The Longest Yard (1974)
Theres no need to watch the 2005 Adam Sandler remake when the original still works so well. From 1978-1982, Burt Reynolds was the most bankable Hollywood star at the movies, and he built that reputation starring as the tough, cool handsome guy in screwball and action comedies. Reynolds may be the original girls want him, guys want to be him movie star.
In The Longest Yard, Reynolds stars as former pro QB Paul Crewe. After a drunken joy ride, Crewe ends up in prison and is coaxed into participating in a football game that pits the prisoners against the guards. Director Robert Aldrich (Kiss Me Deadly, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Dirty Dozen) wasnt exactly known for his comedies but he had the good sense to let his ensemble cast improvise in what he called shtick takes and most of those loose, funny takes are what made it into the final product. It isnt all laughs though; The Longest Yard features some solid dramatic work and a striking sensitivity toward the disparities between white and black inmates. Theres a reason that Sandlers remake is basically a shot for shot retelling: if it aint broke, dont fix it!
Show me the money! and You had me at hello are two of the most oversaturated film quotes of all time. Thank this Tom Cruise film for both of them. Or dont, if youre sick of hearing them.
To call Jerry Maguire a sports film is to adopt a more loose definition of the genre, because most of the drama in the film comes from the eponymous sports agent (Cruise) and his relationship with younger single mom Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger), his employee. Workplace appropriateness aside, this rom-com/drama mishmash is a cute story, made more adorable by Dorothys young son Ray (Jonathan Lipnicki) and his random factoids (Did you know the human head weighs eight pounds?).
But sports isnt kept entirely on the sidelines. Jerry finds career redemption through client Rod TIdwell (Cuba Gooding Jr., who earned the Best Supporting Actor Oscar), a wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals wants the team to present him with a sizable amount of financial compensation. OK, so Show me the money does feel more natural.
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The Best Sports Movies Available on Netflix - Den of Geek UK
