The Longest Yard (Special Edition)
Lockdown Edition
First Down. Ten Years to Go.
In this rough-and tumble movie, actually filmed on-location at the Georgia State Prison, the cons are the heroes and the guards are the heavies. Eddie Albert is the sadistic warden who'll gladly make any sacrifice to push his guards' semi-pro football team to the national championship. Burt Reynolds plays one-time pro quarterback Paul Crewe, now behind bars for leading State Police on a wild chase in a "borrowed car" and more. He agrees to organize a prisoners' team to play the guards. The warden intercedes to assure that his goon squad will meet only passive resistance from Crewe's "Mean Machine." But the license to pound on their hated guards is a big incentive for murderers and thieves to learn strategy.
Member Reviews
Reynolds Scores a Hit - MovieProf
Football-playing inmates, villainous wardens, former stars-turned-convicts, cheerleaders dressed in drag...it's all here in this classic from 1974.
Burt Reynolds stars as Paul Crewe, a former NFL quarterback whose career has slipped away. The film opens with a rather shocking display of spousal abuse, as Crewe roughs up his girlfriend and then flees, only to be apprehended by the police. Once in prison, he is manipulated by the evil warden Hazen (Eddie Albert) to create a football team comprised of fellow convicts to use as practice material against the warden's own team, which happens to be comprised of jail guards.
While I'm not a huge fan of football, I did enjoy this flick. Reynolds and Albert are great, and I loved the addition Richard Keil, who later found fame playing Jaws in two James Bond films. The fact that several of the actors were actually pro football players adds anthenticity to the film.Maybe the best football ever? - pinster
Paul Crewe is a has been footbal player and "kept" man who finally goes off the deep end and lands in jail. Once in jail, he is given the "opportunity" to help improve the team of prison guards that the warden has assembled. This opportunity is to develop a football team of convicts that can compete against the guards.
This may be Burt Reynolds best performance with the possible exception of Deliverance. He is the "good-old boy" seen in his other movies but with a twist. He's not nearly as confident or "good" in this movie. This is, in part, what makes the Longest Yard work. To say this movie is a comedy is somewhat of a misnomer since many scenes would not be found in a traditional comedy. In fact, they are fairly shocking taken out of context.
However, the movie, as I said, works. The performances are top notch, the characters developed and the pacing well done. The scenes in which the prisoners are taught "special tactics" for the field are simply hilarious and the game itself is probably the most realistic (other than the after play hits) ever filmed. It didn't hurt that they had real football players in the scenes.
In addition, Eddie Albert plays a great villain. You really can build up a great hatred for his character, and he never becomes a caricature of a villain, which often happens in today's movies.
As for the R rating, this really tells you how things have changed in the last 25 years. There is absolutely no sex (although one scene of heavy kissing is include), and only some strong language. Today's rating would be a definite 14A although you could see producers changing those words to something more innocuous so they could stamp a PG rating on it.
In all, a great movie with a lot more depth and heart than more recent movies in a similar vein.Very entertaining - Poet
This movie was never meant to be taken that seriously. It satisfies itself with being entertaining and it is successful at that job. When I started watching, I wasn't expecting the wheel to be reinvented. This is not a perfect flick. There is some evident flaws. But, all in all, it works well on a Sunday afternnon when you just want to relax.
Member Reviews
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Reynolds Scores a Hit - MovieProf
Football-playing inmates, villainous wardens, former stars-turned-convicts, cheerleaders dressed in drag...it's all here in this classic from 1974.
Burt Reynolds stars as Paul Crewe, a former NFL quarterback whose career has slipped away. The film ...Maybe the best football ever? - pinster
Paul Crewe is a has been footbal player and "kept" man who finally goes off the deep end and lands in jail. Once in jail, he is given the "opportunity" to help improve the team of prison guards that the warden has assembled. This opportunity is to develop ...Very entertaining - Poet
This movie was never meant to be taken that seriously. It satisfies itself with being entertaining and it is successful at that job. When I started watching, I wasn't expecting the wheel to be reinvented. This is not a perfect flick. There is some evident ...