Hollywood Homicide
Encyclopedia
Hollywood Homicide is a 2003
American
action
comedy
film starring Harrison Ford
and Josh Hartnett
.
The film also features Lena Olin
, Lolita Davidovich
, Martin Landau
, Bruce Greenwood
, Isaiah Washington
, Keith David
, Dwight Yoakam
and Master P
in supporting roles, with Eric Idle
making a cameo appearance
. It was written by Robert Souza and Ron Shelton
, directed by Shelton and produced by Lou Pitt.
The film is based on the true experiences of Souza, who was a homicide detective in the LAPD Hollywood Division and moonlighted as a real estate broker in his final ten years on the job.
on the side and wants to be an actor.
The duo is assigned to investigate the murders of four men, members of a rap group called H2OClick who were gunned down in a nightclub
by two unidentified assailants. While investigating, the detectives discover there had been a witness who escaped unnoticed. Gavilan is distracted by a looming real estate deal that may be the key to getting out of debt, while Calden pursues his acting dreams by trying to attract talent agents.
Unknown to the detectives, Antoine Sartain (Washington), the manager of H2OClick, has his head of security eliminate the two hitmen
they had hired to carry out the murders of H2OClick. Gavilan and Calden initially had believed the murders to be gang-related, but Gavilan sees the bodies of the hitmen at the morgue
and concludes they were killed by someone else.
Gavilan learns from an undercover officer
(Phillips) posing as a prostitute that the songwriter for H2OClick, a man named K-Roc, has gone missing. Gavilan believes he is the murder witness. It proves difficult to track down K-Roc when they cannot determine his real name. K-Roc is later revealed to be Oliver Robideaux, the son of Olivia Robideaux (Knight), a former Motown singer.
The arrival of Lieutenant Bernard "Benny the Executioner" Macko (Greenwood) from Internal Affairs
at headquarters unnerves Gavilan -— they have a bad history ever since Gavilan proved him wrong on a case years ago. Gavilan's love interest, a psychic
named Ruby (Olin), used to date Macko, who is intent on taking away Gavilan's badge, going so far as to try to frame him.
Gavilan and Calden form a closer bond. Calden reveals that his father Danny Calden, also a cop, had been mysteriously gunned down during a sting operation
gone wrong. The elder Calden's partner at the time, Leroy Walsey, was implicated in the murder, but later released on lack of evidence.
K-Roc is tracked to his home, where Olivia Robideaux professes her son's innocence and claims Antoine Sartain, the manager of the group, was the real culprit. Sartain had been embezzling
money from H2OClick, whose members found out and threatened to hire lawyer
s to nullify their contracts. Sartain hired the hitmen as a "lesson" to all clients of his record label. It also turns out that Sartain's head of security is none other than Leroy Walsey, and that Macko was in cahoots with him, as well.
The detectives prepare to arrest Sartain and Walsey, but cannot locate them. Gavilan enlists the help of Ruby, who, after a brief meditating
session, leads him and Calden to a Beverly Hills clothing store. Sartain and his men, including Walsey, happen to drive by the store, so Gavilan and Calden follow in a wild car chase
through the streets of Los Angeles
.
After a crash, and subsequent shootout in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Gavilan catches up with Sartain, while Calden pursues Wasley. During a struggle, Gavilan manages to throw Sartain off the top of a building, killing him. Meanwhile, Claden traps Walsey in an alley, and Wasley draws a gun
on Calden. Wasley admits to killing the detective's father. Calden utilizes his acting skills to beg and plead for Wasley to spare him, which distracts Walsey enough, just as he is about the pull the trigger, for Calden to knock the gun away and wound Wasley with his duty weapon. Overcoming his desire to kill the man who murdered his father, Calden arrests him.
Gavilan and Calden reunite as LAPD officers swarm the scene in the background. Macko appears and calls for the arrests of the two officers, but Macko is arrested for his association with Wasley and Sartain.
The case over, Gavilan and Ruby (wearing a dress she bought at that clothing store) attend a production of A Streetcar Named Desire
, in which Calden is furthering his acting ambitions by playing Stanley Kowalski. It is implied that Gavilan has successfully brokered the real estate deal. Cops to the end, though, both receive calls from headquarters, causing them to leave in the middle of the play.
, it has a 30% approval rating based on 155 critics' reviews. One of the few major critics to give it a positive notice was Roger Ebert
, who awarded the film 3 out of 4 stars.
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
action
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film starring Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
and Josh Hartnett
Josh Hartnett
Joshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...
.
The film also features Lena Olin
Lena Olin
Lena Maria Jonna Olin is a Swedish actress.-Early life:Olin was born the youngest of three children, in Stockholm, Sweden. She is the daughter of actress Britta Holmberg and the director Stig Olin...
, Lolita Davidovich
Lolita Davidovich
Lolita Davidovich is a Canadian film and television actress.-Early life and career:Davidovich was born in London, Ontario, the daughter of immigrants from Yugoslavia. Her father was from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and her mother was from Slovenia; she spoke only Serbian during her early years...
, Martin Landau
Martin Landau
Martin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
, Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood is a Canadian actor and musician. He is generally known for his roles as U.S. presidents in Thirteen Days and National Treasure: Book of Secrets and for his role as Captain Christopher Pike in the 2009 Star Trek film...
, Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington IV is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.-Personal life:...
, Keith David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
, Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
and Master P
Master P
Percy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch...
in supporting roles, with Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
making a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
. It was written by Robert Souza and Ron Shelton
Ron Shelton
Ron Shelton is a U.S. film director and screenwriter, most notable for making movies about sports.Shelton is an alumnus of Santa Barbara High School and of the University of Arizona and Westmont College...
, directed by Shelton and produced by Lou Pitt.
The film is based on the true experiences of Souza, who was a homicide detective in the LAPD Hollywood Division and moonlighted as a real estate broker in his final ten years on the job.
Plot
Sergeant Joe Gavilan (Ford) is a financially strapped Hollywood homicide detective who for several years has been moonlighting as a real estate broker. His partner is K. C. Calden (Hartnett), a much younger officer who teaches yogaYoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
on the side and wants to be an actor.
The duo is assigned to investigate the murders of four men, members of a rap group called H2OClick who were gunned down in a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
by two unidentified assailants. While investigating, the detectives discover there had been a witness who escaped unnoticed. Gavilan is distracted by a looming real estate deal that may be the key to getting out of debt, while Calden pursues his acting dreams by trying to attract talent agents.
Unknown to the detectives, Antoine Sartain (Washington), the manager of H2OClick, has his head of security eliminate the two hitmen
Hitman
A hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
they had hired to carry out the murders of H2OClick. Gavilan and Calden initially had believed the murders to be gang-related, but Gavilan sees the bodies of the hitmen at the morgue
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
and concludes they were killed by someone else.
Gavilan learns from an undercover officer
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
(Phillips) posing as a prostitute that the songwriter for H2OClick, a man named K-Roc, has gone missing. Gavilan believes he is the murder witness. It proves difficult to track down K-Roc when they cannot determine his real name. K-Roc is later revealed to be Oliver Robideaux, the son of Olivia Robideaux (Knight), a former Motown singer.
The arrival of Lieutenant Bernard "Benny the Executioner" Macko (Greenwood) from Internal Affairs
Internal affairs (law enforcement)
The internal affairs division of a law enforcement agency investigates incidents and plausible suspicions of lawbreaking and professional misconduct attributed to officers on the force...
at headquarters unnerves Gavilan -— they have a bad history ever since Gavilan proved him wrong on a case years ago. Gavilan's love interest, a psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
named Ruby (Olin), used to date Macko, who is intent on taking away Gavilan's badge, going so far as to try to frame him.
Gavilan and Calden form a closer bond. Calden reveals that his father Danny Calden, also a cop, had been mysteriously gunned down during a sting operation
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
gone wrong. The elder Calden's partner at the time, Leroy Walsey, was implicated in the murder, but later released on lack of evidence.
K-Roc is tracked to his home, where Olivia Robideaux professes her son's innocence and claims Antoine Sartain, the manager of the group, was the real culprit. Sartain had been embezzling
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
money from H2OClick, whose members found out and threatened to hire lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s to nullify their contracts. Sartain hired the hitmen as a "lesson" to all clients of his record label. It also turns out that Sartain's head of security is none other than Leroy Walsey, and that Macko was in cahoots with him, as well.
The detectives prepare to arrest Sartain and Walsey, but cannot locate them. Gavilan enlists the help of Ruby, who, after a brief meditating
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
session, leads him and Calden to a Beverly Hills clothing store. Sartain and his men, including Walsey, happen to drive by the store, so Gavilan and Calden follow in a wild car chase
Car chase
A car chase is the vehicular pursuit of a suspect by law enforcement officers. Car chases are often captured on film and broadcast due to the availability of video footage recorded by police cars and police and media helicopters participating in the chase...
through the streets of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
After a crash, and subsequent shootout in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Gavilan catches up with Sartain, while Calden pursues Wasley. During a struggle, Gavilan manages to throw Sartain off the top of a building, killing him. Meanwhile, Claden traps Walsey in an alley, and Wasley draws a gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
on Calden. Wasley admits to killing the detective's father. Calden utilizes his acting skills to beg and plead for Wasley to spare him, which distracts Walsey enough, just as he is about the pull the trigger, for Calden to knock the gun away and wound Wasley with his duty weapon. Overcoming his desire to kill the man who murdered his father, Calden arrests him.
Gavilan and Calden reunite as LAPD officers swarm the scene in the background. Macko appears and calls for the arrests of the two officers, but Macko is arrested for his association with Wasley and Sartain.
The case over, Gavilan and Ruby (wearing a dress she bought at that clothing store) attend a production of A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire (play)
A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. The play opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947, and closed on December 17, 1949, in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The Broadway production was...
, in which Calden is furthering his acting ambitions by playing Stanley Kowalski. It is implied that Gavilan has successfully brokered the real estate deal. Cops to the end, though, both receive calls from headquarters, causing them to leave in the middle of the play.
Cast
- Harrison FordHarrison FordHarrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
as Detective-Sergeant Joe Gavilan - Josh HartnettJosh HartnettJoshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...
as Detective K. C. Calden - Lena OlinLena OlinLena Maria Jonna Olin is a Swedish actress.-Early life:Olin was born the youngest of three children, in Stockholm, Sweden. She is the daughter of actress Britta Holmberg and the director Stig Olin...
as Ruby - Bruce GreenwoodBruce GreenwoodBruce Greenwood is a Canadian actor and musician. He is generally known for his roles as U.S. presidents in Thirteen Days and National Treasure: Book of Secrets and for his role as Captain Christopher Pike in the 2009 Star Trek film...
as Lieutenant Bennie Macko - Isaiah WashingtonIsaiah WashingtonIsaiah Washington IV is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.-Personal life:...
as Antoine Sartain - Lolita DavidovichLolita DavidovichLolita Davidovich is a Canadian film and television actress.-Early life and career:Davidovich was born in London, Ontario, the daughter of immigrants from Yugoslavia. Her father was from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and her mother was from Slovenia; she spoke only Serbian during her early years...
as Cleo Ricard - Keith DavidKeith DavidKeith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
as Leon - Master PMaster PPercy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch...
as Julius Armas - Gladys KnightGladys KnightGladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
as Olivia Robidoux - Lou Diamond PhillipsLou Diamond PhillipsLou Diamond Phillips is an American film, television, and stage actor and director. His breakthrough came when he starred in the film La Bamba. He earned a supporting actor Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in Stand and Deliver and a Tony Award nomination for his role in The King and I...
as Wanda - Meredith Scott LynnMeredith Scott LynnMeredith Scott Lynn is an American actress, producer, and director. She attended the High School of Performing Arts in New York City.-Filmography:-Television:-Producer:* Designing Blind TV series...
as Det. Jackson - Tom Todoroff as Det. Zino
- James MacDonaldJames MacDonald-Politics:*James David Macdonald , City of Calgary alderman and author of Grand Cayman's tax haven law*James Ramsay MacDonald, British Prime Minister*James MacDonald , Secretary of the London Trades Council...
as Danny Broome - KuruptKuruptRicardo Emmanuel Brown , better known by his stage name Kurupt, also known as Kurupt Tha Kingpin, Kurupt Young Gotti or Young Gotstra is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records...
as Oliver "K-Ro" Robidoux - Eric IdleEric IdleEric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
as the Celebrity - André Benjamin as Silk Brown
- Dwight YoakamDwight YoakamDwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
as Leroy Wasley - Martin LandauMartin LandauMartin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
as Jerry Duran - Jennette McCurdyJennette McCurdyJennette Michelle Faye McCurdy is an American film and television actress and country pop singer-songwriter. She is best known for her role as Sam Puckett on the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly...
as the Van Family daughter
Reception
The film was not well received by critics. On the film review website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, it has a 30% approval rating based on 155 critics' reviews. One of the few major critics to give it a positive notice was Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, who awarded the film 3 out of 4 stars.