The Longest Yard was a 1974 movie about inmates at a prison who play American football against their guards. Burt Reynolds played the hero, Paul 'Wrecking' Crewe in the original, and the coach Nate Scarboro in the 2005 remake starring Adam Sandler.
The 1974 original was also the basis for the 2001 movie Mean Machine, starring Vinnie Jones as Danny Meehan, based on the character of Paul Crewe, and featuring football (soccer) instead of American football. Green Bay Packers legend Ray Nitschke appeared in the 1974 version.
Plot
The protagonist is Paul "Wrecking" Crewe (Burt Reynolds), a washed up ex-quarterback. After a fight with his girlfriend, he gets drunk and wrecks her car, landing him in prison for a 3 - 5 year sentence. He has difficulty getting along with people in prison. The convicts despise him because he was caught point shaving. As his only friend Caretaker (James Hampton) puts it "Murder they can understand, but point-shaving, that's un-American". Moreover, the sadistic warden (Eddie Albert), who is a football fanatic who runs a semi-pro team made up of the prison's guard, want's Crewe to form a prisoners' team, but Crewe refuses and is given backbreaking work as punishment.
Eventually, Crewe relents and agrees to form a prisoner team to play the guard's team. He is allowed to recruit the most dangerous prisoners. Among the most impressive are Samson (Richard Kiel), a huge prisoner, and Shokner (Robert Tessier), a multiple murderer. With the help of Caretaker, former coach Nate Scarboro (Michael Conrad), "Granny" Granville (Harry Caesar) and long term prisoner Pop (John Steadman) who is essentially in prison for having struck the warden when the warden was just a guard, he molds the violent men into a working team.
However, prior to the game, a jealous arsonist schemes to kill Crewe by setting off an incendiary device in his cell. Unfortunately, the trap is sprung on Caretaker instead, who is killed in the blaze.
As the game starts, the prisoners do well, and at halftime the game is close. However, the warden is upset that the prisoners have gained a new found sense of respect and self-worth. He feels he must rule by fear and intimidation. He corners Crewe and says that the arsonist will testify that Crewe planned Caretaker's murder if the prisoners do not lose badly. Crewe obtains a promise that if he co-operates and throws the game, the prisoners will not be harmed.
Crewe quickly makes several mistakes that put the prisoners down by three touchdowns, then takes himself out of the game. With the prisoners demoralized, the guards start taking out their frustrations on the prisoners, causing several injuries.
At this point, Crewe turns to Pop to ask him if it was worth it - trading the opportunity to strike the warden in exchange for a life sentence. Pop states that he has no regrets, and Crewe goes back into the game. At first, the prisoners are angry with Crewe and provide him with no protection. However, he quickly wins them back and, with the help of a quick touchdown and a drop kick, get back into the game. Nate, despite his bad knee, goes into the game to receive a touchdown, and is immediately cut down at the knees by a guard, crippling him. However, by this time the prisoners have rallied and their spirit cannot be broken.
With one play to go and the prisoners down by five, the ball is in the prisoners' possession on the guards' one-yard line.
Quotes
- "For Granny... For Nate... For Caretaker... Let's do it!'" - Paul 'Wrecking' Crewe in the huddle for the last play.