Training Day (2001)

On his first day on the job as a narcotics officer, a rookie cop works with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears.

Director:

Antoine Fuqua

Writer:

David Ayer

Stars:

Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 16 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Denzel Washington	...	Det. Alonzo Harris
Ethan Hawke	...	Jake Hoyt
Scott Glenn	...	Roger
Tom Berenger	...	Stan Gursky
Harris Yulin	...	Doug Rosselli
Raymond J. Barry	...	Lou Jacobs
Cliff Curtis	...	Smiley
Dr. Dre	...	Paul
Snoop Dogg	...	Blue
Macy Gray	...	Sandman's Wife
Charlotte Ayanna	...	Lisa
Eva Mendes	...	Sara (as Eva Mendez)
Nick Chinlund	...	Tim
Jaime Gomez	...	Mark (as Jaime P. Gomez)
Raymond Cruz	...	Sniper

Storyline

In a city where streets are overrun by drug dealers, those who have sworn to uphold the law are breaking them to clean up the streets. Denzel Washington plays L.A.P.D. detective Alonzo Harris, a veteran narcotics officer whose methods of enforcing the law are questionable, if not corrupt. 'Training Day' follows Harris as he trains rookie Jake Hoyt over a 24-hour period. Ethical dilemmas arise for Hoyt as well as the audience as questions present themselves as to whether or not Harris' methodology for ridding the streets of South Central Los Angeles of drugs is right or wrong.

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Plot Keywords:

narc | lapd | training | drugs | narcotics | 

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Taglines:

Boom Ba-Boom, Boom, Boom...

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brutal violence, pervasive language, drug content and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros (France) Warner Bros.

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English Russian Spanish Korean

Release Date:

5 October 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Día de entrenamiento

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£739,718 (UK) (1 February 2002)

Gross:

£1,942,439 (UK) (15 February 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Village Roadshow Pictures, NPV Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Ayer wrote the first draft in 1995, way before the Rampart Scandal made headlines in 1998. In the first draft, Alonzo was a Latino officer in charge of drug enforcement in the gang infested area of Pico-Union within the Rampart Division. He was a loner and didn't have any partner because of his reputation as a corrupt and racist cop. But the basics elements of the character were there: he wears expensive jewelry and drives a 1979 Monte Carlo model.

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Goofs

When Jake jumps on a balcony near the end of the movie, there is already a gun on the balcony, yet Jake only drops the gun a few seconds later.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jake: It's time.

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Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits after the title is shown.

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Connections

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Cry Freedom"
Written by Franky Perez
Performed by Franky Perez
Courtesy of Lava/Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

First day on a new job, can be stressful...

Denzel is a real chameleon. This is a sinister and likable personality...all because of him. Enter Ethan Hawke's character, officer Jake Hoyt. With the allure of a new job, a transfer to the division that he has been working hard to reach. He is at the top of his game.

The Call, from the department head, Alonzo Harris, congratulating him on his promotion, sort of. Denzel Washington, takes on a character, like none other that he has had so far. Sounds like a big business wall street type scenario aye? Not even close, down of skid-row street maybe. This is a story set in Los Angeles, that even when it's daylight, this is the darkest 'beat' in the whole department's city.

From the moment that the meet was set at the coffee shop, something is just, slightly skewed. There seems an absence of real concern for Jake's situation and a lot more mechanical rogue cop, trainer 'Doggin' going on here. Alonso wants to catch him up on what's going on, of course, see what he is made of, but Alonzo is dangerous, because he doesn't care, anymore. His soul has departed, and it's simply a matter of time before, he is too. As they departed from the coffee shop, by way of a black Monte Carlo. The director, Antoine Fuqua wanted to show a more real and brutal side of the crime busting business. The place where lines are so blurred...if they even exist anymore. Denzel Washington, should be applauded for the part that he became ' wholly ' involved in. Scary in some ways, it appeared as if there was no acting, just this over the edge ' Narc ' who you just gotta watch like a hawk!

Ethan, was the ' newbie ' but a very likable, "Just wanting to do the right thing" type of guy. Some what confused at times about the way in which Harris attended to his profession. Curious about why he would do what he would do. Alonzo, always explaining away the point to a nervous rookie, who in the back of his mind just knew, that there is something here, that won't let him rest until he does the right thing. It almost costs him his life, in the end, Hoyt is a master in his career field...a true Wolf, amongst the dogs. It seemed as though, Hoyt had an awakening. He had to go down into that alley-way because his 'gut' wouldn't let it alone. And in the end, this is what saved his very existence, now that is reasoning with razor sharpness. Plus he needed to get home to that hot wife of his....

Recommended, but not for those with weaker film story constitutions. (*****)