Fighting Back (1982 American film)

The film opens with Philadelphia television reporters viewing and broadcasting a news story about violence in society since JFK's assassination in 1963. With the increase in crime, Philadelphia is becoming unsafe. Proud Italian-American, John D'Angelo, runs a deli in town. While driving with his wife, Lisa, John comes across a pimp known as Eldorado, brutalizing one of his prostitutes. John's wife confronts the pimp, who chases the D'Angelos and rams his car into the back of the D'Angelos' vehicle, injuring Lisa and killing their unborn baby. Later, John's mother, Vera, is assaulted in the neighborhood by robbers who tried to take her wedding ring.

John decides to make a stand, organizing a neighborhood patrol of regular citizens who are also fed up with the crime in their neighborhood. They call themselves The People's Neighborhood Patrol (PNP). They have their own uniforms of blue hats and vests that have a PNP logo on them, headquarters to take phone calls, and vehicles containing the PNP logo and led by John and his best friend Vince Morelli, a police officer. After D'Angelo's house is burglarized and their dog is killed, the film cuts to the reporters' studio footage of Anthony Imperiale ten years after the 1967 Newark riots, self-defense classes in Beverly Hills, various target practice sessions and the Guardian Angels on patrol in New York City. With Vince's help, the police allow the PNP to patrol the neighborhood. However, the PNP seems to operate with no regard for the law and does what it wants. To make their first stand and to introduce themselves to the neighborhood, the group goes to a dirty bar in town known for being a hot spot for criminals, including Eldorado and his men. John casually walks into the bar with the rest of the PNP behind him. John confronts the bartender (Allan Graf) to try to get answers as to who is responsible for mugging his mother. Things turn violent when the bartender laughs in John's face, triggering an all-out brawl, but the PNP comes out on top.

John and the PNP start gaining media attention, and the neighborhood starts to rally behind the PNP. The group starts taking out various street criminals. The PNP operates above the law. John does what he wants, and his actions are seen as racial discrimination by a small portion of the African-American community. John meets with Ivanhoe Washington, a black leader of a similar vigilante movement. Ivanhoe presents John with the two men who mugged his mother, one of whom is white while the other is black. John beats up the black man, proving Ivanhoe's point that John is guilty of discrimination.

With widespread media attention, John decides to run for councilman in the upcoming election. Just when things are looking good for the city, tragedy strikes when Vince is gunned down and killed at the hands of Eldorado and his men. In retaliation, John organizes a large-scale attack on the park where Vince was killed. All members of the PNP head to the park, where they demand for everyone in the park to clear out. When their demands are ignored, the PNP takes action and starts to clear out the park by brute force. A large brawl soon erupts, and police arrive on the scene not long afterward. John spots Eldorado and chases after him; during the chase, John is tackled and arrested by police. Eldorado manages to get away.

Meeting with the Police Commissioner, John is informed where Eldorado is, the Commissioner sardonically explaining that John can understand that at the moment the police are "too busy" to arrest Eldorado and in effect inviting John to assassinate Eldorado. When John explains he does not know how to thank him, the Commissioner says "oh yes, he does" and explains that his job is based on working with people and paying and collecting favors and that John is going to owe him some big favors when he is elected.

Essentially having permission from the Commissioner to take out Eldorado, John waits patiently on the roof above Eldorado's vehicle. When Eldorado and his men enter the car, John drops a grenade through the vehicle's roof. The grenade explodes, killing everyone inside the car.

John ends up winning the election, and a large celebration with family and friends takes place inside his deli. The PNP has cleaned up the neighborhood, and crime is no more. The final scene shows children playing in the same park that was once occupied by criminals.

• Tom Skerritt as John D'Angelo
• Patti LuPone as Lisa D'Angelo
• Michael Sarrazin as Vince Morelli
• Yaphet Kotto as Ivanhoe Washington
• David Rasche as Michael Taylor
• Lewis Van Bergen as Laz Burkofsky
• Earle Hyman as Police Officer
• Ted Ross as Police Commissioner
• Frank Sivero as Frank Russo
• Pat Cooper as Harry Janelli
• Paul Rawson as Jim
• Gina DeAngelis as Vera D'Angerlo
• Allan Graf as Carl-The Bartender
• Donna de Varona as Sara Rogers
• Jonathan Adam Sherman as Danny D'Angelo
• Pete Richardson as Eldorado
• Joseph Rangno as Mike Pelyk
• Sal Richards as Bill Gallo
• Jim Moody as Lester Baldwin

Fighting Back was mostly filmed in and around the Kensington section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[16]

Opening the weekend of May 23, 1982, Fighting Back brought in $1,624,381. The film received $3,355,948 in gross sales.[17]

Fighting Back was released in theatres on May 21, 1982. The film was released on VHS in the United Kingdom.[21]

• Fighting Back at IMDb