Child Abuse Glorified

Rating: 2/10 (29 May 2006)

"Lights" was shot the way I was afraid it would be.. glorifying this type of "all out" High School football rather than condemning it. The Book was written to show how "out of control" football has gotten in Texas. But the movie seemed to justify even the abusive parents. A parent decks his son and the coaches just watch and wait for the abuse to end, then they go right back to practice. In a book the author can editorialize, but in a movie they must take action or the viewer thinks that the abuse is o'k. Too many sports fans I know thought this movie was great and wished all High Schools had football programs like Texas. Their attitude was: "I'm better than you because I played football" and that is just so sad. Sports has gotten out of control in America. I love sports, but I don't plan my life around. I don't live for the next game. I can watch a movie or go play Golf then check the scores later. I don't tape games to watch later. Spend time with your families not with million dollar sports stars. I like Billy Bob Thornton but even he couldn't save this movie for me. I have not met one person who felt the movie condemned "all out sports". But that was why the book was written! The book was written to show how High School football in Texas is nothing more than child abuse... Cohen and Berg re-wrote it to glorify abuse and Hollywoodize it. If this is how most football programs in Texas are run, they should be shut down. And I think most Texas football programs are still run this way or close to it. How sad that a kid would think he is worthless because he dropped a pass.