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This article refers to the 2005 film. For the 1974 original, see The Longest Yard (1974 film).

The Longest Yard
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Peter Segal
Produced by	Heather Parry
Written by	Albert S. Ruddy Sheldon Turner
Starring	Adam Sandler Chris Rock Burt Reynolds James Cromwell Nelly William Fichtner
Music by	Teddy Castellucci
Cinematography	Dean Semler
Editing by	Jeff Gourson
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures / MTV Films (US) Columbia Pictures (non-US)
Release date(s)	May 27, 2005 (USA)
Running time	113 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Longest Yard is a remake of the 1974 film of the same name. The movie features inmates at a prison who play American football against their guards. Adam Sandler plays the hero, Paul Crewe, an ex pro-footballer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Burt Reynolds, the original Paul Crewe, plays a major role as Nate Scarborough, the head coach. The rest of the cast includes Chris Rock, James Cromwell, Nelly, William Fichtner and a number of current and semi-retired football players and professional wrestlers including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bill Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Bob Sapp and The Great Khali.

The overall critical response was negative, as evidenced by its 29% overall rating on RottenTomatoes.com. 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.^[1]

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 domestically and $190 million overseas. In the age of a large amount of remakes being released at the movies, it's worth noting that The Longest Yard is the highest grossing comedy remake of the modern box office era (from 1980 on).^[2]

Roger Ebert, in the critical minority with this title, gave it a Thumbs Up, ^[3] 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 then in (not as 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.^[4]

The film also earned Chris Rock a BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Theatrical Film.

• Adam Sandler – Paul Crewe
• Chris Rock – Caretaker
• Burt Reynolds – Nate Scarborough
• Nelly – Earl Meggett
• Michael Irvin – Deacon Moss
• Walter Williamson – Errol Dandridge
• Bill Goldberg – Joey Battle
• Terry Crews – Cheeseburger Eddy
• Bob Sapp – Switowski
• Nicholas Turturro – Brucie
• William Fichtner – Captain Knauer
• Dalip Singh – Turley
• Lobo Sebastian – Torres
• Joey Diaz – Big Tony
• David Patrick Kelly – Unger
• Courteney Cox Arquette – Lena
• James Cromwell – Warden Hazen
• Cloris Leachman – Lynette
• Stone Cold Steve Austin – Guard Dunham
• Brandon Molale – Guard Malloy
• Kevin Nash – Guard Engleheart
• Bill Romanowski – Guard Lambert
• Brian Bosworth – Guard Garner
• Rob Schneider – Punky
• Steve Reevis – Baby Face Bob
• Bob DeCapitaro – All other characters

The Longest Yard
Soundtrack by Various Artists
Released	May 24, 2005
Genre	Soundtrack

1. "Errtime" Nelly
2. "Shorty Bounce" Lil' Wayne
3. "Bounce Like This" T.I.
4. "Stomp" King Jacob
5. "So Fly" Akon & Blewz
6. "U Should Know" 216
7. "Whip Yo Ass" WC & Nelly
8. "Talkin' That Talk" Chamillionaire & David Banner
9. "Datz on my Mama" Taylor Made & Nelly
10. "Infiltrate" Trillville
11. "My Ballz" D12
12. "Fly Away" Nelly

• The Longest Yard at the Internet Movie Database
• Official site