Friday Night Lights | | Cast : | Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black (II), Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez | | Director : | Peter Berg | | Studio : | Universal Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | October 08, 2004 | | DVD Released Date : | August 23, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 31, 2005 | | Summary | A Good Film, But Not the Best Sports Movie | Content
 | When comparing sports films, some might be able to see why I gave this movie only three stars. But I'm also basing my rating on more than just previous film success weighing in against this one. There were good and bad portions of this production that stabilized my review at three stars, too.
Since I'm an optomist (mostly), let's start with the good:
Billy Bob Thornton was excellent, as always, in his main role as coach Gaines, as was Lucas Black as quarterback Mike Winchell. Both played believable characters and showed the stresses put onto their shoulders by family, friends, and the obsessive townsfolk.
I also enjoyed Derek Luke who played Boobie Miles, the #1 running back for this little East Texas town. He rules the playing field until fate strikes him down ...and then the team has to become a real team, relying on the whole and not the individual.
But there were some problems with other aspects of this movie that soured its possible five star glory.
Most notably was Tim McGraw's character, who played a washed up drunken father who'd won a Texas State Championship ring during his formative high school years. Initially, I didn't have a problem with Mr. McGraw's performance as he aggressively taunts his son, trying to make him become the "perfect" player. He's not a very nice character, and I think that's the way it should have stayed. But the ending tried to candy-coat him and his son's relationship, and that made the entire portion of Mr. McGraw's portrayal unbelievable. At least it did that for me.
I also feel that the David and Goliath battles have been overdone in film noir (ad nauseum). Although some of them (see below) are adequate to the situation being filmed, I felt this movie went a bit over-the-top.
I've mentioned other famous sports films that I feel are much better than this one, and will probably hold up better over time. #1 among them is Hoosiers, the infamous Indiana basketball movie staring Gene Hackman. #2 would be Raging Bull ('nough said). #3 would be Rocky (the original Rocky, not the sequels). #4 is the lesser known Mystery Alaska, which I found to be extremely funny and heart-warming.
I'm sure some reviewers out there have different favorites, and when compared against this film, I'm sure they might see how this one was quite a bit weaker than their other coveted sports movies.
That's how I see it anyway ... |
| Rating | | | Date | July 21, 2005 | | Summary | good movie, better book | Content
| Too much "docu" and not enough "drama", movie rolls along at beakneck speed, way too fast, but, the story is real, spent a little time in Texas when the "pass or play" rule went into effect, war was ready to erupt in the lone star state over that!, very heated! high school football is a religion in Texas, just like in Indiana, high school basketball "USE" to be KING until the IHSSA put the class system in to place an KILLED interest in it! R.I.P. A statement came over a car radio, after a game was lost early in the movie, "I'll tell you what's wrong with the Panthers, there's too much learin' in school", tell you anything? Billy Bob Thornton just keeps getting better and better, he is an amazing actor, but Tim McGraw just floored me, he was terrific, he blew me away, great! The football action doesn't get any better than this movie, the young men playing the lead parts of the Permian players were very good, I still like, "Remember The Titans" best. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 21, 2005 | | Summary | Best football movie I've ever seen | Content
| This is probably the best football movie I've ever seen. Based on the nonfiction book, the story follows a Texas High School through their 1988 season as they try to win a state championship. The pressure put on the players by the entire town is unreal. They can't go anywhere without someone asking them if they're going all the way or someone showing them their ring from when they won state. The night they lose their first game, the coaches yard is littered with 'For Sale' signs. The town is anything but subtle.
The movie is well written and acted showing each of the players as a real person and you experience all the pressure their under. Tim McGraw does an excelent job as an overly critical father of a son who can't stop fumbling the ball. The final game has some of the best football scenes I've ever seen in a movie. I never read the book so I didn't know the outcome of the game and found myself on the edge of my seat rooting for them to pull it out. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 11, 2005 | | Summary | The Best Football movie I've seen! | Content
| This is a great movie.
- Love that it is filmed like a documnetary, but it's still a traditional movie.
-Excellent acting by all the players, especially Jay Hernandez. Tim Mcgraw does a great job as well. He is proving to be a great actor
-Billy Bob Thorton is a GENUIS in this role. This has got to be his best preformance to date, and is just phenomenal.
This is a striking true, real account of a true story. Filmed with such insight and greatness. I loved loved loved this movie! The story with Don and his dad is great, and touching. Also, the personal story and struggles of coach Gaines is touching too.
I have read some of the other reviews, and have to say- yes people- Football really is life in Texas. And you might think that high school football is nothing more than over grown kids suited up, but football players are bred here in TEXAS, and high school football is better than a lot of college ball.
Think about it- especially in WEST Texas- there is not much else to do. It's a great story - about how football is life, but you must realize in the end - it's just a game.
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| Rating | | | Date | June 28, 2005 | | Summary | Town full of lunatics | Content
| This is an absorbing, interesting movie. It is about a town that is obsessed with high school football. That sounds sick already, doesn't it. The entire town lives vicariously through the high school football team. What a foolish bunch of people. Do we have people in our country who are that stupid? Do we really have entire towns of insane morons?
There is so little going on in these people's lives that the only worthwhile thing between the cradle and the grave is for each new crop of varsity high schoolers to win the state championship. Hahahahahaha. Damn. Where is Kevorkian when we need him! Let these morons kill themselves, do them a favor.
Tim McGraw's character, a former HS football hero, explains to his son, a current player, that the only event in his life that has any meaning at all is the attainment of the state championship. After that, you spend the rest of your life remembering your one event, as you sit in your coffin and wait for the next 60 years to pass.
I hope there is a pizza shop that will deliver to the boy's coffin for the next 60 years, and bottles to pee in, since it is hardly worth getting up, now that the varsity football season is done.
The football scenes are done well. The coach is likeable. The players, as people, are pathetic. What was in their future? One of them played for Auburn, or somewhere or other, for a year. So at least his life wasn't a total waste. The rest of the team sold life insurance and ordered pizza. We need to nuke this town to do everyone in it a favor. It would be a mercy killing.
Come to think of it, Heaven does sound nice. Wouldn't you like to visit Heaven this evening? I sure would. The only problem is I'm not sure how the tv reception is there, and I might miss the local channel broadcasting the effing high school football game.
Does anyone really sit through those boring games? High school players are pretty awful, if you are used to the pros. I'd much rather watch a gifted athlete than the big klutz of a kid three blocks over.
High school football is so bad that if I suited up and played for one of the teams I wouldn't necessarily lose the game for my team. They really aren't that much better than me. I would make a few decent plays in a high school game, tackle somebody, block somebody, get out of it in one piece more or less.
The moral of this movie is that some people, in some towns, are just plain nuts. A second moral is that our own lives, devoid of high school heroism, aren't worth living. Just look at the poor guy who had so much athletic ability and then was injured. Don't we feel sorry for him. He almost lived a life worth living. Well, maybe he enjoyed his kids as they grew up. Pretty piss poor second prize, little consolation.
Despite all my criticisms, which I believe are valid, this is a good movie. I gave it three stars, and I opened my review by saying it is absorbing and interesting. It's not my fault that some people think high school football is the most important thing in their lives. That is a pretty moronic attitude if you really think about it. Hey, run down the left sideline about ten steps, then fake a buttonhook and go long. |
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