Time to face reality

Rating: 7/10 (13 November 2004)

I am a college student, fresh out of high school, fresh from the Friday night lights. This movie makes me wish I was back there. It captures the intensity and emotion of high school sports...something that, often times, people don't like to face. Look, sports are not everything in this world, but they are a huge part of the lives of many, especially the younger generation. It's the "winner take all" mentality that many people hate; they feel as though prep sports should not be about winning, but more about having fun. It's time to face reality. To many high school athletes, winning is everything. Losing isn't meaningless; it's a million times worse. The emotion and pressure of high school athletics is on full display in Friday Night Lights. There are no heroes in this movie. There is no magical Disney-esque ending. Only hard-nosed, red-blooded, mortal kids playing for themselves, for their school, and for an entire town. Friday Night Lights may not be the best sports movie of all time, but it without a doubt ranks up there. But more importantly, it captures something that most sports movies can't: real life.