The Popkorn Junkie :: FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

     Let me begin with stating that I am not a big fan of football movies. Thinking back, I can't recall a single one that I have given a four star review, mostly due to the fact that football is my least favorite sport. However, I still watch them because I have been waiting for that one special football movie to blow me away. "Varsity Blues" featured great performances, but was a little too teen oriented; "Remember the Titans" was far too 'movie of the week' for me; "The Program" was a little too intense and unrealistic; and "Any Given Sunday" was an editing mess from beginning to end. "Friday Night Lights" takes the best from all of these different football films and combines them into that football film I have been looking for. Yes, this film blew me away.

    Based on a true story, "Friday Night Lights" is the tale of the Permian Panthers, an Odessa, Texas, high school football team who are dead set on winning the Texas State Championship. With all-star running back Boobie Miles on their team, it would seem like a sure thing. However, when Boobie is seriously injured, the team must rethink their approach, having built their offense around one man. Billy Bob Thornton stars as Coach Gary Gaines, a man who loves his players, but also loves the thrill of victory. He is reunited with his "Sling Blade" co-star Lucas Black, who plays head quarterback Mike Winchell. Mike is a fine quarterback, but is having some troubles at home -- his mother is a little eccentric. Garrett Hedlund is Don Billingsley, who just cannot seem to hold onto the ball, thus enraging his domineering, sometimes violent father Charles (Tim McGraw). This film tells all of their stories with one goal in mind throughout -- winning the state championship of 1988.

     Director Peter Berg has managed to do the impossible -- make football interesting for me, especially high school football. Unlike "Varsity Blues", I did not get the feeling that the scenes were staged, with the exception of one where a player goes flying through the air to sack the quarterback. For the most part, these scenes seemed powerful and truly authentic. And, unlike "Any Given Sunday", the quickpart editing technique was not as much of a distraction. In fact, it added to the emotion and the intensity of the story. Towards the end of the film, I caught myself holding on to the seat with one hand and slapping the other against my leg, hoping that the outcome would be the one I wanted. I have never done that in a football film.

      The performances in "Friday Night Lights" deserve special attention because they are nothing short of amazing. Billy Bob Thornton shows once again -- along with "Bad Santa" and "The Alamo" -- that he is one of the best actors around today. His chemistry with Lucas Black is still totally in tact -- their scenes together are amazing. And, Lucas Black -- wow -- I cannot believe he is not starring in more movies these days. I guess it is the thick Southern drawl that throws off filmmakers, but his acting range is phenomenal. The biggest surprise, however, came from country singer Tim McGraw as the abuse father of one of the players. I did not even realize it was him until halfway through the film, and it took me a while to fathom that he could be such a powerful and intense actor, especially with this being his first major theatrical release.

     So, having done the impossible, "Friday Night Lights" gets a four star review. If Billy Bob Thornton received any sort of awards recognition for this film, it would be wholly deserved. I would have never pictured him as the head coach type. As a whole, there is really nothing wrong with this film. Peter Berg has totally erased all memory of his first film, "Very Bad Things" and has shown us that he is not only a great actor but also a great director. "Friday Night Lights" is raw, real, and entirely emotional in the way it gives us a glimpse at small town football mania. Maybe this film will make you remember your high school -- I know it made me remember mine.

-- Billy Ray ( 4 out of 4 pops )

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