy}} written and directed by Goldthwait and starring Joel Murray (brother of {{Bill|Murray}}) and Tara Lynne Barr. The plot is basically ''FallingDown'', [[PlayedForLaughs played for very dark laughs]]. It 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 -- ''all in the span of one day,'' no less. Contemplating suicide, Frank's life is changed when he watches a ''MySuperSweetSixteen''-esque show in which a {{spoiled brat}} 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.

** The scene with the guns dealer is practically copied from ''TaxiDriver''. Bonus points for using a Walther 38 as one of the guns -- the Walther PPK, its successor, was used in ''TaxiDriver''.
** The gun dealer's line about the AK-47 is lifted directly from ''JackieBrown''.

->'''Roxy[[hottip:*:standing over the fresh corpse, with the smoking gun in her hand]]''': ''Frank, exactly what part of his politics do you agree with?''
->'''Frank[[hottip:*:still holding the gun with which he just shot (and wounded) a guy simply because he didn't like that guy's attitude in a television show]]''': ''Less gun control, of course.''

* [[spoiler:ShootTheShaggyDog:]] Frank and Roxie both turn up at the AmericanIdol {{Expy}} show, Frank delivers a speech to the camera, Roxie [[spoiler:apologises for lying]], they both open fire, [[spoiler: and are immediately gunned down by the ensuing police force. Cue end credits.]]

* RealityTV: Several non-flattering examples of the medium are seen, including a reality competition show called ''[[XtremeKoolLetterz Tuff Gurlz]]'' and {{exp|y}}ies of ''MySuperSweetSixteen'', ''Series/{{Jackass}}'' and ''AmericanIdol''.

Have you ever watched a particularly annoying {{reality show}} and thought to yourself, "man, someone should give those little twits what they have coming to them"? Well, Bobcat Goldthwait, maker of ''WorldsGreatestDad'', feels your pain.

** Though with the O'Reilly one, Frank does admit to agreeing with some of his politics, strawman or not. [[FunnyMoments Roxy doesn't like this.]]

*** And the AK-47 monologue is lifted directly from from JackieBrown.
** Towards the end one of the Take That variety is made about Robin Williams, the star of the director's [[WorldsGreatestDad previous film]].

'''Film/GodBlessAmerica''' is a 2011 {{black comedy}} written and directed by Goldthwait and starring Joel Murray (brother of {{Bill|Murray}}) and Tara Lynne Barr. The plot is basically ''FallingDown'', [[PlayedForLaughs played for very dark laughs]]. It 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 -- ''all in the span of one day,'' no less. Contemplating suicide, Frank's life is changed when he watches a ''MySuperSweetSixteen''-esque show in which a {{spoiled brat}} 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.