Movie #60- "Friday Night Lights" (2004)

I have lived in or near towns where high school football is the hot ticket.  Maybe not to the level of "Friday Night Lights", but these were schools with winning traditions.  They were proud to own multiple State Championships.  It was amazing how these small communities could produce winning football teams year after year, able to compete with schools in larger areas.  I only experienced this from the outside as I was not part of the inner circle nor did I attend any of the games.  You could get that feeling by just stepping out into the community.
"Friday Night Lights" is an "in your face" football movie.  Director Peter Berg is dedicated to the realism of the football sequences, giving the film a documentary feel.  The film does get bogged down by a few sports movie cliches, especially when dealing with the parents.  Unlike other films about sports, this is not about a team that is initially thought of as an underdog.  The team expects a championship, the coach expects a championship and the town expects one.  The challenge occurs when the star player gets injured.  Even then, expectations aren't diminished as the armchair quarterbacks worm their way into the coach's office to offer advice.
The film is based on a non-fiction book and it appears some aspects may have been toned down.  Football is king for this town, and that also comes with a price.  More emphasis is placed on what occurs on the field than in the classroom.  Racism also plays a role.  The adults of the town are lenient toward the behavior of these young men, so they live vicariously through them on game night.  "Friday Night Lights" not only celebrates football... it also offers an ugly side.

Rating: 8/10
Movies I've previously seen: 5
First time viewings: 55