a great sports movie, though not just about sports

Rating: Null/10 (12 October 2004)

Friday Night Lights is a terrific film about the 'professional football' atmosphere that surrounds high school football in western Texas. Billy Bob Thornton is outstanding in his portrayal of Coach Gaines, leading the Odessa-Permian High School team.
The players are believable, as is most of the action. The background story lines are executed perfectly, and Tim McGraw, playing the father of current player who was once a state champion football player at the same school but now is just a bitter drunk, steals the film.
The only problem I had with the film happens near the end. Trying not to give the ending away, there is a critical play in which the team needs 7 yards for a first down, and is 8 yards away from the winning score. They have no time outs left, and indeed they gain the first down. However, a holding penalty is called against them, negating the first down. The next thing we see is the clock winding down to zero, and the team scrambling to get one last play off.
Here's the problem: anyone that has either played football, or watched football, will tell you that on a holding penalty like that, the clock is stopped until the next play begins. So time shouldn't have been ticking away. I don't know who the technical adviser for the film was, but if it was someone with football credentials, the only thing I can figure is they were overruled by Hollywood types wanting a Hollywood ending. This, in my mind, is what ruins most sports films. Rather than trying to manufacture a Hollywood Ending, most sports related stories that are worthy of making a film don't need the classic Hollywood ending to be manufactured.
Because of this, Friday Night Lights becomes nestled into the third position on my ranking of all-time great films about football, with the original Brian's Song first, and Rudy second.
Still, if you are a high school football player, want to become one, were one, or know/knew one, this is an entertaining film. NFL fans, watch for Detroit WR Roy Williams as an assistant coach with Midland Lee, and watch for New England CB Ty Law as a wide receiver with Dallas Carter in the championship game.