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Training Day is a 2001 crime film directed by Antoine Fuqua,written by David Ayer and starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The movie follows two LAPD narcotics detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South Los Angeles.
Training Day features appearances by actors Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger, Harris Yulin, Raymond J. Barry, Terry Crews, and Eva Mendes. Musical artists Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Macy Gray were also featured.
movie follows a single day in the life of a young LAPD cop Jake Hoyt (Hawke) as he is
subject to a single day evaluation by Alonzo Harris (Washington), a highly decorated LAPD police narcotics officer.
After meeting a coffee shop, Jake rides with Alonzo in his car, a black 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo lowrider during the day.
During the first few moments of their interaction, it becomes quickly apparent that Jake's 'by the book' dictum is in stark contrast to 's philosophy of blending in with the street; They first detain some college students buying marijuana from a dealer, but instead of arresting them they just take their drugs.
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Quotations
Category:2001 films
Category:Drama films
To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf.
King Kong ain't got shit on me!
Encyclopedia
Training Day is a 2001 crime film directed by Antoine Fuqua,written by David Ayer and starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The movie follows two LAPD narcotics detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South Los Angeles.
Training Day features appearances by actors Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger, Harris Yulin, Raymond J. Barry, Terry Crews, and Eva Mendes. Musical artists Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Macy Gray were also featured.
Plot
The movie follows a single day in the life of a young LAPD cop Jake Hoyt (Hawke) as he is
subject to a single day evaluation by Alonzo Harris (Washington), a highly decorated LAPD police narcotics officer.
After meeting a coffee shop, Jake rides with Alonzo in his car, a black 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo lowrider during the day.
During the first few moments of their interaction, it becomes quickly apparent that Jake's 'by the book' dictum is in stark contrast to 's philosophy of blending in with the street; They first detain some college students buying marijuana from a dealer, but instead of arresting them they just take their drugs. Jake is suddenly put into a compromising position when Alonzo offers him a hit of the marijuana (that is, unknown to Jake, laced with PCP) as a test of his 'street smarts', threatening to throw him out if he doesn't smoke it. Jake relents under pressure and does what he is told.
Alonzo then takes Jake to the home of a man named Roger (Scott Glenn), with whom Alonzo appears to have a close relationship. As they're cruising down the street later on, Jake notices a female high school student being attacked by two men in a side alley and jumps out to save her while Alonzo watches. Jake wants to process the men and the girl, but Alonzo dismisses her and leaves the two men out on the street. Jake discovers the girl's pink wallet before he leaves and picks it up.
They then go on to harass a drug dealer named Blue (Snoop Dogg) and steal drug money in the presence of a dealer's wife (Macy Gray) and nephew, after which Jake is transported to the Jungles to visit Alonzo's Salvadoran mistress, Sara (Eva Mendes), and their young son, where he establishes that the gangs in the housing project all fear and respect him. This is followed by a meet with three high ranking police officers — known as the "Three Wisemen": D.A. Stan Gursky (Tom Berenger), Detective Doug Rosselli (Harris Yulin), and Captain Lou Jacobs (Raymond J. Barry) — where it is clear from their conversation that Alonzo has bigger problems than breaking in a new rookie, but the details are left very vague. They thus give him permission to "cash in" on an "account".
Alonzo goes back to Roger's home with Jake and some fellow narcs led by Jeff (Peter Greene), Paul (Dr. Dre), their followers Tim (Nick Chinlund) and Mark (Jaime Gomez), seizing Roger's money stash hidden underneath the floor of his kitchen, and offering a cut to the team (though Jake refuses it) before shooting Roger as he sits unarmed and helpless. Jake is horrified by what he has just witnessed and while the crew sets out to manipulate the crime scene, he snaps, resulting in a tense standoff between him and the corrupt officers. But he soon realizes his predicament and surrenders when Alonzo mentions the department's blood test as his wild card, which would ruin him as it would detect the PCP he had smoked during the day. The backup arrives to clean up, and Jake expresses his overall disgust at the way Alonzo operates, to which Alonzo replies that it is part of his pragmatic methodology.
The pair later arrive at the home of a Latino gangster named "Smiley," (Cliff Curtis) who is playing poker with two other gang members Moreno (Noel Gugliemi) and Sniper (Raymond Cruz). After playing a hand, Jake becomes aware that Alonzo has abandoned him to the thugs, after which Smiley informs him of Alonzo's situation; he must pay one million dollars to the Russian mob for killing one of their couriers in Las Vegas, or face death - which would explain the heist on Roger's stash. Jake tries to escape, but he is overpowered and dragged into the bathroom to be shot. They ignore his mercy pleas and search his pockets, finding the pink wallet he had picked up earlier which, coincidentally, belongs to Smiley's cousin. Jake desperately tells him where he found it, and Smiley calls his cousin, who confirms Jake's story and provides his physical description. Smiley is visibly moved by the coincidence and calls off the hit, letting him go and returning his gun.
Jake returns to Sara's apartment looking for Alonzo; he attempts to arrest him as he tries to make his appointment with the Russians, but Alonzo resists. Jake eventually subdues him, after which gang members and local residents begin congregating to watch the conflict. Alonzo tries to get the crowd on his side, but it becomes evident that Jake had stripped him of his power and that the neighborhood has had enough of him; they allow Jake to walk away with the money, who intends to turn it in as evidence.
In his desperate escape to LAX, a broken Alonzo meets his end when a crew of Russian hitmen viciously gun him down at a quiet intersection. The final scene has Jake pulling into his driveway and going home to his family: Jake's wife, Lisa (Charlotte Ayanna), while a radio broadcast reports Alonzo's death — describing it as occurring honorably in the line of duty, instead of the more sordid truth the movie has revealed.
Cast
Screen play and Pre Prodcution
The screenplay written by David Ayer was sold on spec for $1 million dollars. The script was then altered to add some aspects of the Rampart Scandal, which took place after it was written. The look of Alonzo Harris were designed to resemble Rafael Pérez's, who played a central role in the Rampart Scandal. Bruce Willis was originally offered Denzel Washington's role while Eminem was supposed to make his major film debut in Training Day but turned it down for his lead role in 8 Mile
Production
Antoinie Fuqua wanted Training Day to look as authentic as possible, and he shot on location in some of the most infamous neighborhoods of Los Angeles, California. He even obtained permission to shoot in the Imperial Courts housing project. It was the first time L.A. street gangs allowed cameras to be brought into the Imperial Courts neighborhood. The crew also filmed in Hoover Block. Parts of the film were shot on a dead end street called Palmwood Dr where the Black P. Stones Blood gang members were seen on the rooftops. Cle Shaheed Sloan, the gang technical advisor of Training Day, managed to get on screen real-life gang members from Rollin' 60 Crips, PJ Watts
Crips and B.P.Stones Bloods.
According to Fuqua's commentary on the DVD release of the film, the actors and crew ended up receiving a warm welcome from local residents. When Fuqua wasn't able to shoot a scene directly on location, he recreated the locations on sets.
There were also two police officers on hand as technical advisors, Michael Patterson and Paul Lozada. Washington, Hawke and other cast members also met with undercover police officers, local drug dealers and gang members to help them understand their roles better.
The coffee shop in the beginning of the movie, called Quality Cafe, appears in many movies, including Old School, Se7en, Ghost World, Gone in Sixty Seconds, and Catch Me If You Can.
Post Production
An alternate ending on DVD shows Jake Hoyt being approached and questioned by the "Three Wise Men" as he returns home (the silhouettes of them leaving the car parked on the street can be briefly seen in the theatrical version).
Reception
The film received mostly positive reviews upon release, and Denzel Washington's portrayal of Alonzo Harris gathered glowing praise from the critics. Fuqua wanted his character to be seductive and part of a machine, and not just a random rogue cop. In Washington's own words,
- "I think in some ways he’s done his job too well. He’s learned how to manipulate, how to push the line further and further, and, in the process, he’s become more - than some of the guys he’s chasing."
The review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 72% of critics gave positive reviews based on 152 reviews.
Awards
Denzel Washington won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Ethan Hawke was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Box office
The film was released in theaters on October 5, 2001, and was a box office hit, landing at #1. At its second week of release, the films gross revenue was $13,386,457, landing again in the #1 position. The film stayed in the top-ten box office until the seventh week of release, landing at #12. The film grossed $76,631,907 domestically and $104,876,233 worldwide.
Training Day In Popular Culture
The film has been referenced to in TV shows and music videos. It was parodied in a 5-minute segment of Chappelle's Show. The parody involves Wayne Brady and Chappelle cruising in a neighborhood to show Brady's "real" side. There is a segment of the skit very reminiscent of when Alonzo "convinces" Hoyt to smoke marijuana laced with PCP.
The film was alluded to in the video for Lil' Scrappy's "No Problem" with Snoop Dogg in the role of "Blue" again and the 2002 music video for rapper AZ's single "I'm Back" was based on Training Day
Denzel Washington's character Alonzo was ranked 50th villain on the AFI's 100 greatest heroes and villains. The film was one of the few movies where Washington played a villain, with A Soldier's Story being the first.
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