This New-To-Paramount Plus Adam Sandler Comedy Is One of the Sandman’s Highest-Grossing Movies — Roger Ebert Even Liked It!

The Longest Yardis generally regarded as one of the greatest football movies of all time, as it both solidified Burt Reynoldsas one of the greatest stars of his generation and fit within the anti-establishment themes that were prevalent throughout the “New Hollywood” era. While the prospect of remaking a film that had become so influential seemed difficult, anxieties about how the new version would compare to the original classic were heightened by the fact that it would star Adam Sandler, who had been on a downward streak in the eyes of many critics. However, The Longest Yard became Sandler’s highest-grossing comedy at the time of its release and even managed to win the favor of Roger Ebert, who had notoriously panned such films as Big Daddy, The Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore, and Billy Madison.