Police Academy

In 1984, a low-budget comedy about a group of misfit police recruits became one of the year's biggest surprises. Police Academy was shot in just 35 days on a budget of $4.5 million and went on to gross over $149 million worldwide, launching a franchise that would span seven films and two TV spin-offs. The movie was born from a simple idea: what if a city's new open-admissions policy forced a police academy to accept anyone who applied, no matter how unqualified?

The story follows Carey Mahoney, a small-time troublemaker given a choice between jail and the academy. He chooses the latter, planning to get himself kicked out fast. But the academy's collection of oddballs, a human sound-effects machine, a gentle giant former florist, a gun-obsessed zealot, and a shy woman with a voice like a mouse, end up bonding over their shared struggles. Captain Harris, the strict by-the-book antagonist, does everything he can to expel them, but the recruits keep finding ways to pass each test.

The film's success came from its energetic ensemble cast. Steve Guttenberg, who beat out Tom Hanks for the lead, brought a charming roguishness to Mahoney. Michael Winslow's improvised sound effects became the movie's signature gag. Bubba Smith, a former NFL star, used his massive frame for deadpan physical comedy. And G.W. Bailey's sneering Captain Harris gave the misfits a perfect villain to root against. The movie may not have impressed critics, it holds a 57% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences ate it up, making it the 10th highest-grossing film of 1984 in North America.[edit]

Carey Mahoney is a young man with a talent for causing trouble. After he vandalizes a park statue and gets caught, a judge gives him an ultimatum: six months in jail or six months at the police academy. Mahoney picks the academy, figuring he can get himself expelled in no time and go back to his carefree life. What he doesn't count on is the academy's new open-admissions policy, ordered by the mayor, which forces the school to accept every recruit who walks through the door.

The result is the most bizarre group of cadets the academy has ever seen. There's Larvell Jones, who can mimic any sound with his mouth, sirens, gunshots, even a full marching band. Moses Hightower, a giant of a man who used to run a flower shop and has a gentle soul. Eugene Tackleberry, a gun nut who talks about firearms the way most people talk about their favorite sports team. Leslie Barbara, a timid, overweight man who struggles with every physical task. And Laverne Hooks, a mousy woman with a squeaky voice who seems completely out of place.

Captain Harris, the academy's rigid second-in-command, is furious about the new policy. He believes these recruits are a disgrace to the police force and vows to make them quit or fail. He assigns the toughest instructors and designs the hardest tests, hoping to break them. Mahoney, meanwhile, tries to get himself expelled by deliberately failing exams, talking back to instructors, and flirting with Sergeant Debbie Callahan, the attractive training officer. But his plans keep backfiring. When he tries to fail a written test by leaving it blank, the instructor assumes he's too smart to bother. When he tries to get thrown out for insubordination, his clever comebacks earn him grudging respect.

As the weeks go by, the misfits start to find their footing. Jones's sound effects confuse the instructors during drills. Hightower's strength, once a liability, becomes an asset in obstacle courses. Tackleberry's obsession with guns, while terrifying, actually makes him a marksman. And Hooks, pushed to her limit during a self-defense class, discovers a hidden ferocity that surprises everyone. Mahoney, despite himself, begins to care about his fellow cadets. He stops trying to get expelled and starts helping them pass.

The final obstacle course exam is designed by Harris to be nearly impossible. It includes a 12-foot wall, a smoke-filled tunnel, a rope climb over a pool of water, and a series of physical challenges meant to exhaust the recruits. Harris believes this will finally be the end of the misfits. But the recruits have learned to work as a team. Hightower boosts everyone over the wall. Jones uses his sounds to distract the instructors. Tackleberry's gun skills, while erratic, help during the shooting portion. And Mahoney, who could easily pass on his own, turns back to help the struggling Leslie Barbara, carrying him across the finish line. The entire squad passes, much to Harris's horror.[edit]