'Papillon'
Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen in a movie about Devil's Island. Ol' Dustin played a pretty straight role- he wasn't retarded, on drugs, or a scumbag. Steve McQueen actually acted a little bit more than usual, what with the scenes where he aged after spending time in solitary.
I feel like 'The Simpsons' has stolen liberally from this film at points (I know they totally ripped off 'The Great Escape' in that episode where Maggie is in day care at the Ayn Rand School For Children.)