Few would dispute the fact that for people all over the world sports is more
than a means to pass a few hours. Sports teams have replaced Olympus with the
star players the pantheon of gods. In many small towns in American, ones too
little to have professional teams the local high school teams provides a means
to express the hopes and pride of the community. Among all the possible sports
to drive men in a community to a frenzy football reigns supreme, the film Friday
Night Lights depicts such a small town and the all consuming need to have their
high school football team win. The film, based on the top selling novel, Friday
Night Lights: A Town, a Team and a Dream, by H.G. Bissinger explore the pressure
on not only the young men on the team but the man that couches them, Gary Gains
(Billy Bob Thornton). Gains is in the difficult position of being the adult
responsible for the safety of children, no matter how large they may be, and
meeting the expectations of the town. Many people know the folks shown here in
this community, people that peaked in high school, who found those days to be
the pinnacle of their lives. The still wear their old team jackets, still have
their championship rings on their fingers and define themselves through the
scoring record of the current players. The current superstar of the gridiron is
Boobie Miles (Derek Luke), a natural leader and player extraordinaire. When he
blows out his knee in the first game of the season he toughs it out, continuing
to play against all reason, barely literate, the only hope the boy sees for his
future is football. All of Odessa Texas depends on the athletic abilities of
this young man. The couch knows the boy should be on the side lines for this
season but pressure from the town, including the father of a boy on the team
(Tim McGraw) is incredible.
This is certainly not the film to take on this phenomenon, surely it will not
be the last but it is one of the better one to tackle (no pun intended) the
issues. The boys playing the game will within a few years replace their fathers,
reliving their lives through their son’s games. It is a never ending cycle that
persists generation after generation. Couches like Gains are always the ones
stuck in the middle. They are able to continue in their jobs only if they bring
in a winning season. Once the team loses blame has to be assigned and rather
than focus it on the players, the children of the citizens, the couch is
sacrificed. There are many stereotypes present in the film. Mike Winchell (Lucas
Black) the quite quarterback who wants to win for his sick mother is just one
example. What makes the movie work is the way the script provides a touch of
humanity to each character.
Once again Billy Bob Thornton delivers. This actor has one of the greatest
ranges in acting today. He can play the unsympathetic fool in films like Bad
Santa and turn around and present to the audience an in depth character study as
he does so ably here. Thornton gives us a man that is conflicted by the very
nature of his chosen profession. Caught between the ethical thing to do and
giving the town that pays him what they need weighs heavily on this character.
Sitting in our living rooms it may be easy to say ethics should win out but a
couch is there to win games. It seems that every singer now wants to act. Many
try, most fail but Tim McGraw has the innate talent to pull off his role. As a
country boy at heart McGraw knows the man he portrays, a man defined by past
glories, wanting his son to succeed in life and with his only focus football.
Derek Luke also gives a great performance that displays a lot of heart. He came
to the attention of America with his title role in Antwone Fisher and this film
shows the young man has talent to spare.
This is Peter Berg’s first time with a high profile film and he does a
fantastic job in the director’s chair. He spent the better part of a year
research small town high school foot ball and this dedication to realism pays
off for us watching the film. Berg manages to go beyond the run of the mill
sports drama by using just the right amount of exposition balanced with gripping
football action. He has a natural eye for how to frame a scene. Many of the
details in the background will unfortunately be loss when this film is ruined by
the dreaded words "modified to fit your television screen’. Check out the
reaction shots of the townsfolk as they watch the games; they are completely
swept away by the thrill of the game. Berg uses light cues to help reinforce the
emotional impact of the actors. He has excellent control over the camera work,
providing angles that bring you right into the lives of these people. The pacing
of the film is such that there are no dead spots; you will not need the fast
forward button watching this movie. Berg used actual footage of the real team’s
games in the film, taking care to match the jerseys. The real Boobie Miles can
even be seen in one shot. It is this commitment to detail that sets this film
apart from others in the genre.
Universal has given this film the DVD release it deserves. The anamorphic
2.35:1 is well mastered, clean and crisp with no artifacts or edge problems. The
Dolby 5.1 audio track booms out during the game play but is clear enough to
catch every word of dialogue. The extras are better than the typical ones found
in sports films. There is a featurette on the transition McGraw had to go
through from country singer to actor. It provided an amusing behind the scenes
look at what has become a common occurrence. The real players and supporters of
Permian High are given a featurette helping the audience to see just how well
this film told their story. A special ‘player’s cam’ look at the six weeks of
training the actors and real athletes underwent. Top this off with some deleted
scenes and you have a entertaining film for the whole family.
Posted 1/11/05