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The Longest Yard (2005 film)
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The Longest Yard is a 2005 American sports comedy film, a remake of the 1974 film of the same name. The movie features inmates at a prison who play football against their guards. Adam Sandler plays the protagonist, Paul Crewe, an ex pro-football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Burt Reynolds, the original Paul Crewe, plays a major role as Nate Scarborough, the head coach and a former Heisman Trophy winner for Oklahoma in 1955, and Chris Rock as Crewe's cell neighbor and friend known as Caretaker.
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Encyclopedia
The Longest Yard is a 2005 American sports comedy film, a remake of the 1974 film of the same name. The movie features inmates at a prison who play football against their guards. Adam Sandler plays the protagonist, Paul Crewe, an ex pro-football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Burt Reynolds, the original Paul Crewe, plays a major role as Nate Scarborough, the head coach and a former Heisman Trophy winner for Oklahoma in 1955, and Chris Rock as Crewe's cell neighbor and friend known as Caretaker. The rest of the cast includes James Cromwell, Nelly, William Fichtner and a number of current and semi-retired football players and professional wrestlers including Michael Irvin, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bill Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Bob Sapp, Terry Crews, Brian Bosworth, Bill Romanowski, and Dalip "The Great Khali" Singh Rana.
Plot
The film starts with Paul Crewe (Sandler), an ex-NFL player disgraced for shaving points in a big game, getting in an argument with his rich girlfriend Lena (Courteney Cox) regarding his failure. He locks her in a closet, gets drunk, and goes joy riding in her car throughout San Diego. After getting the car completely destroyed and disabling several police cruisers in the process, he gets arrested. He is found guilty of grand theft auto and is sentenced to three years in Allenville Penitentiary in Texas, as it was arranged by the prison's warden Hazen (James Cromwell).
In prison, the warden asks Paul to help with the prison guards' football team. After being roughed up a bit, Paul (under threat of an extra 5 years for blocking a guard's baton) decides to help him. He informs the warden that what his team needs is a tune-up game: a game where they play a team and "kick the living shit out of 'em, and get their spirits up". This gives the warden an idea: Paul, with the help of fellow immate Caretaker (Rock), will make a team out of the inmates for them to play as their tune-up game. He starts off with a poorly organized team before being noticed by another prisoner, former football player Nate Scarborough (Reynolds), and decides to help him by coaching the team.
Then Paul, Nate, and Caretaker find an rating system on the criminals (up to five stars, depending on how prone to violence they are). They all set out to find and recruit some five star inmates: linebacker Joey Battle (Goldberg); fullback Turley (Singh Rana); a safety, Torres (Lobo Sebastian), a chain-smoking outsider; and wide receiver turned quarterback-replacement to Paul, Brucie (Turturro). But after realizing their team is built on power and nastiness (primarily on defense) and there is no offensive threats on the team, Paul realizes he needs more players. Caretaker suggests that it is due to their lack of "brothers", as they only have one currently on their team: defensive lineman Switowsky (Sapp), an unintelligent, child-like, but large strongman.
They go to the black inmates and approach their leader Deacon Moss (Irvin), who declares that none of them want to play on his team because of Paul's point-shaving history. So Paul challenges them to a 1 on 1 basketball game where if Paul wins, the men will join the team. They play basketball and call their own fouls with Paul getting physically punished during the game. Despite Paul losing, one of the black immates, Earl Megget (Nelly), is impressed by Paul's resiliance and joins the team. Megget becomes the team's running back in turn by impressing Paul with his running ability.
After a tip from Unger (David Patrick Kelly) that Paul and Megget are the only real offensive threats on the team, Captain Knauer (Fichtner), the guards' quarterback, decides that the guards should try to stop Megget by trying to get him to assault one of them and sticking them in solitary confinement. Three guards Dunham (Austin), Garner (Bosworth) and Engelheart (Nash) try to provoke Megget by using racial slurs and making him pick up books they dropped on the ground repeatedly. The guards give up on this after he stands through their harassment. Witnessing this was Moss and Cheeseburger Eddy (Crews), who align the rest of black inmates to join the football team. The warden and guards go to extreme lengths to stop Paul's squad, even flooding their field, but the team overcomes these obstacles.
Caretaker suggests that since the guards have been playing dirty that the inmates should start acting more like criminals, such as swapping Engelheart's anabolic steroids for estrogen pills, examining x-rays of guards with broken bones, and stealing tapes of the guards past games. The guards Garner, Engelheart, Holland and Lambert (Romanowski) then decide to do something about Paul, and have Unger plant a bomb, disguised as a radio, in his cell. After the final day of preparation for the big game, Caretaker leaves early and places a gift for Paul in his cell and accidentally sets the bomb (which was the radio) off, and is killed in the resulting explosion.
During game day, the immates (now calling themselves "Mean Machine" with gear provided by the late-Caretaker) overcome a rough start and end the first half with the score tied. The warden is angry, and informs Paul that if he doesn't lose then he would be framed for the murder of Caretaker (another 25 years). Paul says spitefully, "Fine, but you get a 2 touchdown lead and you coast". The warden agrees to Paul's face, but he tells the guards' quarterback to get ahead by three touchdowns and inflict as much pain as possible. After the guards score two touchdowns (and Paul steps out faking injury), they start injuring players before scoring a third touchdown. After the guards injure two of the players, Paul goes back in, but must regain the trust of the inmates. The inmates ignore Paul, letting him get sacked twice and forcing him to run the ball himself. After losing his helmet and still getting the first down, Paul admits his sabotage and they trust him again. They get back in it, but Megget gets hurt. Scarborough comes in for one play as replacement, and scores a touchdown off a trick play involving a fumble called a Fumblerooski. They decide to go for the two point conversion, and the win. They get up to the line and seem to be confused, and Paul and Coach start arguing. The play is really a trick, and then Moss gets the snap and passes it to Paul, who scores the winning conversion. Ultimately Captain Knauer respects Paul's move and lets him know he will testify that Paul had nothing to do with Caretaker's death.
The warden comes over and begins to admonish Captain Knauer for losing a fixed game and notices that Paul is heading towards the exit along with the fans. Pulling a sniper over, he demands that Paul be shot for attempting to escape. The sniper hesitates because of the numerous people near Paul, so the warden grabs the rifle and passes it to Knauer, demanding that he should take the shot. Knauer sights up Paul, but hesitates, calling out Paul's name several times to get him to stop. Paul does stop, but he was actually going to pick up the ball and head back. Knauer angrily hands the rifle back to the warden and leaves, while Paul gives the game ball to the warden, telling them to "Stick it in his trophy case." Paul and Scarborough head back towards the locker room and agree that they should tell the others where Unger is hiding.
As the warden watches them leave, Moss and Battle pour a cooler of Gatorade on Hazen in a mockery of a typical football game celebration. The Warden angrily shouts that they'll receive a week in the hotbox. Battle yells back "who gives a shit?"
Response
The overall critical response was mixed. Though they generally agreed that it was a play-by-play remake, the greatest complaint from critics was that it replaced the original's dark comedy and grit with juvenile humor and visual gags.
Nevertheless, the film managed to do well at the box office. Its $47.6 million dollar opening weekend was the largest of Sandler's career and only second to The Day After Tomorrow as the largest opening by a movie that wasn't #1. The film would go on to gross $158.1 million in the United States and Canada and $190 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing film produced by MTV Films. Despite the large number of remakes released at the theaters, it's worth noting that The Longest Yard is the highest grossing comedy remake of the modern box office era (from 1980 on).
Roger Ebert, in the critical minority with this title, gave it a "Thumbs Up", defending it later in his Chicago Sun-Times review as a film that "...more or less achieves what most of the people attending it will expect." However, in the print review, Ebert beseeches his readers to "...seek out a movie you could have an interesting conversation about", citing films not in wide release such as Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist and Kontroll, until finally encouraging his readers to "drop any thought of seeing anything else instead" if they can see Crash.
The film also earned Chris Rock a BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Theatrical Film.
Cast
Cons
Guards
Cameos
es:The Longest Yard
Soundtrack
Track listing
"Errtime" - feat Nelly "Errtime"
Lyrics by Nelly, Jung Tru, King Jacob & Zachary Wallace
Music by Phalon Alexander & Zachary Wallace
Performed by Nelly featuring Jung Tru & King Jacob
Produced by Jazze Pha for Futuristic Entertainment/Noontime Music
Jung Tru & King Jacob perform courtesy of Derrty Ent.
Nelly performs courtesy of Derrty Ent./Universal Records
"Talkin That Talk"
Performed by David Banner & Chamillionaire.
"Boom Boom"
by John Lee Hooker
Performed by Big Head Todd & The Monsters featuring John Lee Hooker
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing
John Lee Hooker performs courtesy of Virgin Records under license from EMI Film & Television Music
"Thunderstruck"
by Angus Young & Malcolm Young
Performed by AC/DC
Courtesy of Epic Records
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment Inc
"Here Comes The Boom"
by Nelly and G.A.
Performed by Nelly
Produced by G.A.
Nelly performs courtesy of Derrty Ent./Universal Records
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain"
by John Fogerty
Performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Courtesy of Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group, Inc.
"Hella Good"
by Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, Gwen Stefani & Tony Kanal
Performed by No Doubt
Courtesy of Interscope Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
"If You Want Blood You've Got It"
by Angus Young, Malcolm Young & Ronald Belford Scott (as Bon Scott)
Performed by AC/DC
Courtesy of Epic Records
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment
"Are You Gonna Be My Girl"
by Cameron Muncey & Nicholas Cester
Performed by Jet
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing
"Spirit in the Sky"
Written & Performed by Norman Greenbaum
Courtesy of Transtone Productions
"Stomp"
by Murphy Lee, King Jacob, Prentiss Church & Fala
Performed by Murphy Lee featuring King Jacob & Prentiss Church
Produced by Fala Beats
Murphy Lee performs courtesy of Derrty Ent./Universal Records
King Jacob & Prentiss Church perform courtesy of Derrty Ent.
"Fly Away"
by Kenneth Karlin, Andrea Monica Martin, Ivan A. Matias & Carsten Schack
Performed by Nelly
Produced by Rashad "Regus" Hill
Contains a sample of "Still in My Heart"
by Kenneth Karlin, Adrea Monica Martin, Ivan A. Matias & Carsten Schack
Performed by Tracie Spencer
Courtesy of Capitol Records, Inc.
Nelly performs courtesy of Derrty Ent./Universal Records.
"Move"
by Asani Charles & Bryan Bonwell
Performed by Natasha Barr
Courtesy of Spirit Music Group/BZEE ROC Music.
"Saturday Night Special"
by Edward King & Ronnie Van Zant
Performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Courtesy of Geffen Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises.
"Oh My, Oh My!"
by Asani Charles & Bryan Bonwell
Performed by Nicole Kindle
Courtesy of Spirit Music Group/BZEE ROC Music.
"Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)"
by Allan Clarke, Roger Greenaway & Roger Cook
Performed by The Hollies
Courtesy of EMI Records
Under License from EMI Film & Television Music.
"U Should Know"
by Arnold Beasley, Aaron Martin & Ronald Ferebee, Jr.
Performed by 216
Produced by Yonny for Yonny/Skelatune Productions
216 performs courtesy of Hustla Entertainment/Universal Records.
"Give It Up"
by Alvertis Isbell, Marvell Thomas, Carlton Ridenhour, Gary Rinaldo & Sean DeVore
Performed by Public Enemy
Contains an interpolation of "Opus de Soul"
by Alvertis Isbell & Marvell Thomas
Courtesy of Terrordome Music LLC
By Arrangement with Reach Global, Inc.
"Jack and the Ripper"
by Michael Kamen & Buckethead
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
"My Ballz"
by Denaun Porter, Ondre Moore, Deshawn Holton, Von Carlisle, Rufus Johnson, Marshall Mathers,
Luis Resto & Henry Mancini
Performed by D12 featuring Eminem
Produced by Eminem
Additional production by Luis Resto
Contains elements from "Peter Gunn Theme"
by Henry Mancini
D12 performs courtesy of Shady Records/Interscope
Eminem performs courtesy of Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope.
"Mississippi Queen"
by David Rea, Felix Pappalardi, Laurence Laing & Leslie West (as Leslie Weinstein)
Performed by Mountain
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
"Roll It Up"
by Scott Kirkland & Ken Jordan
Performed by The Crystal Method featuring Scott Weiland
Courtesy of Outpost Recordings/Geffen Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises.
"Narcotic"
by Tommy Lee, Timothy Murray, Scott Kirkland & Scott Humphrey
Performed by Methods of Mayhem featuring Scott Kirkland
Courtesy of Geffen Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises.
"Fall-Off Truck"
"Cats and Dogs"
by David Shire
Courtesy of TriStar Pictures, Inc.
"Railroad Blues"
Written & Performed by Wayne Hancock
Courtesy of Bloodshot Records
By Arrangement with DePugh Music.
"Greek House"
by Thomas Newman
Courtesy of Hollywood Records
"Oh"
by Christopher Davis, Billy Squier, Joseph Ward Simmons, Darryl Matthews McDaniels,
Lawrence Smith & Jason Mizell
Performed by Union Turnpike
Courtesy of Epic Records
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Contains a sample of "The Stroke"
Written & Performed by Billy Squier
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under License from EMI Film & Television Music
Contains a sample of "Jam Master Jay"
by Joseph Ward Simmons, Darryl Matthews McDaniels, Lawrence Smith & Jason Mizell
Performed by Run-D.M.C.
Courtesy of Profile Records, Inc./Arista Records, Inc.
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
"Get Back (Clean Rock Mix)"
by Ludacris (as Christopher Bridges) & Dominic Bazile
Performed by Ludacris featuring Lazy Eye
Additional vocals by Dolla Boy & Brolic D
Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enteprises.
"Bootleg"
by John Fogerty
Performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Courtesy of Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group, Inc.
"Higher Ground"
by Stevie Wonder
Performed by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under license from EMI Film & Television Music.
"Break U Off"
by Keith Thornton & Kurt Matlin
Performed by Kool Keith & KutMasta Kurt
Courtesy of Oglio/DMAFT Records.
"USC Drum Cadence"
Performed by the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band Drumline.
"Bounce Like This"
by T.I.
External links
- at the Internet Movie Database
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