The Longest Yard (2005)
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A washed-up former NFL quarterback must assemble a team of inmates to face off against the prison guards in a high-stakes football game.
The story
Paul Crewe, a former NFL quarterback whose career was marred by allegations of point-shaving, finds himself in a Texas prison after a reckless act leads to the revocation of his probation. The prison's warden, seeking to improve the facility's reputation, uses his influence to coerce Crewe into coaching a team of inmates. To build a competitive squad, Crewe must navigate the complexities of prison life and assemble a diverse group of players. The team faces significant internal hurdles and external obstacles from the guards, culminating in a high-stakes football game where the outcome carries heavy consequences for both the inmates and the guards.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being sentenced to three years in a Texas prison, former NFL quarterback Paul Crewe is coerced by Warden Hazen to coach a team of inmates to play against the prison guards. Crewe initially struggles with a disorganized team but finds help from a former college star, Nate Scarborough, who recruits high-profile inmates. The team faces internal friction, particularly from a group of athletic inmates who initially refuse to play. After a series of events, including the death of a friend named Caretaker, the team—now known as the 'Mean Machine'—becomes unified. On game day, the guards attempt to sabotage the inmates, and the game becomes a battle of wills. During the second half, Hazen threatens Crewe with a longer sentence if he doesn't throw the game. Crewe initially complies but returns to the field after the guards' brutality toward the inmates. He eventually leads the team to a one-point victory. Following the game, Crewe is offered a pardon but chooses to stay with his teammates, ultimately winning the game and securing his freedom.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 113
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Peter Segal
- Writers
- Sheldon Turner · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Adam Sandler · Paul Crewe; Chris Rock; James Cromwell; Nelly; William Fichtner; Burt Reynolds
- Genres
- sports comedy; comedy
- Themes
- redemption; teamwork; loyalty
- Tone and mood
- comedy
- Setting
- A prison in Texas.
- Premise and plot tags
- sports; prison; remake
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1974 film
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and moviegoers, but was a box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 31% · review count: 167; Metacritic · score: 48 · scale: 100 · review count: 35
- Awards and nominations
- BET Comedy Award · Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Theatrical Film · win; Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Supporting Actor · 26th · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was a box office success, grossing $191.2 million on an $82 million budget.; The film was the highest-grossing film produced by MTV Films until it was surpassed by Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.; The film was released on the same day as DreamWorks Animation's family-friendly film, Madagascar.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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