National Security (film)
Encyclopedia
National Security is a 2003
action comedy film, directed by Dennis Dugan
, starring Martin Lawrence
and Steve Zahn
. In addition to Lawrence and Zahn, National Security boasts an additional cast of Bill Duke
, Eric Roberts
, Colm Feore
, Matt McCoy
, and others.
The film was released in January 2003 and went on to gross over $53,000,000 at the box office
. The film was shot at various locations in Greater Los Angeles
, including Long Beach
and Santa Clarita
.
patrol officers, Hank Rafferty (Zahn) and his partner Charlie (Timothy Busfield
), decide to check it out anyway. As they split up to search the warehouse, someone shoots at Charlie, killing him, before the thieves drive away, leaving Hank in a state of shock.
Earl Montgomery's (Lawrence) lifelong dream is to become a police officer. He passes the entrance exam with flying colors, but his promising performance during training is hampered by his unshakable conviction that all black persons are innocent victims of white racism
. For instance: confronted by cardboard cutouts of an armed gang, Earl shoots all of them except the black one, explaining to his incredulous instructor that the black one is obviously an innocent bystander (even with the thug in the cutout wielding a Desert Eagle
pistol). Earl is finally expelled from the police academy when he tries an outrageous stunt during a simulated car chase that results in a massive explosion on the obstacle course.
A dispirited Hank crosses paths with Earl when Hank notices Earl trying to get into his car when he finds his keys stuck inside. Suspicious, Hank starts to question Earl, who race-baits
Hank to the point of getting himself arrested. As soon as he's cuffed, however, a bumblebee
comes along, to which Earl is virulently allergic. Earl panics and Hank tries to swat the bee away with his nightstick. From afar, it looks like Hank, a white cop, is brutalizing a black suspect, a story that Earl eagerly backs up in Court. Disgraced, Hank is dismissed from the police force and convicted of aggravated assault by an all-black jury. He spends six months in prison, almost entirely in voluntary solitary confinement
, due to death threats from the black inmates.
After being released from prison, Hank takes a job as a security guard and continues to investigate Charlie's death, despite his lack of access to police information. Noticing an alarm being tripped at a soft drink warehouse, then disabled, Hank notices the similarity with the earlier burglary, and goes to investigate.
Meanwhile, Earl, who happens to be working for the same security company, is on duty at the warehouse, but is taking time off for some role-playing
with his girlfriend, Lola (Mari Morrow
). When Hank arrives, he interrupts a burglary, and a gunfight erupts with the thugs, during which Hank and Earl cross paths again. Though the thugs get away, Hank recognizes the tattoo of the man who shot Charlie, whose name he learns is Nash (Eric Roberts
).
One of the thieves dropped a cellular phone, which leads them to a semi truck rented by the killers. Inside, Hank and Earl find a van, which Hank recognizes from the earlier robbery. In a brief skirmish on a bridge, they drive the van out of the truck but the van falls off the bridge onto a garbage barge. Inside the van are what look like ordinary beer
kegs, but Hank has them examined by a friend who works at a foundry, who informs them that the kegs are actually made of an aerospace
alloy, which is worth millions.
Hank takes the van and the kegs to the house of his ex-girlfriend, Denise (Robinne Lee
). They broke up after Hank was arrested, and, since Earl owes Hank for saving his life during the warehouse shootout, Hank orders Earl to tell Denise the truth about the "assault." However, when Earl sees that Denise is an attractive black woman, he forgets his promise and starts hitting on her, playing the victim again. She throws both of them out of the house, and when Hank asks for an explanation, Earl reveals that he disapproves of interracial dating. Hank is infuriated and points out that for all his talk about racism, it is actually Earl himself who is the racist
. During the argument, Hank punches Earl and storms off. Earl runs back to Hank, just as they are both cornered by police, learning that they are wanted as suspects in the bridge shootout. After they manage to escape, Hank realizes that the thieves must have an inside man in the police department.
Tracing the van's owner to an address Hank and Earl stake out
the place, but Earl foolishly rushes inside on his own, where he is confronted by Nash. Hank manages to get Earl to safety, but Earl takes a bullet in the leg. Since the police are looking for them, they can't go to a hospital, but instead return to Denise's house. She reluctantly agrees to treat Earl's wound (which is, in fact, little more than a graze). Fortunately for Hank, a bee flies into the house, and Earl runs for cover, making Denise realize that Hank's outlandish story about the "assault" on Earl was actually true and that Earl is, in fact, the racist. She throws Earl out of the house and reconciles with Hank.
Based on something overheard from Nash, they follow him to a meeting at a Yacht Club with Detective Frank McDuff (Colm Feore
), the police traitor. Hank and Earl share everything they know with Lt. Washington (Bill Duke
), and then pretend to approach McDuff, offering to sell him back the "beer kegs" for a large sum of money. However, Nash gets wind of their plans and takes Washington hostage first.
During the climactic confrontation, Earl and Hank meet with McDuff, Nash and his men near the coast, rescuing Washington and killing or apprehending most of the thugs, including McDuff. During the shootout, Hank saves Earl's life by warning him about a gunman taking aim at him, getting shot himself in the process. Though wounded, Hank takes off after Nash alone and kills him by dropping a crane load onto an unstable slab Nash is standing on, flipping him over a cliff and into the ocean.
In honor of their heroic actions, Hank is reinstated in the LAPD and Earl is admitted to the force, and they are made partners a short time later. While on patrol, Hank sees a suspicious-looking man trying to break into a car, but Earl assures him that the man has just locked himself out, and helps unlock the car. But as the man drives away, the car's real owner screams, and Earl, realizing his mistake, shoots the back tires out. He tells the owner she can "re-procure" her car, at which moment the car blows up, leaving both cops dumbfounded.
, "95 South" by Cool Ade, "All Good" by De La Soul, and "N.S.E.W" by Disturbing Tha Peace.
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,...
action comedy film, directed by Dennis Dugan
Dennis Dugan
Dennis Dugan is an American director, comedian, and actor. He is most famous for his partnership with comedic actor Adam Sandler, with whom he directed the films Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Grown Ups, Just Go With It, and Jack and...
, starring Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
and Steve Zahn
Steve Zahn
-Early life:Zahn was born in Marshall, Minnesota, the son of Zelda, who worked for the YMCA, and Carleton E. Zahn, a retired Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor. Zahn spent part of his childhood in Mankato, Minnesota, attending Kennedy Elementary School...
. In addition to Lawrence and Zahn, National Security boasts an additional cast of Bill Duke
Bill Duke
William Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. is an American actor and film director with over 30 years of experience. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action/crime and drama genres but also includes comedy.-Early life:Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the...
, Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
, Colm Feore
Colm Feore
Colm Feore is an American-born Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life. The family subsequently moved to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up.After graduating...
, Matt McCoy
Matt McCoy (actor)
Matt McCoy is an American actor.McCoy was born in Ohio. Since starring as Sgt. Nick Lassard in two Police Academy films, his motion picture credits have included the Curtis Hanson films The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and L.A. Confidential , as well as the action comedy National Security ...
, and others.
The film was released in January 2003 and went on to gross over $53,000,000 at the box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
. The film was shot at various locations in Greater Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
, including Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
and Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown...
.
Plot
A gang of thieves break into a high-security warehouse. An alert is sent to the police, but canceled for unknown reasons. Despite this, two LAPDLos Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
patrol officers, Hank Rafferty (Zahn) and his partner Charlie (Timothy Busfield
Timothy Busfield
Timothy "Timmy B" Busfield is an American actor and director best known for his role as Eliot Weston on the television series Thirtysomething and his recurring role as Danny Concannon on the television series The West Wing...
), decide to check it out anyway. As they split up to search the warehouse, someone shoots at Charlie, killing him, before the thieves drive away, leaving Hank in a state of shock.
Earl Montgomery's (Lawrence) lifelong dream is to become a police officer. He passes the entrance exam with flying colors, but his promising performance during training is hampered by his unshakable conviction that all black persons are innocent victims of white racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
. For instance: confronted by cardboard cutouts of an armed gang, Earl shoots all of them except the black one, explaining to his incredulous instructor that the black one is obviously an innocent bystander (even with the thug in the cutout wielding a Desert Eagle
Desert Eagle
The Desert Eagle is a large-framed gas-operated semi-automatic pistol designed by Magnum Research in the U.S. and by IMI in Israel; the pistol is manufactured primarily in Israel by IMI...
pistol). Earl is finally expelled from the police academy when he tries an outrageous stunt during a simulated car chase that results in a massive explosion on the obstacle course.
A dispirited Hank crosses paths with Earl when Hank notices Earl trying to get into his car when he finds his keys stuck inside. Suspicious, Hank starts to question Earl, who race-baits
Race card
Playing the race card is an idiomatic phrase that refers to exploitation of either racist or anti-racist attitudes to gain a personal advantage, typically by falsely accusing others of racism against oneself.-Usage:...
Hank to the point of getting himself arrested. As soon as he's cuffed, however, a bumblebee
Bumblebee
A bumble bee is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. There are over 250 known species, existing primarily in the Northern Hemisphere although they are common in New Zealand and in the Australian state of Tasmania.Bumble bees are social insects that are characterised by black...
comes along, to which Earl is virulently allergic. Earl panics and Hank tries to swat the bee away with his nightstick. From afar, it looks like Hank, a white cop, is brutalizing a black suspect, a story that Earl eagerly backs up in Court. Disgraced, Hank is dismissed from the police force and convicted of aggravated assault by an all-black jury. He spends six months in prison, almost entirely in voluntary solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
, due to death threats from the black inmates.
After being released from prison, Hank takes a job as a security guard and continues to investigate Charlie's death, despite his lack of access to police information. Noticing an alarm being tripped at a soft drink warehouse, then disabled, Hank notices the similarity with the earlier burglary, and goes to investigate.
Meanwhile, Earl, who happens to be working for the same security company, is on duty at the warehouse, but is taking time off for some role-playing
Sexual roleplaying
Sexual roleplay is an erotic form of roleplay: it is a sexual behavior where two or more people act out roles in a sexual fantasy. How seriously this is taken depends on the people involved, and the scenario may be anywhere from simple and makeshift to detailed and elaborate, complete with...
with his girlfriend, Lola (Mari Morrow
Mari Morrow
Mari Morrow is an American film and television actress and real estate agent.-Life and career:Morrow grew up in Miami, Florida. She made her television debut appearance in 1992 as Wendy Mallow on the popular television program, Baywatch. From 1995 to 1996, she portrayed Rachel Gannon on the ABC...
). When Hank arrives, he interrupts a burglary, and a gunfight erupts with the thugs, during which Hank and Earl cross paths again. Though the thugs get away, Hank recognizes the tattoo of the man who shot Charlie, whose name he learns is Nash (Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
).
One of the thieves dropped a cellular phone, which leads them to a semi truck rented by the killers. Inside, Hank and Earl find a van, which Hank recognizes from the earlier robbery. In a brief skirmish on a bridge, they drive the van out of the truck but the van falls off the bridge onto a garbage barge. Inside the van are what look like ordinary beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
kegs, but Hank has them examined by a friend who works at a foundry, who informs them that the kegs are actually made of an aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
alloy, which is worth millions.
Hank takes the van and the kegs to the house of his ex-girlfriend, Denise (Robinne Lee
Robinne Lee
Robinne Lee is an American actress. She appeared in Hotel for Dogs with Don Cheadle and Emma Roberts and with Will Smith in Seven Pounds.-Life and career:...
). They broke up after Hank was arrested, and, since Earl owes Hank for saving his life during the warehouse shootout, Hank orders Earl to tell Denise the truth about the "assault." However, when Earl sees that Denise is an attractive black woman, he forgets his promise and starts hitting on her, playing the victim again. She throws both of them out of the house, and when Hank asks for an explanation, Earl reveals that he disapproves of interracial dating. Hank is infuriated and points out that for all his talk about racism, it is actually Earl himself who is the racist
Reverse discrimination
Reverse discrimination is a controversial term referring to discrimination against members of a dominant or majority group, including the city or state, or in favor of members of a minority or historically disadvantaged group such as African Americans being slaves. Groups may be defined in terms of...
. During the argument, Hank punches Earl and storms off. Earl runs back to Hank, just as they are both cornered by police, learning that they are wanted as suspects in the bridge shootout. After they manage to escape, Hank realizes that the thieves must have an inside man in the police department.
Tracing the van's owner to an address Hank and Earl stake out
Stakeout
Stakeout is a 1987 film directed by John Badham and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, Madeleine Stowe, Aidan Quinn, and Forest Whitaker...
the place, but Earl foolishly rushes inside on his own, where he is confronted by Nash. Hank manages to get Earl to safety, but Earl takes a bullet in the leg. Since the police are looking for them, they can't go to a hospital, but instead return to Denise's house. She reluctantly agrees to treat Earl's wound (which is, in fact, little more than a graze). Fortunately for Hank, a bee flies into the house, and Earl runs for cover, making Denise realize that Hank's outlandish story about the "assault" on Earl was actually true and that Earl is, in fact, the racist. She throws Earl out of the house and reconciles with Hank.
Based on something overheard from Nash, they follow him to a meeting at a Yacht Club with Detective Frank McDuff (Colm Feore
Colm Feore
Colm Feore is an American-born Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life. The family subsequently moved to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up.After graduating...
), the police traitor. Hank and Earl share everything they know with Lt. Washington (Bill Duke
Bill Duke
William Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. is an American actor and film director with over 30 years of experience. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action/crime and drama genres but also includes comedy.-Early life:Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the...
), and then pretend to approach McDuff, offering to sell him back the "beer kegs" for a large sum of money. However, Nash gets wind of their plans and takes Washington hostage first.
During the climactic confrontation, Earl and Hank meet with McDuff, Nash and his men near the coast, rescuing Washington and killing or apprehending most of the thugs, including McDuff. During the shootout, Hank saves Earl's life by warning him about a gunman taking aim at him, getting shot himself in the process. Though wounded, Hank takes off after Nash alone and kills him by dropping a crane load onto an unstable slab Nash is standing on, flipping him over a cliff and into the ocean.
In honor of their heroic actions, Hank is reinstated in the LAPD and Earl is admitted to the force, and they are made partners a short time later. While on patrol, Hank sees a suspicious-looking man trying to break into a car, but Earl assures him that the man has just locked himself out, and helps unlock the car. But as the man drives away, the car's real owner screams, and Earl, realizing his mistake, shoots the back tires out. He tells the owner she can "re-procure" her car, at which moment the car blows up, leaving both cops dumbfounded.
Cast
- Martin LawrenceMartin LawrenceMartin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
as Earl Montgomery - Steve ZahnSteve Zahn-Early life:Zahn was born in Marshall, Minnesota, the son of Zelda, who worked for the YMCA, and Carleton E. Zahn, a retired Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor. Zahn spent part of his childhood in Mankato, Minnesota, attending Kennedy Elementary School...
as Hank Rafferty - Colm FeoreColm FeoreColm Feore is an American-born Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life. The family subsequently moved to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up.After graduating...
as Detective Frank McDuff - Bill DukeBill DukeWilliam Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. is an American actor and film director with over 30 years of experience. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action/crime and drama genres but also includes comedy.-Early life:Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the...
as Lieutenant Washington - Eric RobertsEric RobertsEric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
as Nash - Timothy BusfieldTimothy BusfieldTimothy "Timmy B" Busfield is an American actor and director best known for his role as Eliot Weston on the television series Thirtysomething and his recurring role as Danny Concannon on the television series The West Wing...
as Charlie Reed - Robinne LeeRobinne LeeRobinne Lee is an American actress. She appeared in Hotel for Dogs with Don Cheadle and Emma Roberts and with Will Smith in Seven Pounds.-Life and career:...
as Denise - Matt McCoyMatt McCoy (actor)Matt McCoy is an American actor.McCoy was born in Ohio. Since starring as Sgt. Nick Lassard in two Police Academy films, his motion picture credits have included the Curtis Hanson films The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and L.A. Confidential , as well as the action comedy National Security ...
as Robert Barton - Brett CullenBrett CullenPeter Brett Cullen is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures and television programs. Early in 2007, he was cast as the role of an estranged father to one of the American football players, Tim Riggins , in the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights.Cullen was born in Houston,...
as Heston - Mari MorrowMari MorrowMari Morrow is an American film and television actress and real estate agent.-Life and career:Morrow grew up in Miami, Florida. She made her television debut appearance in 1992 as Wendy Mallow on the popular television program, Baywatch. From 1995 to 1996, she portrayed Rachel Gannon on the ABC...
as Lola
Music
The main songs are: "Silly" By The Warden, "One of These Days" by Wu-Tang ClanWu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
, "95 South" by Cool Ade, "All Good" by De La Soul, and "N.S.E.W" by Disturbing Tha Peace.