The title may not be familiar, but The Longest Yard is a remake of a 1974 Burt Reynolds movie released here as The Mean Machine. In fact, its the second remake. A British version called Mean Machine (dropping the The) was made in 2001 with Vinnie Jones. For the 2005 movie, Adam Sandler takes over Reynolds role and Reynolds himself returns in a part played in the original movie by Michael Conrad. Calling the shots is Sandlers director for 50 First Dates and Anger Management, Peter Segal.
The Longest Yard is the story of pro-quarterback, Paul Wrecking Crewe (Sandler) and former college champ and coach, Nate Scarboro (Reynolds) who are doing time in the same prison. Asked to put together a team of inmates to take on the guards, Crewe enlists the help of Scarboro to coach them to victory in a football game fixed to turn out quite another way.