Chris Rock as a leading man always seems to fail. However, Chris Rock in a complimentary comedic role rarely misses. Rock played “Caretaker” in the 2005 Adam Sandler remake of the Longest Yard, and he played it with full comedic effect; in a complete 180 from the original Caretaker. Rock was not an athlete, but his job was to provide the laughs, which he certainly did. The issue we may have had is that in the scene where he died, the empathy we had for the character wasn’t there, as other than his jokes, we did not learn that much about him. This might be the reason why the “other” Caretaker could enter the Hall first. The Bullet Points: Movie Appeared: The Longest Yard (2005) Actor: Chris Rock Role Portrayed: Manager to the Mean Machine Why you should vote for him: This was the type of role that Chris Rock was perfect for; this film is not half as funny without him in it. Why you should not vote for him: You might prefer the James Hampton version. {youtube}
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We think every time we discuss any character in the Longest Yard, we will open a debate as to which version is better: especially when we are talking about the same character in both of the films. For the record, we prefer the original, but respect the remake, and will leave it at that. With that said, although James Hampton did not have the comedic timing of Chris Rock, he did have the social conscious of the film in his portrayal and his subtleties that helped to make the goodness of others shine. As such, when he passed away in the movie it was more of a blow than when the same end happened to Rock. Somehow, buried in the criticism of the remake, is the forgotten portrayal of the original “Caretaker”; and that should not have happened. The Bullet Points: Movie Appeared: The Longest Yard (1974) Actor: James Hampton Role Portrayed: Manager to the Mean Machine Why you should vote for him: His subtle portrayal is one of the most undervalued performances in sports film history. Why you should not vote for him: You might prefer the Chris Rock version. {youtube}
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