Training Day

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***Training Day*** is a 2001 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by David Ayer, and starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The story follows two LAPD narcotics officers over a 24-hour period in the gang-ridden neighborhoods of the LAPD Rampart Division and South Central Los Angeles.

The film grossed $104.9 million worldwide. Washington's performance as a corrupt cop, Detective Alonzo Harris, a departure from his usual roles, was particularly praised and earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor at the 74th Academy Awards. His co-star Ethan Hawke was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as rookie cop, Officer Jake Hoyt.

A television series of the same name based on the film premiered on February 2, 2017 and ended on May 20, 2017, four days after being cancelled.

## Plot

Los Angeles Police Department 's Officer Jake Hoyt has applied to the narcotics division with the goal of using it as a platform to quickly be promoted to detective. He is assigned for an evaluation headed by experienced narcotics officer Detective Alonzo Harris. After an initial introduction, it becomes obvious to Hoyt that Alonzo does not care to follow protocol. They begin the day by stinging some college kids buying cannabis from a known informant. After confiscating the drugs from the kids, Alonzo tries to persuade Jake to smoke it. He initially refuses for ethical reasons, but persuasion turns into intimidation when Alonzo threatens him at gunpoint. Hoyt complies under duress as Alonzo explains it as an education in street smarts - refusal on the streets would easily get him killed. He tells Hoyt shortly thereafter that he had actually consumed cannabis laced with PCP, much to Hoyt's distress.

As Hoyt remains under the influence of the drug, they pay a visit to Roger, a retired narcotics officer. They engage in small talk, ranging from how Alonzo's worldview has changed since joining the division, to Roger's retirement plans abroad using his life savings. Roger coyly remarks on Alonzo's troubles during a recent trip to Las Vegas. They depart back to patrol, and from his passenger seat Jake notices a pair of hard drug addicts attempting to rape a young teenage girl in an alley. Jake's sense of justice compels him to get out of the vehicle and intervene. Under the influence of PCP, Hoyt is capable of subduing both attackers easily whilst Alonzo onserves. As Hoyt's high wears off, the girl runs off and Alonzo further intimidates the predators. Jake finds the girl's wallet on the ground and takes it. Alonzo uses the situation as a lesson to teach Hoyt his sense of morality - they should not be exhausting their energy on such petty crimes, and that if he was interested in them he should remain a patrolman.

Later on in the day, Alonzo and Jake apprehend a wheelchair-bound dealer named Blue, and find crack rocks and a loaded handgun on him. Intimidated with the prospect of going to prison for decades, Blue informs on his associate Kevin "Sandman" Miller, who is in prison. They arrive at Sandman's, and a shocked but complicit Hoyt finds they'll be using a fake search warrant to enter the home. While Hoyt detains Sandman's wife and nephew, Alonzo searches the house. As they finish their business, Sandman's wife realizes Alonzo has stolen $40,000 from the home. She calls out to nearby gang members who open fire on Alonzo and Jake as they flee. Alonzo freely fires back into the streets, as a terrified Hoyt gets the car running. After getting away, Hoyt repremands Alonzo's reckless behavior, and the crooked detective again tries to persuade Hoyt that he's done a more lasting good than he would have following the rules. Alonzo believes that the criminals he fights are honorless scum, and one has to stoop to their tactics to gain an advantage on them.

At lunch, the two visit Alonzo's mistress Sara and their young son in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in LA. Afterwards, Alonzo meets with a trio of corrupt high-ranking police officials he dubs the "Three Wise Men". They tell Alonzo that they are aware of some serious trouble he got into in Vegas, and suggest that he skips town. Alonzo insists he has control of the situation, and trades them the money stolen from Sandman for an arrest warrant.

Alonzo and Hoyt meet with four other narcotics officers to apprehend the drug dealer named in the arrest warrant. As they arrive on individual's known location, it is revealed to be Roger's house, who currently makes his money dealing drugs. As the calm confrontation escalates, Alonzo persuades Jake to shoot Roger for a guaranteed spot in the division, and it is revealed that the other officers are just as corrupt as he is. When Jake refuses, Alonzo does it himself. The officers plan to cover up the murder as a refusal to cooperate, and Jake wholeheartedly rejects being an accomplice to murder. Alonzo threatens him by mocking what a news broadcast about Jake's death during this bust would sound like. Jake seizes Alonzo's shotgun, prompting a Mexican standoff with the other officers. Alonzo blackmails Jake into cooperation with the PCP-laced cannabis he smoked earlier. Alonzo promises he can falsify a blood test the LAPD runs on on him, which he assures would otherwise easily identify the drug. Realizing that the events of the day had been planned in advance and fearing for his job and his life, Jake reluctantly agrees to help cover the murder up. The officers search for Roger's savings and seize $4 million from the premises, which they split among themselves. Afterwards, Alonzo offers Hoyt a fair cut off the money, which he continues to reject. Alonzo uses the entire ordeal to drive his narrative that this is how the world works.

Later that evening, Alonzo drives Jake to the home of Smiley, a Sureño, on an errand. While Alonzo heads to the bathroom, Jake reluctantly plays poker with Smiley and his fellow gang members as he waits for Alonzo to return. Smiley reveals the full-exent of Alonzo's Vegas predicament: Alonzo killed a man who turned out to be an important member of the Russian Mafia. By midnight, Alonzo must pay $1 million to the Russians, or be killed himself. Hoyt realizes that this day was planned so that Alonzo could acquire enough money to pay off the debt, and soon realizes that Alonzo has abandoned him and paid Smiley to kill him. Jake retaliates but is beaten and dragged to the bathroom to be executed. A gang member searches Jake for money before he is killed, and finds the teenage girl's wallet. The Sureños interrogate Hoyt about where he got the wallet - which belongs to Smiley's cousin. After hearing Jake's story of how he had saved her, they cross reference with the girl. With the account confirmed, Smiley shows his gratitude and sense of honor by letting Jake go.

Jake returns to Sara's apartment to arrest Alonzo, but a gunfight and chase ensue. As the fight ends up on the street, Alonzo is subdued, whilst the entire neighborhood congregates to watch the altercation. In an attempt to get the crowd on his side, Alonzo offers money to whoever kills Jake; but their contempt at being treated as honorless thugs keep them from interfering.

Jake and Alonzo engage in a battle of ideologies, and the crowd recognizes that Jake is a good cop trying to do the right thing against a man known for abusing his power and authority for his own selfish gain. A man from the crowd holds Alonzo at gunpoint long enough for Jake to walk away with the money, which Hoyt plans to submit as evidence against Alonzo. Bewildered at the turn of events, at the end of his rope, and out of options, Alonzo issues threats to the crowd which fall on deaf ears as Jake walks away with the money.

Later, Alonzo flees for his life to Los Angeles International Airport, but his car is intercepted by the Russians, who ambush and riddle him with bullets. Jake returns home as the news broadcasts Alonzo's death, which eerily mirrors Alonzo's earlier threats to Jake.

## Cast

* Denzel Washington as Detective Alonzo Harris
* Ethan Hawke as Officer Jake Hoyt
* Eva Mendes as Sara
* Scott Glenn as Roger
* Cliff Curtis as Smiley
* Raymond Cruz as Sniper
* Noel Gugliemi as Moreno
* Dr. Dre as Paul
* Peter Greene as Jeff
* Nick Chinlund as Tim Wallace
* Jaime P. Gomez as Mark
* Snoop Dogg as Blue
* Macy Gray as Sandman's wife
* Charlotte Ayanna as Lisa Hoyt
* Harris Yulin as Detective Doug Rosselli
* Tom Berenger as Stan Gursky
* Raymond J. Barry as Captain Lou Jacobs
* Samantha Becker as Letty
* Seidy López as Dreamer
* Rudy Perez as PeeWee
* Cle Shaheed Sloan as Bone
* Abel Soto as Neto
* Denzel Whitaker as Dimitri
* Fran Kranz as College Driver
* Terry Crews as Uncredited Blood Gang Member

## Appearances

**By type**

Characters

* Jake Hoyt (First appearance)
* Lisa Hoyt (First appearance)
* Debbie Maxwell (First mentioned)
* Sara (First appearance)
* Roger (First appearance)

Locations

	+ United States (First appearance)

Sentient species

## Trivia

* The movie were originally scheduled for September 21. However, it was cancelled due to the September 11 attacks caused the entertainment affected to be postponed until they pushed back for Friday, October 5, 2001, as well as *Serendipity* with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.

## Links and references

### External links

* *Training Day* at Wikipedia
* *Training Day* at the Internet Movie Database