[MOVIES] Friday Night Lights

I'm going to the 8:20 show at Dunvale.

I'll post a review when I get back, but the Chronicle said it may be "the best sports movie ever made."

 

Loosely based, from what I understand.

 

Ok I'm just back.

For those that haven't seen it Friday Night Lights is freaking awesome good. For those who have seen it "it's perfect". (they know what I mean)

The movie is cut a little rough more like a documentary or montage but man,they abolutely nail the feel of high school football in Texas. There are several instances where the director illuminates the motivations and perceptions that drive these young men. Heck I've known these guys and I've heard all these speeches. Right or wrong they are true to life.

Sure some of the suspense is contrived over the actual events but the football scenes are balls out hard hitting. Billy Bob is understated and Tim Mcgraw is excellent. There are a couple of kids that turn in good performances too.

The Friday Night Lights crew got'er done, it's a winner.

 

Those are interesting details.

One of my youth swim coaches, Ronnie Truitt, was one of those boys on the Milan High championship team. I did an internet search one time and found a team picture from that era and there was Coach Truitt as recognizable as could be.

Ronnie later coached and won at least one state championship at Cy-Fair in 1971. I played hoops at Memorial High and we lost a 6 overtime game to them on a half-court shot that year.

Coach Truitt died a relatively young man (early- to -mid-60s) of cancer.

 

The movie is good, but it's not really all that close to the book at all. Still one of those good uplifting films...

 

I saw the movie two weeks ago at a media screening and it is awesome. Incredible. In attendance were Peter Berg and Buzz Bissinger. Peter is the director and Buzz wrote the book. They are cousins. First cousins, not some distant relation. Every thing that was done in the film was okayed by Buzz. Peter explained why he changed it from semis to finals and from Austin to the Dome. Essentially people across the country, he felt, would have a difficult time understanding how crazy high school football is in Texas. He didn't think they could grasp the concept of a semi being that important so he made it the final. He also admitted dramatizing the final score to make it play better for the national audience.

The film was amazing...anyone that played football or any sport really will relate to the movie. My Junior year we had a new head coach at Spring and he spent the spring semester of my sophomore year at Permian the year that this film is about. So my Junior year I show up at two a days and our colors have changed, there are mottos painted on the walls...He basically emulated Odessa Permian.

So it real strange watching a movie that my whole high school football experience was built around.

Go see it.

 

I never read the book, but this is what I'm hearing from people who have read the book and watched the movie, too.

The first time I heard of the Odessa Permian MOJO was, oddly enough, during an absolute butt-kicking they received in the state 5A championship game at the hands of Yates. The final score was something like 35-0 or something. This was back in the mid-80's.

 

This movie blew.

I was expecting a gritty and grim view of H.S. football in West Texas. They only showed glimpses of that (with Tim McGraw and how the coach was treated).

Instead, they focused on the team itself and how it played.

The book blows this piece of crap away.

 

but the real question is, is the hype about it being the "best sports movie ever" true?

I think that is a mighty high bar to set...they are advertising it as being better than Hoosiers and Remember the Titans...which I personally thought were damn good movies....but the ads make it look like some overhyped teen drama like Varsity Blues.

So, to those who have seen all the movies mentioned...whats the real deal?

 

It's grittier than "Varsity Blues" but closer to it than "Remember the Titans" which was a sports movie masterpiece.

(Nevers seen Hoosiers, though I have the DVD)...

 

I haven't seen Friday Night Lights, but I've seen all the others.

It's going to be tough to top Hoosiers. Remember the Titans is a very inspirational movie and the football portrayed is pretty realistic, too.

What is supposed to make FNL memorable? Weren't they a juggernaut powerhouse anyway? Hoosiers and Titans were great story lines about triumph over adversity. What does FNL have to offer dramatically?

 

Billy Bob Thornton and the kid from "slingblade" are rejoined, that was enough for me.

I loved the movie.

 

It depicts the screwed up priorities of adults in the city and how they place all of their hopes and dreams on a bunch of teenage football players.

Players are treated like crap (especially black players), are paid money for performance... the coach is constantly harassed and threatened if he loses, more money is spent on football than education...

basically, the book was an expose about how backwards the culture was in West Texas... the movie poorly reflects the greatness of the book.

 

I remember free food being given away to the kids and other than the conversation at the table how were the black players treated like crap?

 

I don't suspect I'll get to see it for awhile. I'm sure it will be sold out here for some time. I live between Permian High and Ratliff Stadium -- about five minutes or so from each.

I didn't grow up in the Midland/Odessa area, and I've never been big on high school sports, but I've gone to a few games. The first year I was here (1999), a friend of mine took me to Permian vs. Odessa High. I've never seen so many people at a high school football game in all my life. There were even a couple of guys who came all the way from Germany because they'd read Friday Night Lights. Evidently, that kind of thing happens a lot.

I went to Permian vs. Midland Lee last year. A friend of mine was given tickets by someone at work. Permain was having an off year, and Midland Lee was having somewhat of down year as well (compared to the success they've had the past few years). It was still intense. They were filming for the movie at that time as well, so there was a helicopter circling the stadium the whole game.

I have no idea if the movie is accurate or not. I do know that way too many people live or die by what happens at Ratliff Stadium. They may not keep up with who is going to be the next superintendent of the school district, but I can guarantee they'll know everything there is to know about the coach. I'm not saying everyone is that way, but there are quite a few.

 

The book is fantastic and I really like Billy Bob Thorton, so I'll probably see it.

The best sports movie? It's got to be Caddyshack, man!

 

Growing up in Texas, high school football does play some mystical role. I never quite understood it. I remember being asked all the time why I never played football. The private high school were I attended sucked at football, but "socially" you were more important if you were a football player.