How Come Nobody Brings Up 1999's Arlington Road When It Comes To Movies With Great Plot Twists?

There are certain movies with plot twists that everybody still talks about, like The Sixth Sense, Fight Club, and The Usual Suspects.

In fact, some movies are actually known for having bad plot twists, like The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, Iron Man 3, and Signs (though I actually like Signs now). These are examples of “twists” that are so horrendous that they actually detract from the overall film rather than enhance it. And then, you have films with tremendous plot twists, but have still been forgotten, with 1999's Arlington Road being one such film.

Perhaps we can blame it on the fact that 1999 is often considered one of the greatest years in cinema history, since we got movies like The Matrix, Toy Story 2, Eyes Wide Shut, and many others. So, here’s why Arlington Road should be remembered, even after all these years.

And yes, spoilers up ahead.

First Of All, The Plot About Domestic Terrorism Still Feels Possible

Post-9/11, the word “terrorism” became synonymous with people from overseas (remember the whole Bush-era “War on Terror”?). However, pre-9/11, the concern was mainly centered on domestic terrorism. This is mostly because of instances such as the Oklahoma City bombing.

You have to understand. While the 1990s are sometimes looked back upon as the halcyon days, the ‘90s were also the era of Columbine and the Ruby Ridge standoff, the latter of which is actually alluded to in this film. Arlington Road speaks to that sense of unease and distrust in fellow Americans, and one could argue that it's still relevant today, similar to the Academy Award-winning picture, One Battle After Another.

In this story, a professor named Michael (Jeff Bridges) teaches about American terrorism at George Washington University. He gets new neighbors named Oliver and Cheryl Lang (portrayed by Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack, respectively), and they seem perfect. Their kids even became fast friends. It all seems like things will work out just fine…until Michael finds out that his neighbors’ real names aren’t Lang at all, but rather Fenimore, and that they may be connected to a terrorist bombing from the past…and that he might strike again.

What follows is a case study in paranoia, which I'll talk about next.

The Sense Of Paranoia Is Ratched Up To Extreme

I hate being paranoid, but I love movies centered around paranoia. It’s why a movie like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas might not be loved by the critics, but I’m a HUGE fan. There’s just something to be said for a movie that can capture that unsettling feeling that things just aren’t right, and you’re stuck right in the middle of it, and Arlington Road captures that feeling to perfection.

Jeff Bridges' character lost his wife in an incident similar to the Ruby Ridge standoff, and ever since then, he’s been peeking through curtains and around corners. Which is why when Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack’s characters seem to be a bit suspicious, it sends him on a tailspin of wondering if the people next door are actually terrorists.

And, here’s the thing. His paranoia is justified since they ARE terrorists. Throughout the film, we’re left wondering if Michael’s suspicions are sound, and when we learn that they are (and that his son is caught in the middle), the tension is ratched up to the extreme.

The whole movie builds, and builds, and builds (and Jeff Bridges gets sweatier, and sweatier, and sweatier), to the point where you’re literally on the edge of your sofa, wondering if the terrorist couple will get away with it…which I’ll get into soon. But first, I want to talk about Tim Robbins, since I think this might be my favorite performance of his.

This Is Definitely One Of Tim Robbins Best Performances

Not too long ago, I wrote about how good Mystic River is, and Tim Robbins won an Oscar for his performance in that movie. And, I’m sure that most people would probably say that their favorite Tim Robbins film is The Shawshank Redemption (though I’m not a huge fan), or maybe even Jacob’s Ladder if you’re a real one. The point I’m trying to make here, though, is that Tim Robbins is a really good actor, and it always surprises me when people bring up some of his other movies, but always neglect to mention Arlington Road.

That might be because the film itself isn't often remembered. In the movie, Robbins has to do what he does best, which is play unassuming characters with rich inner worlds. As a domestic terrorist who's just trying to pass for an everyday citizen, he’s polite, helpful, and neighborly. But, behind closed doors, he's plotting to blow up the J. Edgar Hoover Building, and mostly because he thinks that the country has failed its people.

At no point are you actually rooting for him once Michael uncovers the truth, but you do find him incredibly compelling, especially when it comes to the lengths he's willing to go through in order to see his plan to the end (Joan Cusack also has a standout performance as his like-minded wife).

In the end, though, it's just a stellar performance, and I wish more people talked about it.

And Again, That Twist Ending!

Okay, so now onto the twist, since I did say at the start of this article that there would be spoilers. I honestly think the best swerves are the ones where the protagonists end up growing as a result. That could be why the twist in Arlington Road might be so buried in cinema history, since it’s so damn nihilistic and sad. In a way, it’s sort of like the twist ending of Se7en, where the villain wins, as that’s what happens in Arlington Road. Tim Robbins’ character is victorious.

You see, once Michael uncovers William Fenimore’s plan to blow up the FBI headquarters, he’s actually the one who carries out the explosion by accident, even though he didn’t even realize that he was the one carrying the bomb in the first place. Once he’s at the J. Edgar Hoover Building, the bomb in his car detonates, and HE’S the one who’s viewed as the terrorist. In fact, the news portrays him as a lone wolf, and all of the paranoia that he exhibited earlier in the film only adds fuel to the fire that he was guilty.

The worst part is, his own son will grow up believing that his father was a terrorist, when in actuality, he was trying to stop the terrorists. Mr. and Mrs. Fenimore, aka Mr. and Mrs. Lang, get away with it, preparing to move to another suburb, free to strike again scot-free.

It’s a really depressing twist, and one that solidifies Arlington Road as being one of the best movies of 1999 that you may not have seen.