Film: Friday Night Lights

As I watched this movie, I couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that I had seen this movie before, a couple times at least. I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt, but in the end it's just another run of the mill high school football story. You see one, you've seen 'em all. I felt like I was watching Varsity Blues all over again.

It is not absolutely original, but this is a football movie and doesn't make itself out to be anything more than just that. I still found it to be entertaining.

The film did focus more on the characters. More so than a lot of other previous films. The actual games were almost afterthoughts.

The acting was better than Varsity Blues, btw.

2.5/4

i enjoyed it. i felt that it eschewed the glamour for a solid storytelling and for that i enjoyed it. i really got the sense of how seriously people take the sport at that level there.

as 'football' movies go, i prefered the glitz of 'any given sunday' more but i give it a solid 3 out of 4 (or i will in a second when i make this a poll )

alasdair

rate this movie

alasdair

For sports movie fans - I think it's a must-have

I downloaded it, watched it once, forgot what it was about.

It's good for one watch, there was some good suspense, and the ending was different than most football movies.

I won't spoil it for the people who haven't seen it.

the book is BRILLIANT, not seen the movie yet, not expecting TOO much, what way i wont be too pissed off when its crap.

PS how can u say its " not absolutly original" when its adapted from a (non fiction) bestseller , about HS football in Odessa,TX.

He meant basically all football movies are the same....

a team goes from last place to first place and wins the state championship. With a bunch of sex, drinking, coaches attacking players, and fights in the middle.

But I liked FNL, it was a good movie (for a sports movie), and the ending was different than most other sports movies.

i enjoyed it, but like always, the book was much better

The soundtrack in this film is perfect. Explosions in the Sky did a great job. I liked the camera work on the football field, and of course the story was well told. . . it is a good story.

yeah BA...I feel ya on the Varsity Blues comparison. It's inevitable.

Had I not seen that, I would've probably liked this film quite a bit more considering it's based on a wonderful story about real lives.

It's a good sports film overall...and of course the book is better. :D

If only it had a hot chic in a whip cream bikini.....

i also feel like i have seen it before in a different shell...
and i enjoyed the different than most ending
and liked any given sunday better
all points other mentioned.

i thought it was rather boring compared to other films.
the game scenes were limited which was both good and bad, i thought just a bit more could have been shown, less of the final game, more football less abut hits but i also like how it was not 89% of the movie with the acting just interjections between plays.
billy bob played a bit flat even with the possibilites set up with his wife and moving.
more of the players, than in other movies, had actual storylines and not just about getting hurt.
it was a touching movie for players that have taken their games seriously or to that level- or had a school, parents or others around them depending on their play and taking the game seriously.