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I love sports movies of all kinds, but even though I'm not a huge football fan, I find that football movies seem to be the best. My collection includes titles such as: NORTH DALLAS 40, ALL THE RIGHT MOVES, EVERYBODY'S ALL AMERICAN, THE REPLACEMENTS, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, and now FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.
LIGHTS ( which is based on a true story) is set in a small Texas town. The highschool football team is noted for its ability to win State championships, so much so that the townspeople just take winning for granted. This year, however, a crisis develops when a key player is injured and is unable to play the season. When the team really begins losing and seems to be struggling to make it to the finals, the coach is told in no uncertain terms by the town fathers that his future depends on the PANTHERS bringing home another State championship. The rest of the film deals with the struggles of the young players as the coach challenges them to reach deep down within themselves to find the the courage and determination that will see them realize their dreams. But as much as the coach wants and needs to win the State Championship, he is a caring man who is more concerned with his players development as human beings, something that goes well beyond just being a highschool football champ. In essence, he uses the game of football to teach youngsters how to become young men of character, and that's really what FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is all about.
LIGHTS is directed by Peter Berg, an actor turned director, who seems to know how to get the best out of his actors. The entire cast is terrific, but there are standout performances by Billy Bob Thornton as the coach, Lucas Black as an intense young player, a black American actor ( I don't know his name) who portrayed the injured player, and a surprising performance by country music star Tim McGraw ( son of baseball great Tug McGraw) as an abusive parent.
Picture quality is quite good and the sound, too, but a lot more subtle that Any Given Sunday. However, I played a bit of hockey in my younger days and know firsthand the sound ( and feel) that two bodies make when meeting at high speed: it's a simultaneous THUD/GRUNT ! Oliver Stone's approach to body contact in Any Given Sunday is somewhat exagerated but certainly exciting. On the other hand, Berg's handling of this in LIGHTS is probably closer to reality.
The conclusion of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS packs an emotional wallop and ( at least in my case) leaves you thinking and caring about the characters long after the rolling credits fade to black. Any film that does that for me gets the highest marks.
:5:
LIGHTS ( which is based on a true story) is set in a small Texas town. The highschool football team is noted for its ability to win State championships, so much so that the townspeople just take winning for granted. This year, however, a crisis develops when a key player is injured and is unable to play the season. When the team really begins losing and seems to be struggling to make it to the finals, the coach is told in no uncertain terms by the town fathers that his future depends on the PANTHERS bringing home another State championship. The rest of the film deals with the struggles of the young players as the coach challenges them to reach deep down within themselves to find the the courage and determination that will see them realize their dreams. But as much as the coach wants and needs to win the State Championship, he is a caring man who is more concerned with his players development as human beings, something that goes well beyond just being a highschool football champ. In essence, he uses the game of football to teach youngsters how to become young men of character, and that's really what FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is all about.
LIGHTS is directed by Peter Berg, an actor turned director, who seems to know how to get the best out of his actors. The entire cast is terrific, but there are standout performances by Billy Bob Thornton as the coach, Lucas Black as an intense young player, a black American actor ( I don't know his name) who portrayed the injured player, and a surprising performance by country music star Tim McGraw ( son of baseball great Tug McGraw) as an abusive parent.
Picture quality is quite good and the sound, too, but a lot more subtle that Any Given Sunday. However, I played a bit of hockey in my younger days and know firsthand the sound ( and feel) that two bodies make when meeting at high speed: it's a simultaneous THUD/GRUNT ! Oliver Stone's approach to body contact in Any Given Sunday is somewhat exagerated but certainly exciting. On the other hand, Berg's handling of this in LIGHTS is probably closer to reality.
The conclusion of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS packs an emotional wallop and ( at least in my case) leaves you thinking and caring about the characters long after the rolling credits fade to black. Any film that does that for me gets the highest marks.
:5:
:
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