Training Day is a 2001 American crime drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by David Ayer, and starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The story follows two Los Angeles Police Department narcotics1 detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South and East Los Angeles.
Everyday there is a war being waged on Americas inner city streetsa war between residents, drug dealers2 and the people sworn to protect one from the other. Ethan Hawke stars as Jake Hoyt, a fresh-faced Los Angeles Police Department rookie anxious to join the elite3 narcotics squad4 headed up by 13-year veteran Detective Sergeant5 Alonzo Harris . Harris has agreed to give Hoyt a shot at joining his team with a oneday ride-along during which Hoyt must prove his mettle6. As the day wears on, however, it becomes increasingly clear to the greenhorn that his experienced mentor7 has blurred8 the line between right and wrong to an alarming degree, enforcing his own morally compromised code of ethics9 and street justice. As he struggles with his conscience, an increasingly alarmed Hoyt begins to suspect that hes not really being given an audition10 at all; hes being set up as the fall guy in an elaborate scheme. Training Day co-stars Tom Berenger, Scott Glenn, and recording11 artists Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Macy Gray.
The review aggregate12 website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 72% of critics gave positive reviews based on 152 reviews. Roger Ebert gave the film three-out-of-four stars, praising both the lead and supporting actors and the films gritty, kinetic13 energy.
The film was released in theaters on October 5, 2001, and was a box office hit, landing at the first. At its second week of release, the films gross revenue was$13,386,457, landing again in the first position. The film stayed in the TOP-ten box office until the seventh week of release, landing at the 12nd. With an estimated budget of $45 million, Training Day ultimately grossed$76,631,907 domestically and $104,876,233 worldwide.
Denzel Washington won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2001, notably14 beating out Russell Crowes performance as John Nash for A Beautiful Mind, and the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain15 in 2002 for his performance in Training Day, and Ethan Hawke was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2001 for the film.
