Great Football Movie

Rating: Null/10 (7 October 2004)

I had the opportunity to see an advance showing of "Friday Night Lights" last night, and I have to say, what a movie. This is the movie based on the 1991 Buzz Bissinger book about the 1988 Odessa Permian football season. (For the record, I am the play-by-play announcer for the Ennis (TX) Lions, and grew up in San Angelo, about 90 miles east of Odessa)
The movie portrays the small west Texas city as verrrrrry small, not the metropolis of 100,000 that it is. A lot of the movie was filmed at Odessa's Ratliff Stadium, a 20,000 seat facility with Safe Play surface, and a two-tiered press box. Filming was also done in the Houston Astrodome, and in Austin.
Billy Bob Thornton does an incredible job portraying head coach Gary Gaines (now the head coach at Abilene Christian University). Tim McGraw has a breakout performance as Charles Billingsly, the drunken father (and former star athlete) of running back Don Billingsly (portrayed by Garrett Hedlund).
My favorite actor in the film was Grover Coulson, as L.V. Miles, the uncle of injured running back Booby Miles (who has a cameo in the movie as an assistant coach).
The football action is incredible, the play-by-play that is interspersed in the film is the most realistic pbp that I've ever seen in a movie, not the typical dumb commentary.
Fans will see what football is about in Texas, from the pressures of the citizens of the communities, to the large crowds that one will find Friday night at just about any stadium in Texas.
"Friday Night Lights" is a must-see for any football fan.