October 25, 2004

Movie Review: Friday Night Lights

"Just what we need, another football movie." That was my initial thought upon seeing the first trailer for this. Then the reviews came in, and they were all favorable, especially regarding Billy Bob Thornton's performance. I figured, why not, I'll give it shot. I'm glad I did, it is a very good film.



Peter Berg has delivered his most refined outing to date. His first big screen outing was the deliciously dark Very Bad Things, a comic tale of a bachelor party gone horribly wrong. His followup was last year's Rundown, which was a fun action vehicle for wrestler turned actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Now he is really coming into his own as an A-list director. Friday Night Lights spins a great tale of near greatness, and what it means to be perfect. Berg has elicited fine performances from all involved.

For those unaware with the true story on which this is based, or the book, I can give you the movie version, as I don't really know any of the real details either. It is about a high school football team in a small town in Texas, where the live and breathe for the game. So far as pretty much shutting down whenever there's a game. This particular year, 1988, Gary Gaines has come to coach the greatest assemblage of players the school has had in an attempt to win the state championship. The team is led by hotshot tailback "Boobie" Miles. Of course, they run into many obstacles on the field and off, without them we'd have a rather dull film. From the loss of a star player, the emergence of new stars, bigger teams to battle, a drunken father, a mentally unbalanced mother, and a town which lives vicariously as a whole through the exploits of their feats on the field, they have a lot to deal with. Not to mention that they are only teenagers, trying to be teenagers, but being forced to grow up before their time. It's a good lesson film, that doesn't preach, but does get a bit sentimental.

The film plays the fine line between character growth and gridiron action, and does a good job at it. Billy Bob Thornton is the grounding force as Coach Gaines. It is a wonderful, subtle performance, letting a lot of what he would say in a lesser film play across his face. Thornton has a very expressive face, and can convey deep meaning with just a gaze, speaking when needed. He plays a guiding figure which allows the kids to find their own way, while quietly directing them in what needs to be done in order to grow not only as players but as people in general. The kids don't always make the right choices, but they are choices that need to be made. Derek Luke, of Antoine Fisher and Spartan, plays the school's star "Boobie" Miles, a loud mouth who buys into his own hype even if he is the real deal on the field. We see a great deal of growth through the choices he makes and how he deals with his tragic mistake and the impact he has on his teammates. Then there is Lucas Black as Mike Winchell the team'squarterback, struggling with his desire to leave town with the need to take care of his mother. Garrett Hedlund plays Don Billingsley, a troubled running back with a stormy relationship with his father, played by Tim McGraw, who is a drunk and former high school football star. Rounding out the supporting cast is Jay Hernandez and Lee Jackson, as Brian Chavez and Ivory Christian. They help fill out the cast and their own characters arcs bring even more depth to the overall story.

The film looks great, it features some of the best football action I've seen on film. I think it helps not being familiar with their tale going in, it keeps the drama factor up. Peter Berg does a good job keeping that tension throughout the two hour running time. And the time flies by, I was surprised at how fast the running time passed, it felt like it was over in no time. That's a good thing, it was never boring. Nice balance throughout the film, each character has a story that plays out and no one gets lost in the shuffle.

Bottomline. This is just an excellent film, even for non-football fans like me. Featuring a great cast, a wonderful performance from Billy Bob, mature direction from Peter Berg, and a run time that flies by.

Recommended.

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