2004 Directed by Peter Berg
A small, turbulent town in Texas obsesses over their high school football team to an unhealthy degree. When the star tailback, Boobie Miles, is seriously injured during the first game of the season, all hope is lost, and the town's dormant social problems begin to flare up. It is left to the inspiring abilities of new coach Gary Gaines to instill in the other team members -- and, by proxy, the town itself -- a sense of self-respect and honor.
Billy Bob Thornton Lucas Black Garrett Hedlund Derek Luke Jay Hernandez Lee Jackson Lee Thompson Young Tim McGraw Grover Coulson Connie Britton Connie Cooper Kasey Stevens Ryanne Duzich Amber Heard Morgan Farris Laine Kelly Gavin Grazer Turk Pipkin Carey Windler Tommy G. Kendrick Brad Leland Lillian Langford Christian Kane Buddy Hale Ken Farmer Marco Perella Eloise DeJoria Robert Weaver Katherine Willis Show All…
Juego de viernes noche, Luces de viernes noche, Ston pyreto tis doxas, Péntek esti fények, Les lumières du vendredi soir, Najbolji tim, Penktadienio vakaro ziburiai, Tudo Pela Vitória, Kynigontas to oneiro, Zafer Gecesi, Swiatla stadionów
CW: racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia (implied?), capitalism, America
It's not even coded. It's not subtext. The final team to beat is "black." The film acknowledges this within the context of the story, but it doesn't acknowledge the full sociological or historical context of it. It doesn't seem to understand that posing the Panthers as a mostly white-led team desperately trying to win as underdogs against African-American non-characters is part of the tainted tapestry of American history, the densely woven narrative that has demonized and commodified African-American physicality for centuries. That the film frames these underdogs effectively as people to root for makes me uneasy. Further, the touching father-son drama between abused and abuser is horrifying in its emotional impact.
This…
“We're in the business of winning.” -Coach Gaines,
Participants are heroes... go sports go!
I don't know what I was expecting because I find sports fandom to be an illness and I hate Peter Berg's conservative approach to understanding humanity. I think after hearing people discuss this as a good sports movie for years I just expected more than a standard football flick with a trippy score that isn't even original. I don't care what happens to the characters and I ended up disliking everything about the toxic culture in which they lived... I couldn't honor and love it like the film kind of does.
Not for me but probably good for people that care about football.
A Texas town with lots of pride,
Means football gets amplified.
On Friday nights,
Up go the lights,
That make them all teary-eyed.
Top quality high school football movie which is more about the the pressure place on these young men living in small town Texas as about the game itself. The film expertly swings between uplifting and heart wrenching as it tells the story of these young men in what will most likely end up the greatest year of their lives. The young cast all put in terrific performances and Billy Bob Thornton is at his best as the coach who keeps his composure under mounting pressure from the people of the town where football is the only thing that matters. Special mention to the soundtrack as well which for the most part steer's clear of the usual heavy rock that accompany's football movies in favour of Explosions in the Sky's more instrumental soundings.
This was a great coming of age sporting movie and I would whole heartedly recommend it for anyone who loves the genre. My biggest problem? I’m already in love with Varsity Blues starting James Van Der Beek and whilst that’s not as good as this, Varsity Blues still captured my heart more!
Director Peter Berg has a patchy directorial record. He's plumbed the depths with some right old shit, but every now and again he makes something really good, and Friday Night Lights is certainly one of them.
This may be a sports movie based on actual events back in 1988, but as you'd expect this is a Hollywood version of the Permian Panthers High School Football Team's exploits of that season.
Billy Bob Thornton plays the team's coach that is under pressure to deliver the State Championship to justify his salary and appease the School's hierarchy. Billy Bob is always worth watching, but he gets upstaged by some strong performances by the younger actors on view. The likes of Lucas Black…
#Despressing #TonyScott #notreallyTonyScottthough #reallygettinglazywiththereviews
So playing high school football in texas is basically hell.
High quality sports drama that focuses more on the circumstances and the pressure that the students and coaches are facing. Also watchable for non sports fans.
This is not only an exceptional sports film, but an exceptional drama surveying the inhumane amounts of pressure placed on coaches and their student athletes in a town where football is the only thing that matters.
the rack focus, handheld, zoom-in style of filmmaking definitely isn’t my favorite. the story of this works, the performances are great, the drama is well staged, but i’ll never rewatch this.
