Yeah, you read that right. Burt Reynolds and Adam Sandler in the same movie together. Because sometimes the world doesn't have to make one tiny goddamn bit of sense. Despite being a terrible movie in nearly every way, the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard, which is about a group of prisoners who play football against the prison guards in front of an actual crowd because once again, THINGS DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE SENSE. Furthering the not making sense thing, Adam Sandler is supposed to play a kind of badass inmate who was a former football player. This is a character that was originally played by Burt Reynolds. There truly isn't a squiggly enough line possible to draw between Reynolds and Sandler. One is a handsome, manly, hairy-chested sex symbol and the other... is Adam Sandler. So right away, strike one for this casting director (strikes 2-8 come from also casting rapper Nelly in a major role). But give them a little bit of credit, because they clearly realised the only way to legitimise Sandler and allow him to be taken seriously in the role, they needed to make sure the OG was onboard first. So Burt Reynolds ends up playing another inmate who just so happens to be a former college football coach because... well, you get it by now. Not only does Reynolds make the movie at least three times better just by showing up, but positioning his character as the mentor of Sandler's really makes the movie a little... less awful.
