“Friday Night Lights” (Universal Pictures)
“Friday Night Lights” is a movie based on the book of the same name by H G Bissinger, whose true story account is recognized as being one of the best sport’s stories ever published. The film, like the book, focuses on Odessa, Texas in 1988 when high school football was the rallying point for the entire community. The Permian Panthers were a top-notch team who held the hopes and dreams of this Texas town in their hands.
The movie tells this story in an almost documentary style and casts a cold eye on the hoopla and the passion football creates. This is not a movie like “Hoosiers” where the game created greatness; this is the anti-“Hoosiers” whereby the game inspires only false hopes.
Billy Bob Thornton, in a strangely muted performance, plays Coach Gary Gaines, the man whose career is on the line each year depending on whether or not he wins. When he is winning he is the hero of the town, but when he is losing they post “for sale” signs on his lawn.
The star of his football team is Boobie Miles (Derek Luke), a naturally gifted athlete. He is the pride of the team and the star of the show. He knows his football career is going to lead him to greatness so he invests all his energy into the sport and none of his talent into his studies.
Mike Winchell (Lucas Black) is the quarterback. He has a tense home life as he is the sole care provider for a sickly mother. His teammate Don Billingsley (Garrett Hedlund) has problems too as he has a drunken father (Tim McGraw) he can never please.
As the season starts the Panthers run into trouble with injuries and failures. It looks like the season might be lost and the community is not happy. We see the enormous effort the “kids’ on the team make for their fans. They submit themselves to brutal punishment both mentally and physically. It is do or die time and sometimes that is meant literally.
The film doesn’t blink at the violence of high school football or shy away from the racial prejudice existing at this time. It lets the chips fall where they may and tells the story as truthfully as it can. This leads to some brutal views of our heartland communities as well as some moments of pure glory.
The acting in the film is consistently good with McGraw being particularly strong. For a first time performance he shows natural dramatic talent. Luke is also stroing in his role and has the biggest emotional scene in the film. Black has been an outstanding actor since his childhood days (remember him in :”Switchblade”). He is going to be a huge star as an adult.
The film is rated PG-13 for violence and profanity.
“Friday Night Lights” is a sports movie that is unique in its truth telling. It doesn’t glorify the game but it does show what compels us to promote it in our lives and our schools. Football may not be an obsession everywhere but in 1988 Odessa, Texas it was and probably is to this day.
I scored “Friday Night Lights” a glaring 7 out of 10.
