- Published in The Contributors
Caretaker
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}NhpvvobULYA{/youtube}
Okay, we know that Bud Kilmer was supposed to be the bad guy here, but was he really that different from a lot of Texas High School coaches? Consider that the film portrayed his coaching record as impeccable, winning multiple championships at a pace whereby the stadium was named after him and a bronze statue of him was outside of the aforementioned facility. However…….
