Cop Land (1997)
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72% of critics liked it
(61 reviews) -
58% of users liked it
(49,627 ratings)
The second film from writer/director James Mangold, the corruption drama Cop Land stars Sylvester Stallone as Freddy Heflin, the much-denigrated sheriff of tiny Garrison, NJ, a community which -- thanks to a technicality -- is populated almost entirely by members of the New York City Police… More The second film from writer/director James Mangold, the corruption drama Cop Land stars Sylvester Stallone as Freddy Heflin, the much-denigrated sheriff of tiny Garrison, NJ, a community which -- thanks to a technicality -- is populated almost entirely by members of the New York City Police Department. When young cop Murray "Superboy" Babitch (Michael Rapaport) becomes embroiled in a controversial shoot-out which leaves two black youths dead, he apparently commits suicide rather than face the wrath of an official investigation. In reality, however, he flees to safety back home in Garrison. In the wake of the controversial events, NYPD Internal Affairs lieutenant Moe Tilden (Robert De Niro) arrives in Garrison to uncover the truth, attempting to enlist Freddy to help watch the watchmen, including Superboy's uncle, veteran cop Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel); coked-out Gary Figgis (Ray Liotta); and Joey Randone (Peter Berg), the husband of the woman (Annabella Sciorra) Freddy loved and lost. A rich, complex film about redemption, Cop Land's portrayal of Freddy's struggles to prove his worth mirrors Stallone's own return to thoughtful, character-driven drama after years of vacuous action roles. Like Freddy, he faces an uphill battle, fighting for respectability in the face of a superb cast including Janeane Garofalo, Cathy Moriarty, and Paul Calderon. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- Directed By
- James Mangold
- Written By
- James Mangold
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense
- In Theaters
- Aug 15, 1997 Wide
- Studio
- Miramax
Critic Reviews
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Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
Mangold certainly knew what he was doing when he cast Keitel and De Niro.
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David Edelstein, Slate
Cop Land shares its leading man's slow-wittedness, but also his likability.
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Jack Kroll, Newsweek
Mangold is something of a pseudo-Scorsese.
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Paul Tatara, CNN.com
It's pretty funny, actually, that Stallone gained 40 pounds to play this role, and what the movie needs more than anything else is to eat a salad and do some sit-ups.
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Todd McCarthy, Variety
Although too simplistic in its good-guys/bad-guys approach to morally and emotionally ambiguous material, Cop Land emerges as an absorbing and dramatic yarn about exposing the evil doings of some of New York's finest.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Sylvester Stallone
as Freddy Heflin
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Harvey Keitel
as Ray Donlan
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Ray Liotta
as Gary Figgis
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Robert De Niro
as Moe Tilden
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Peter Berg
as Joey Randone
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Janeane Garofalo
as Dep. Cindy Betts
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Robert Patrick
as Jack Rucker
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Michael Rapaport
as Murray Babitch
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Cathy Moriarty
as Rose Donlan
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Annabella Sciorra
as Liz Randone
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Noah Emmerich
as Deputy Bill Geisler
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Deborah Harry
as Delores
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John Spencer
as Leo Crasky
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Frank Vincent
as PDA President Lassaro
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Arthur J. Nascarella
as Detective Carson
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Malik Yoba
as Detective Carson


