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The Yards

Play trailer Poster for The Yards R Released Apr 27, 2000 1h 55m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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64% Tomatometer 98 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
After serving time in prison for taking the fall for a group of his friends, Leo just wants to get his life back on track. So he goes to the one place he thinks will be safe -- home. There he takes a new job with his highly connected and influential uncle. But in the yards, where his uncle now pulls the strings, safe is not how they do business. Unwittingly, he's drawn into a world of sabotage, high stakes payoffs and even murder.
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The Yards

The Yards

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Critics Consensus

Featuring strong performances and direction, The Yards is a richly textured crime thriller with an authentic feel.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Brody The New Yorker The tangle of family, business, and crime, with its resulting loyalties and betrayals, is the volatile stuff of which the drama is made. Jun 28, 2021 Full Review Todd McCarthy Variety An On the Waterfront wannabe, directed with a heavy portentousness that smothers the drama in a thick sauce of self-importance. Aug 5, 2008 Full Review Andrew Sarris Observer I can't remember when a film so well-acted and so well-rendered visually was also so oppressive to sit through. Apr 27, 2007 Full Review A.S. Hamrah The Baffler The outer boroughs in James Gray's New York are forlorn, and The Yards is a lament for a good-hearted white loser... Sep 16, 2020 Full Review Antonia Quirke Independent on Sunday It has a terrific subject, an unimprovable cast and a trio of trustworthy, even hip, producers. And no life. Nov 28, 2017 Full Review Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal How "The Yards" shifts toward crime drama through character rather than pure plot is hard to disclose without divesting twists. Inspired by real-life scandal, James Gray lets personal insight color Shakespearean shenanigans of privilege, panic and power. Rated: 3.5/4 Dec 15, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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keven q It's ok. Worth a watch if you have nothing better to do. Great cast but the story doesn't really evolve into much and it ends rather abruptly and unceremoniously. I'm not going to keep it in my collection but not bummed I watched it. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/07/25 Full Review Arthur D Acting was good. Interesting plot and resolution to the issue. Sometimes it seemed to lag. At times the viewer did not know what was going to happen next. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/04/25 Full Review Steve D A strong cast and not much else. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/31/24 Full Review jack s I understand that The Yards is supposed to be about real people trying to do the best they can within a system that's rotten to the core. I also appreciate that the screenplay is supposed to be more complex than a standard good vs evil crime story. But even so, I'm sorry to say that every character onscreen (except for Wahlberg's saintly mother, played by Burstyn) is hopelessly corrupt. It's simply impossible to respect or care about any of them. For example, stand-up guy, Leo (Wahlberg) goes to prison rather than rat on his friends, but then does an about-face after his release and does exactly that to his family when he inevitably gets into trouble. Separately, Theron's character appears shocked when she suddenly learns her boyfriend (Phoenix) is a violent criminal—a fact that's perfectly obvious to every other character, as well as the viewing audience, from the beginning. Although extremely well performed all around by a fine cast, The Yards is relentlessly grim, depressing and ultimately unsatisfying. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review jelisije j An ex con that deals with the struggle of poverty, a sick dying mother, and systematic corruption. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie failed to grab my attention and I’ve never seen people act as nonchalant over major life altering things were unfolding 2.2. Then the cousins sleeping with each other gets thrown in like what . Just wasn’t fun Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/10/21 Full Review Read all reviews
The Yards

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Cast & Crew

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James Gray

Director

Mark Wahlberg

Leo Handler

Joaquin Phoenix

Willie Gutierrez

Charlize Theron

Erica Stoltz

James Caan

Frank Olchin

Ellen Burstyn

Val Handler

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The Yards

James Caan (left) with Joaquin Phoenix. Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg. Director James Gray (I) with Victor Arnold on the set. Charlize Theron. Mark Wahlberg. Charlize Theron and Joaquin Phoenix. Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg. The Yards (2000) The Yards (2000) The Yards (2000) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After serving time in prison for taking the fall for a group of his friends, Leo just wants to get his life back on track. So he goes to the one place he thinks will be safe -- home. There he takes a new job with his highly connected and influential uncle. But in the yards, where his uncle now pulls the strings, safe is not how they do business. Unwittingly, he's drawn into a world of sabotage, high stakes payoffs and even murder.
Director
James Gray
Producer
Kerry Orent, Paul Webster, Nick Wechsler
Screenwriter
James Gray, Matt Reeves
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Miramax Films, Industry Entertainment
Rating
R (Scene of Sexuality|Language|Violence)
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 27, 2000, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$882.7K
Runtime
1h 55m
Sound Mix
SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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