The Longest Yard (1974)
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The Longest Yard (1974)
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Longest Yard is a 1974 sporting drama set in a prison with very strong language -- including racist and homophobic slurs -- violence, and smoking. Burt Reynolds plays disgraced former pro football star Paul Crewe, who must assemble a rag-tag team of inmates to play and beat a team of prison guards. Set in the 1970s, the movie is of its time. A woman is pushed to the ground by a man and there are several hateful slurs including the "N" word and "f--got." There is also frequent swearing, including variations of "f--k" and "s--t." Sex hardly features but is referenced and played for comic effect in some scenes. The movie's violence is never graphic but in one scene a character is set on fire after an explosion and burns to death. There are also multiple mentions of deliberately cheating at sport to intentionally injure you opponent, and some sporting injuries shown on-screen. In all cases, the violence is never gory or graphic. Characters are regularly seen smoking and the prisoners make their own alcohol leading to some drunkenness. Also references to steroid use within a sporting environment.
What's the Story?
THE LONGEST YARD follows self-destructive football star Paul Crewe (Burt Reynolds) as he assembles a new team to compete in prison.
Is It Any Good?
This 1974 sports drama has been remade twice, once starring Adam Sandler in 2005 and once as Mean Machine, where the action was transposed to a British prison and the soccer field. This is largely because The Longest Yard features a solid premise, but it has not aged like a vintage cinematic victory. Part of the problem is its length. At just over two hours, the final act drags like an actual football game playing out in real time. The script doesn't do its star any favors, either, with Reynolds' Paul "Wrecking" Crewe designed to be the type of antihero Paul Newman perfected in Cool Hand Luke. But instead, he is only ever sketched out on the page, resulting in him coming off as petulant and misogynist.
Other fumbles include not enough of the humor standing the test of time, and the action sequences lacking any flair or invention. Reynolds does have enough charisma to keep us wondering whether Crewe will manage some sort of redemption. But with all the other characters around him changing their allegiances to suit an increasingly drawn-out tale, this one finishes a long way from the end zone.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the strong language -- including the racist and homophobic slurs -- in The Longest Yard. Were you shocked to hear some of the words used? Why, or why not?
Did the film feel dated to you? If so, in what ways?
What lessons did the main characters learn? Can you think of a time when you've shown good teamwork?
Discuss the violence in the film. What impact did that have? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
How did the film portray prison life? Did the comedic elements make it less impactful?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 21, 1974
- On DVD or streaming: October 5, 2005
- Cast: Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert, Ed Lautner
- Director: Robert Aldrich
- Studio: Paramount Pictures
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts
- Run time: 121 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- Last updated: December 9, 2022
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