Movie Review: Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights is the adaptation of the book written by H.G. Bissinger. This might be one explanation for why the movie is the most real depiction of high school football. I've played football since I was in first grade but I never enjoyed it more than I did in high school. This movie shows football the way it was meant to be. The in-game footage is realistic and shy's away from most other football movies and there extreme scenes making every play out to be a highlight.

Friday Night Lights is about the society in West Texas with football being a constant formula in everyone's life. The whole community is obsessed with their team. The community lives their lives through the coaches and the players of the 1988 Permian Panthers. The expectations of the coaches and players is for perfection. Permian is expected to win state and bring home a ring like their fathers and elders did when they were in high school. The pressure that the coaches and players go through is crazy. Before the state game the boosters imply to Gaines that if he loses "that'd be a real bad deal for you, so just go out there and get it done." The only thing anyone in the community talks about is football and winning state. Players are told that the years of high school football are the best ones of their lives. Don Billingsley's father (Tim McGraw) tells his son that "you got one year to make you some memories and i'll be damned if you don't miss it." Billingsley's father implies that this is the best time of his son's life and it won't get any better than what he has now. The movie focuses the whole time on the Panthers winning state and follows the team through an unlikely road to a championship game.

The characters in the movie make it so real. Coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) is one of the many people who make the movie great as he is dealing with the extreme pressure that he and his Panthers must win state. Thornton plays the role of the coach to a tee. The quarterback Mike Winchell (Lucas Black) as a quiet and insecure person who's mother is mentally ill. Winchell shows his heart and becomes a leader when the team needs him after the injury to Boobie Miles (Derek Luke). Miles is the playmaker on the team. He is the cocky running back who hurts his knee in an early season game. Miles focused on playing football the rest of his life and disregarded school. After cleaning out his locker he goes out to his uncle in the parking lot and breaks down crying and says all he knows how to do is play football. Another very interesting character is Ivory Christian or "Preacher Man." He is a silent leader until the state game when he rallies his teammates.

Friday Night Lights is a great movie for everyone. This movie is by far a top three movie on my list of favorites. It portrays the game in realistic scenes that anyone who has played football can relate to. It is not just about football but the lives of everyone in a town and on a team. Friday Night Lights appeals to the emotions of people who love football and know how it can affect the lives of so many. Friday Night Lights is a football film for the ages.