Not What I Expected

Rating: Null/10 (27 October 2004)

This movie was not what I thought it would be. Judging from the trailers (which obviously was wrong of me to do) I went in expecting something triumphant, along the lines of Remember the Titans. What I got was a film with a paper-thin plot, weak characters, and skull-crunching sound effects. The actors deliver uninspiring performances, the flattest coming from Billy Bob Thornton, whom I usually enjoy. The town portrayed in this movie is overdone, as a bunch home-on-the-range citizens whose lives pathetically revolve around the wins/losses of the local high school football team. There's really not much to give away, but don't expect to be given much explanation for what makes each character tick.
OK, this sounds like a bunch of negativity, but I was still entertained enough to sit through the entire movie. It takes a lot for me to walk out on a film. I enjoyed seeing Lucas Black (Sling Blade) and Lee Thompson Young(Disney channel's The Famous Jett Jackson), now all grown up, as the football players. Hopefully they're destined for bigger roles yet. Overall, this movie was mediocre at best. Good, (I use that term loosely) just not good enough.