‘Perfection is being able to look your friends in the eye and know you did everything you could not to let them down...’
I’m a sucker for a sports movie but with Friday Night Lights the general perception seems to be that the HBO series is more essential than the original film. I’m here to tell you that is nonsense. This is one of the all-time greats. The ghost of Kevin Costner haunts the film reel. The spectre of Sylvester Stallone hovers just offscreen. Friday Night Lights is a classic of the genre…
Based on the true story of the Permian High Panthers’ quest for glory at the 1988 college championships, Friday Night Lights presents us with Billy Bob Thornton as Coach Gary Gaines. The Panthers are favourites to take home the championship preseason but they are rocked by an injury to their star player Boobie Miles (Derek Luke). Coach Gaines attempts to put aside pressure from the economically depressed townsfolk, the player’s families and his boss – but at what cost?
Sports films often struggle to convey what makes their chosen sport so majestic in the first place. What makes people devote their lives to what is essentially only a game? Friday Night Lights should be the first port of call for anyone who doesn’t get sports. It’s not just about winning and losing. It’s about standing up for yourself, for your town, for your college. It’s about making memories that will echo around bars and football fields for generations. Writer-director Peter Berg understands what makes sport such an essential pastime in the lives of so many people and that’s why this film ends up as successful as it is.
Adapted from H.G. Bissinger’s book, Friday Night Lights is possibly the best American Football film ever and one of the best sports movies period. An utter triumph.