Fantastic

Rating: 8/10 (13 April 2005)

If I had to pick the best sports movie I've ever seen, "Friday Night Lights" would get the nod. Based on a true story, the film chronicles a year in the football life of the Permian Panthers of Odessa, Texas. Billy Bob Thornton is excellent as Gary Gaines, the team's coach, at once a firebrand and surrogate father to his athletes. The film shows the immense pressure put on these kids by their peers, parents, and school officials; the folks of Odessa live and die by football (the creed "Go Mojo" is everywhere, and the town shuts down when the team plays), and the game offers the players hope of leaving the dead-end town for a better life. But this is not "All The Right Moves" - clichéd characters surprise us with their depth (Tim McGraw's performance as the abusive father is an eye-opener, as is the path the character takes), and the team's fortunes take some unexpected turns. And the film shows both the pain and joy of the game. It's a great, great movie.