Happy Birthday, Burt Reynolds! A guide to some of his best movies.

2. “The Longest Yard”
While never meant to be anything more than a crowd-pleasing popcorn movie for guys, there’s no arguing that director Robert Aldrich pulled out all the stops on this picture, which can genuinely rouse an audience. Reynolds boasted just the right combination of charisma and athletic prowess as Paul Crewe, a one-time pro quarterback who ends up in prison and is forced into leading a football team comprised of his fellow ... more 

2. “The Longest Yard”
While never meant to be anything more than a crowd-pleasing popcorn movie for guys, there’s no arguing that director Robert Aldrich pulled out all the stops on this picture, which can genuinely rouse an audience. Reynolds boasted just the right combination of charisma and athletic prowess as Paul Crewe, a one-time pro quarterback who ends up in prison and is forced into leading a football team comprised of his fellow inmates. Reynolds also is simpatico with a solid supporting cast (including Eddie Albert, Ed Lauter, and James Hampton), and you don’t have to care about football to find yourself cheering on the Mean Machine in the final reels. Go for the 1974 original, not Adam Sandler’s 2005 remake, which features Reynolds in a supporting role. less