I believe the biggest difference between the films is the presence of of African Americans. In the clips shown in class, I did not notice a single African American in the old version of the movie. In the new version about half of the team is made up of ethnically different players. I also felt like the new version was much more of a comedy. A large amount of the jokes were based of race. Theses jokes may not have been appropiate during the time that the first film was made. The old version seemed to be more conservative and pushed the evelope less for the time period for which it was filmed.

Lindsey W
the time difference had a major role in who was cast for the particular parts. the relationships kinda did change just because there is still a racial divide and it seemed harder for adam sandler to gain the respect because the other black prisoners weren't as accepting as they would have been if someone else who was black had come up to them. its easier for people to see Burt Reynolds as a tough macho guy rather than to see adam sandler, everyone knows him to be a funny man. and some of the other scenes are different like when caretaker dies, you really see it in the first one, and hardly anything in the other one. this was an interesting topic.

I am usually pretty skeptical of these cheesy feel good movies that inspire moral ethics in individuals. I think that anyone who takes a larger jail sentence for fellow inmate’s respect is a moron to say the least. Why would he value the opinions of criminals? Dose he hope to further bond with them and have some homies in jail? Then they can kick it with when they get out of the pen. He can send them cigarettes to gamble and trade with. You never know when you’re going to need a good hit man. On a more serious note, the man shouldn’t have put him self in the position in the first place. It’s only illegal to except bribes when you’re in the NBA, not prison. I think he should have seized the second opportunity to throw a game and not the first chance. (I know if that happened the second chance probably wouldn’t have arousing.) I haven’t seen either movies, but from reading the comments posted I am not sure what racial tensions Adam Sandler brings to any event. Is it a black guy that inspires him to start standing up to evils easy way out and except the responsibilities of being a good man? I am just being critical. These adaptations are supposed to be about changes in audiences and author’s unique changes. I will try to keep my comments to this effect after I see the films.

I haven't seen either of these movies before, but I'm interested in how they portray the racial relations in the two movies. There have been a lot of changes (socially, politically, and economically) between 1974 and 2005, and it's going to be interesting to see how the two directors have altered the characters' relationships to reflect changing society. I also want to see how the main character is portrayed in the first movie. I know the newer movie had Adam Sandler cast, which is an interesting choice for a movie about prison and character development.

Kristen Cone

I've only seen bits and pieces of the original, and it's been a while since i've seen the new version. From what i remember, the 2005 version is a lot more interesting, and added things like the cross-dressing inmates to make it more funny. I think some of the races of characters was changed because racism is not as much of an issue as it was in the seventies. I can't really think of anything else to say, so i'll wait until tomorrow to make more educated comments!

I’ve never seen the original film, but I’m going to assume that there is a completely different dynamic in the first film with Bert Reynolds playing Paul Crewe. To me Adam Sandler is more of a comedic relief actor than a stereotypical tough guy sports star. I think I’ll be able to comment further on the racial differences in the films after class tomorrow. Until then, however, I have to agree with my classmates about the ridiculous concept of this film. I think it plays on a myriad of prison stereotypes for an easy laugh, but if the film were more realistic then I don’t think it would have been as well received. By adding Chris Rock and Adam Sandler into the modern film, it is totally unbelievable and I think that allows the audience to be okay with laughing at convicted criminals.

What a great story. I love these two movies. Most people would say that the new version with Adam Sandler is better because of today's modern ability to juice up a movie, but I enjoyed the original better. First, Burt Reynolds is a beast! There's no way ever that Adam Sandler can out play Reynolds for a part (especially a part like Crewe's). I did however really enjoy the second and it's soundtrack. Other than that I don't know what else to comment on, but I'm anxious to see what parts you're going to compare on Monday.

Another thing that i forgot i had notice when i first saw the movie was the character played by Bill Romanowski. To those of you that dont follow sports, he is a banned football player who was a proven/admitted steroid taker. When i first saw the movie i found it ironic that the condemned football player was not only in the movie but on the team that wasn't in prison.

I, like most people have also only seen the 2005 movie. Lets just say it was hilarious and I loved it. I enjoyed seeing the development of characters as they gained trust for Crewe. But on a separate point; I am intrested in seeing the contrast of the two time eras, especially with race and homosexuality. Also I know there were a lot of refrences to present day situations and I am looking forward to seeing how the original was different in this sense. How did it effect the quality of the remake? Is one movie often referred to as being "better" than the other? I am excited about learning more and discussing this purely because I LOVE this movie!

Kathryn Walker

I just wanted to throw this out there because it made me laugh, "While most people do not like going to jail..." That seems to be the understatement of the year. Thank god we have comedies like these to gloss over the horrors of prison because in real life, your inmates are not going to be Chris Rock and Adam Sandler. Even though it's not one of the questions, I just wanted to talk about summer remakes/sequals. Let's look at this summer's roster. Pirates 3, Die Hard 4, Fantastic Four 2, and Spiderman 3. See a pattern? Why remake an old 70s comedy with Adam Sandler? The all mighty dollar will answer that one. Summer is the time when movie studios make the most money because people have more free time on their hands so studios make sure-fire hits. This is no time to try something experimental or political movie. This is the season for milking old successful ideas for all their worth. Oh, and if you want to see a more accurate view of prison, watch American History X. Skinheads and hatred abound, I suggest you try not to drop the soap.

I've only seen the 2005 version of The Longest Yard, but I enjoyed it. I agree with John about the racial developments, homosexuality, and transgender cheerleaders in the more recent movie. These types of relationships between people have changed greatly since the 1970s. Since I haven't seen the original movie, I can't compare the differences, so after the discussion, it will be easier to answer these questions.

Bridget Kaiser

John killough

I havent seen the original movie, but i have seen the recent remake and loved it. In the latest version, im pretty sure the overwhelmingly famboyant homosexuality is a new theme. Today, homosexuality is common and almost expected. I bet in the 1970's when the original was made, people would have preferred to leave those characters out. Also, race might have become an issue in the two movies. Although some would argue there still is racism in our country, almost everyone would agree that racism was a huge factor in the mid 70's. As a result, some characters might have been of a different race or portrayed and treated differently within the plot.

Hey guys,
I am comparing two movies, The Longest Yard. Here is a quick overview of the two movies.

Both of the movies are very similar, while there are different political and social settings. They take the same character, Paul Crewe, give him a fantastic life, and then take it away with one incident. Crewe has to work his way up from being scum within the prison, to a leader on the field. He starts as scum because he sold out his teammates while playing in the NFL to win some money. He shaved points off the score of a game, losing all legitimacy with his teammates. In the movies, the prison mates do not trust Crewe. They knew what he did in the NFL and feels that he is going to sell them out as well. Crewe gains the respect of the prison mates, but then loses the respect in the middle of the game against the guards because the Warden offers Crewe a reduced sentence if he allows the guards to win the game. At first Crewe takes this offer, but then realizes that he is selling out another group of people who have his back, and makes his decision to stick with the team. The prison mates eventually win the game, screwing Crewe out of a reduced sentence, but Crewe wins the respect of his teammates. At the end of the game, the viewer realizes Crewe’s change of personality and sees him grow up into a respectable human being. While many people do not like going to jail, it does show what a jail sentence can do to turn around a person’s life.

This is just a quick overview of the movies in case if you have not ever seen them, but what I really want you to look for are:
1. The relationships between the characters.
2. The relationships that are developed due to the different races being involved.
3. How the time periods (1974) and (2005) have an effect on the directors.
4. Why the time periods would make the directors use different colored actors for the same part.
(Look specifically at Switowski and Caretaker)
5. What are the differences in the Paul Crewe characters and how this plays into the movies underlying theme.
6. How are the prisons different between the two movies.

If you are unsure of what to comment on or have never seen the movies, wait until after the presentation because I will hopefully be able to explain the two movies much better in class.
Remember- we are a class of 1 so all the comments need to be basically the same.
(Thats a joke) haha