Police Academy

**Police Academy** is a 1984 film starring Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall, Bubba Smith and George Gaynes, directed by Hugh Wilson, written by Neal Israel, Pat Proft and Wilson and produced by Paul Maslansky.

The film was a financial success as it generated a profit of $31 million.

## Plot

Due to a shortage of police officers, the newly-elected female mayor of an unnamed American city has announced a policy requiring the police department to accept all willing recruits, effectively abolishing fitness requirements, educational levels, and medical standards. Not everyone in the police force is happy about the new changes.

Carey Mahoney is an easy-going man who has repeatedly gotten himself in trouble with the law when standing up to arrogant people. Mahoney is forced to join the police force as an alternative to jail, a proposal by Captain Reed who has been lenient on Mahoney because he knew his father, who was also a policeman. Mahoney reluctantly agrees to this, deciding that he will get himself thrown out as a loophole. However, the chief of police, Henry Hurst, outraged by the Mayor's lowered requirements, decides that the new cadets should be forced to quit rather than being thrown out.

Lieutenant Thaddeus Harris, who trains the cadets and is also implied to be seeking Lassard's place as the leader of the academy, agrees with the plan and employs tactics to make their lives as miserable as possible so that they do in fact quit. However, Commandant Eric Lassard is the only one who does not agree with both Harris and Hurst's schemes, and wants to give the new cadets a chance. Harris asks for the help of two cadets he takes a liking to, Copeland and Blankes, and appoints them as squad leaders to help him force the other cadets to quit.

Mahoney tries several schemes to get thrown out, but all fail. In Lassard's office, he reveals to Mahoney his deal with Capt. Reed to keep him at the police academy for the next 24 weeks. Eventually he has a change of heart and decides to stay for good, having fallen in love with another cadet, Karen Thompson. While in the academy, Mahoney becomes friends with fellow cadets Larvell Jones, a human beatbox and sound effects man who was arrested with Mahoney before they came to the academy (Mahoney pulled some strings with Reed to let Jones go with Mahoney to attend the academy); George Martin, a ladies man; Eugene Tackleberry, a gun-obsessed adrenaline junkie who is an ex-security guard and a military veteran; Leslie Barbara, an overweight cowardly man; and Moses Hightower, a giant of a man with incredible strength. He and Harris also build up a mutual emnity when Mahoney pranks the lieutenant every time Harris enforces harsh measures on him in order to break his resolve.

At Lt. Harris' request, Blankes and Copeland try to learn where a weekend party organized by Mahoney is going to be held, to investigate it for any unlawful cadet behavior. Wary that they are using an intimidated Barbara to force him to reveal where the party is, Mahoney tricks Blankes and Copeland into attending a party at the Blue Oyster gay bar where the horrified men are intimidated into dancing the whole night. Seeking revenge, Blankes and Copeland plant a prostitute in Mahoney's dormitory to stir up trouble. Mahoney attempts to smuggle the prostitute off the academy campus but is forced to hide with her under a desk in an assembly hall, just as Cmndt Lassard leads in a group of senior police officers to give a lecture while standing behind the very desk the two are hiding under. While Mahoney is not looking, the prostitute performs fellatio on Lassard, who struggles to keep a straight face. As the room is cleared, Mahoney steps out from under the desk, but finds Lassard still present, implying to him it was Mahoney who performed the act. Despite attempting to report this to Harris, Lassard eventually relents.

Mahoney helps Hightower prepare for a critical driving test. They go for a practice drive the night before the exam by stealing Copeland's car. They are chased by the police for crashing into another car and speeding, but Hightower manages to escape and in the process greatly sharpens his driving skills. Unfortunately, immediately after Hightower passes the driving test, Copeland racially insults fellow cadet Laverne Hooks for accidentally running over his feet during her exam. Hightower is offended and lifts and overturns the police car in which Copeland is seated, despite Harris' demands and Hooks' pleas for him to stop. This leads Harris to promptly eject Hightower from the academy, much to Mahoney and many of the other cadets' dismay.

Shortly after this, Mahoney and Barbara are having lunch in the cafeteria and talking about Hightower's expulsion. Mahoney is finally fed up with the academy, but refuses to quit. Blankes and Copeland attempt to get Mahoney to fight them so they can give Harris a reason to expel him, but Mahoney resists. Having enough of their misconduct towards Mahoney, Barbara stands up for him and shocks everyone by throwing the first punch at Copeland. An offended Blankes retaliates, which promptly gets Mahoney involved in a brawl with him. After the fight, when Lt. Harris asks them who started the fight, Mahoney takes the blame for throwing the first punch to protect Barbara, which finally gives Harris the green light to expel his most despised cadet.

Before Mahoney actually leaves the premises, however, a major riot breaks out downtown, inadvertently caused by the clumsy cadet [[List of Police Academy characters#Cadet/Off./Sgt. Douglas Fackler|Fackler]. Mahoney decides to join the academy students in the mission to pacify it. The resulting police emergency forces the cadets into real action for the first time, and they are accidentally transported to the epicenter of the rioting instead of the planned peripheral area (due to Lassard giving the wrong location). During the general confusion, one criminal manages to steal Blankes and Copeland's police revolvers, captures Harris and takes him to the roof of a nearby building as a hostage. Mahoney attempts a rescue but is taken as a second hostage. Just as both are about to be killed, Hightower suddenly appears on the rooftop. The former cadet manages to fool the madman into thinking that he is a fellow criminal and demands that he kill Harris. When the criminal tries to pull the trigger, Hightower knocks him unconscious, and Hooks arrests him.

Mahoney and Hightower are both reinstated as cadets and graduate from the academy a few days later. For their rescue of Harris and capture of his kidnapper, they also receive the academy's highest commendation and medals. Each address the crowd, but as Mahoney attempts to give a long speech, Lassard (now aware of the full facts of the earlier incident) uses the same prostitute to prank Mahoney. All of the cadets (minus Blankes and Copeland) graduate, finally winning a respectful salute from the reluctant Harris.