Disgraced ex-pro football player Burt Reynolds is sent to prison after dumping his lover's car in the drink and assaulting two police officers; once behind bars, the oily warden coerces him into turning the other inmates into football players to compete with the guards in a game. Great story for a funny farce from screenwriter Tracy Keenan Wynn, working from Albert S. Ruddy's treatment, but "The Longest Yard" isn't completely on the cartoony side. Director Robert Aldrich attempts to give the narrative some dimension, but it's mostly an exhaustively gut-crunching exercise in comedic masochism (on that note, these inmates look rather long-in-the-tooth to be playing an extended, bruising game on the gridiron). Reynolds' comic double-takes are very amusing, and the supporting cast is full of colorful characters (particularly James Hampton as Caretaker, Michael Conrad as Scarboro and Bernadette Peters as a secretary whose beehive hairdo is a punchline all its own). However, there's too much emphasis on what a jerk warden Eddie Albert is, and too many shots of him looking aghast. Ed Lauter's menacing act as the chief guard is likewise tiresome, yet the movie is surprisingly involving and gritty in appearance. Aldrich is a rather low-keyed filmmaker who doesn't allow things to get too silly or stupid; he shows a keen eye here, especially with the use of split-screen visuals once the game gets going (it's a terrific touch). The game itself seems to go on forever--these players would be passed out from sheer exhaustion!--while the warden's threats still hang in the air, unresolved. One Oscar nomination: Best Editing. Golden Globe winner for Best Comedy; Reynolds was also nominated in the Best Actor category, Albert as Best Supporting Actor, and Hampton as Best Newcomer. *** from ****
Review of The Longest Yard
