Cop Land (1997)

Director:

James Mangold

Writer (WGA):

James Mangold (written by)

Release Date:

15 August 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

No One Is Above The Law.

Plot:

The sheriff of a suburban New Jersey community populated by New York City policeman slowly discovers the town is a front for mob connections and corruption.

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Police | New York | Corruption | Internal Affairs

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Sylvester Stallone	...	Freddy Heflin
Harvey Keitel	...	Ray Donlan
Ray Liotta	...	Gary Figgis
Robert De Niro	...	Moe Tilden
Peter Berg	...	Joey Randone
Janeane Garofalo	...	Deputy Cindy Betts
Robert Patrick	...	Jack Rucker
Michael Rapaport	...	Murray Babitch
Annabella Sciorra	...	Liz Randone
Noah Emmerich	...	Deputy Bill Geisler
Cathy Moriarty	...	Rose Donlan
John Spencer	...	Leo Crasky
Frank Vincent	...	PDA President Lassaro
Malik Yoba	...	Detective Carson
Arthur J. Nascarella	...	Frank Lagonda

Also Known As:

CopLand (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, strong language and brief nudity. (also collector's series)

Runtime:

104 min | USA:116 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #35498) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | South Korea:12 | UK:15 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) | Philippines:PG-13 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KT | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Mexico:B | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Cliffside Park, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Sylvester Stallone gained the necessary weight for the role by eating a steady diet of giant pancakes served at a local pancake house.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sherriff Heflin is first talking to Lt. Tilden on the street (When Tilden believes Heflin just wrote him a parking ticket), Heflin is not wearing his gun belt. Then when he turns around to yell at some kids fighting in the ally he has it on.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Moe Tilden: [narrating] Every precinct has its cop bar - a private club - all blue. For the 3-7 it was the Four Aces, just across the river.

Movie Connections:

References 3:10 to Yuma (1957)

Soundtrack:

I Can't Quit

Better than the other ones...

This movie was always going to be interesting because it involves so many sides to the one story. There is an excellent balance established between all the factions involved in the case of a missing/dead police officer.

The characters for this sort of movie are very original, and their flaws are revealed just as much, if not more so than their strengths. This has to be Sylvester Stallone's career highlight, and goes to show that his talents are not necessarily best for action movies. And De Niro's understated but excellently played "Moe Tilden" leaves you wishing he was featured more. The scenes between these two characters are worth the viewing alone. Harvey Keitel as well, plays an excellent cop/quasi-crime boss.

It's a little soppy at times but overall a stand-out in it's genre.