From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Training Day
Theatrical poster for Training Day
Directed by	Antoine Fuqua
Produced by	Bruce Berman and Davis Guggenheim
Written by	David Ayer
Starring	Denzel Washington Ethan Hawke Scott Glenn Eva Mendes Tom Berenger Snoop Dogg
Music by	Mark Mancina
Cinematography	Mauro Fiore
Editing by	Conrad Buff IV
Distributed by	Warner Bros. (USA)
Release date(s)	October 7, 2001
Running time	122 Min.
Country	USA
Language	English
IMDb profile

Training Day is a 2001 film starring Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris, a corrupt Los Angeles police officer, and Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, his new green recruit looking to become a part of Harris's elite narcotics unit. The entire movie takes place over a single, intense 24-hour period in Los Angeles that forever changes the lives of both officers. The movie was written by David Ayer and directed by Antoine Fuqua, both of whom grew up in gang neighborhoods.

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 from gangs to shoot in the notoriously dangerous Imperial Courts housing project. His crew ended up receiving a warm welcome from local residents, who were all happy that a movie was being made that showed some of the regular life that exists in their world. When Fuqua wasn't able to shoot a scene directly on location, he recreated these locations on sets.

There were two police officers on hand as technical advisors, Michael Patterson and Paul Lozada. Cle Shaheed "Bone" Sloan served as the gang advisor. Washington, Hawke and other cast members also met with undercover police officers, local drug dealers and gangbangers to help them understand their roles better.

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 hard-core than some of the guys he’s chasing."

In the movie Harris shows a liking towards Hoyt, and in many ways he sees Hoyt as a younger version of himself - naive and idealistic before being hardened by the harsh realities of police work and street life.

Training Day presents the moral dilemma of committing little crimes to prevent larger ones and getting things done even if it means making moral compromises. Denzel Washington won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Ethan Hawke was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Training Day also features appearances by Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger, Harris Yulin, Eva Mendes and musical artists Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Macy Gray.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Best Actor Academy Award controversy 3 Trivia 4 External links

The movie, as the title suggests, 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 to see if he has what it takes to be a 'narc'.

During the first few moments of Jake's pairing with Alonzo, it becomes quickly apparent that Jake's 'by the book' dictum is in stark contrast to Alonzo's philosophy of blending in with the street. The two detain college students buying marijuana from a dealer. Alonzo does not arrest the students but takes the marijuana they purchased. Jake is put into a compromising position when Alonzo offers him a hit of marijuana that is, unknown to Jake, laced with PCP, telling him that a good narcotics officer must have "narcotics in his blood." Jake refuses but Alonzo threatens him by pointing a gun at his head telling him it is a huge mistake to turn down the "gifts of the streets" and a drug dealer would have killed him for turning down the marijuana. Alonzo then wants to throw Jake out of the car telling him that he won't want him on his unit. Jake gives in and smokes the marijuana.

Alonzo then takes Jake to the home of a major drug dealer, Roger (Scott Glenn), whom Alonzo seems to have a close relationship with. As they're cruising down the street, Jake notices a female high school student being attacked by two men in a side alley. Jake jumps out of the car and saves the girl, while Alonzo watches. Jake wants to arrest the men and get a statement from the girl but Alonzo tells the girl to go home and leaves the two men out on the street, though he intimidates one with his guns and knife, eventually pistol whipping the rapist in the testicles. Alonzo also confiscates the crack the rapists were carrying. As Jake leaves the scene he finds the girl's wallet and takes it, but Alonzo does not see this as he has already gone back to his car.

During the rest of the day, Alonzo brings Jake further and further into the world of the 'street' as he harasses a drug dealer named Blue (Snoop Dogg) and gets information from him about a drug dealer named Sandman. He then illegally searches Sandman's home (using a Chinese restaurant menu as his 'warrant') and steals thousands of dollars in the presence of Sandman's wife (Macy Gray) and nephew. He then takes Jake to the Jungles to meet his Salvadoran mistress, Sara (Eva Mendes), and their young son. He establishes to Jake that the gang members in the housing project all fear and respect him. Later at a restaurant, when Alonzo meets with three high ranking police officers — Stan Gursky, Doug Rosselli, and Lou Jacobs, otherwise known as the "Three Wisemen" (Tom Berenger, Harris Yulin, Raymond J. Berry) — it is clear from their conversation that Alonzo has bigger problems than breaking in a new rookie. He owes Russian gangsters one million dollars for killing one of their couriers in Las Vegas. Alonzo receives permission from the three wisemen to "cash in" Roger's account.

Later in the day, Alonzo's schemes come to bear fruit. Working with several other officers in his unit who are also viciously corrupt — with Jake part of the mission — Alonzo goes back to Roger's home. He seizes Roger's money stash which was hidden underneath the floor of his kitchen. Alonzo will use the money to pay off his debt to the Russian mafia and offer a large cut to Jake (although he refuses) and each of his squad members. Alonzo then asks Jake to shoot Roger with a shotgun. Jake, taking it as a joke, doesn't do it. Alonzo says "If you want something done you have to do it yourself" and then shoots Roger as he sits unarmed and helpless. Alonzo then wants to pin the shooting on Jake. When Jake refuses, Alonzo threatens to kill him too if he doesn't go along with the plan. Jake would also be discredited as the PCP he smoked earlier is still in his blood. Jake finally snaps: he grabs Alonzo's shotgun and points it at Alonzo's head. Alonzo's team members plead for permission to gun down Jake, saying that he is a "Fed". Alonzo refuses and Jake eventually submits given his predicament.

Afterwards, Alonzo and Jake discuss the shooting of Roger. Jake expresses his disgust at the way Alonzo operates, to which Alonzo replies that he had to cozy up to Roger and that he was selling drugs to children. He offers Jake some of the millions of dollars that were taken from Roger, but Jake refuses, saying that Alonzo has committed armed robbery and murder.

Once it becomes clear to him that Jake will no longer abide by the Blue Wall of Silence, Alonzo takes him to the home of a Latino gangster named "Smiley," who is playing poker with two other gang members, Sniper and Moreno. They appear to be friendly and invite Jake to join the game; he reluctantly obliges, unaware that Alonzo has left him there by himself. During the game, Smiley informs Jake of Alonzo's situation with the Russian gangsters and his cohorts manipulate Jake into handing over his gun. Pointing out that Alonzo has left him, the gangsters begin to intimidate Jake, who realizes that Alonzo has set him up to be murdered and lashes out, fighting to escape. The trio quickly overpowers him and drags him into the bathroom to kill him with a shotgun. Jake pleads for his life, saying that he has a little girl. Smiley, however, remains unmoved. He decides to pick Jake's pockets before killing him and finds the wallet which belongs to the girl Jake had saved earlier in the day. Miraculously, the girl is Smiley's cousin, Letty. Smiley demands to know where Jake got the wallet. Jake screams that he saved her from being raped; yet Smiley remains sceptical and aggressive.

"You wrong to drag her into this, homes," says Smiley. "She's a civilian." He pulls out a cell phone and dials her number. To Smiley's surprise, Letty confirms every word of what Jake had told him, describing the officer who saved her as a young white man. Smiley is visibly moved by the coincidence, "Life's a trip, qué no?" He calls off the hit, pulls Jake out of the bathtub, thanks him for saving his cousin, and lets him go.

Jake, infuriated at being set up, returns to Sara's apartment looking for Alonzo. Despite the strong disdain towards police officers in the housing project, the gang members allow Jake entry into Alonzo's apartment after Jake tells them he has to settle a score with Alonzo, whom they in truth despise. Jake infiltrates Alonzo's apartment and attempts to arrest him, but Alonzo catches him by surprise and a gunfight through the apartment ensues. Alonzo attempts to use his own son as a human shield, yet Jake pulls him to safety. The cat-and-mouse game continues on the rooftops. Alonzo eventually knocks Jake unconscious and attempts to drive to his appointment with the Russians. Jake unexpectedly dives onto the hood of his car causing Alonzo to crash and hit his head. Gang members and residents from the project begin congregating to watch the conflict as Jake pummels Alonzo and pulls him out of the car. Alonzo turns to the gang members and, pointing to Jake, says, "If any of you put a bullet in his head, I'll make you a rich man." But instead, one man sets his gun on the ground behind Alonzo and tells Alonzo that he has to "put his own work in." Alonzo mocks Jake and is confident that Jake won't shoot him, so he turns around to grab the gun. But as Alonzo bends down to pick it up, Jake shoots him in the ass and then warns him that "the next one will kill you." The gang members stand silently as Jake walks away with the money. An incensed Alonzo rails at the gang members and residents, angrily shouting "I'm the police, I run shit here! You just live here!" The crowd eventually walks away from his ranting in disgust, knowing he no longer has any control over them.

Alonzo drives to the LAX airport area when he stops at a quiet intersection. A black Hummer and van suddenly surround his car, gunmen emerge and riddle Alonzo and his car with bullets. The movie ends with Jake pulling into his driveway and going home to his family 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.

A limited number of African Americans have commented critically on the fact that Denzel Washington was awarded the Best Actor Academy Award for performance in this particular film.[1] Washington has long been regarded as one of the most talented and capable actors working in Hollywood, and his Best Actor award was only the second awarded to an African-American actor in 43 years and 38 years after Sidney Poitier's 1963 award for Lilies of the Field. Washington had been a contender for the Best Actor award since his 1992 performance in Malcolm X, and speculation had followed his nomination for 1999's The Hurricane. Prior to this film, Washington had been known for almost universally playing sympathetic and heroic protagonists. While in no way criticizing or diminishing Washington's powerful performance, the fact that Washington won the award for this particular role, portraying a violent and corrupt villain in a film centered on themes of inner-city gang and drug activity, has been highlighted as indicative of Hollywood's, and society's at large, stereotypical and prejudicial views of African-Americans.^{[citation needed]}

Rap performer Jadakiss' 2004 song "Why?" contained the line "Why'd Denzel have to be crooked before he took it?"

However, having lost to Sean Connery (The Untouchables, Best Supporting Actor, 1987), Al Pacino (Scent of a Woman, Best Actor, 1992) and Kevin Spacey (American Beauty, Best Actor, 1999)—also well respected actors in critically acclaimed films—there is no conclusive evidence that the color of Washington's skin was a factor in his losses or wins. In addition, Washington himself cites Alonzo Harris as his favourite role.^{[citation needed]}

On the same night Washington was awarded his second Oscar, African American actors also received both the honorary award and the best actress award (Sidney Poitier and Halle Berry, respectively). Denzel Washington had previously received an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for 1989's Glory.

• Screenplay sold on spec for $1 million dollars.^{[citation needed]}
• Mel Gibson was originally offered the part of Alonzo.^{[citation needed]}
• Denzel Washington's character drives a black 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
• The coffee shop in the beginning of the movie, called Quality Cafe, appears in many movies, including Se7en, Ghost World, Gone in Sixty Seconds, and Catch Me If You Can.
• The movie's script was altered to add some aspects of the Rampart Scandal, which happened after it was written.
• Denzel Washington's character looks were designed to resemble Rafael Perez's, who played a central role in the Rampart Scandal.
• This marks one of the first movies where Washington plays a villain.
• About 30% of Washington's dialogue was improvised.^{[citation needed]}
• This movie was parodied to a 5-minute segment of Chappelle's Show. The parody involves Wayne Brady and Chappelle cruising in a neighbourhood 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.
• An alternate ending on DVD shows Jake Hoyt being approached and questioned by the "Three Wise Men" as he returns home (their silhouettes of them leaving the car parked on the street can be briefly seen in the theatrical version).
• The movie was alluded to in the video for Lil' Scrappy's "No Problem" with Snoop Dogg in the role of "Blue" again.
• Denzel Washington's character Alonzo was ranked on the AFI's 100 greatest heroes and villains.

• Official site
• Training Day at the Internet Movie Database
• Training Day at Rotten Tomatoes
• Training Day at Box Office Mojo
• Notes