Gritty Grid-Iron Action Goes a Long Way

Rating: Null/10 (2 February 2005)

Based on true events, a Texas towns obsession with their high school football team is quite a little story. It's also a sad story. I'm all for getting behind your local high school athletics, but my god, get a life. Billy Bob Thornton plays the beloved football coach with daunting task to get the team to the promised land, the Texas State Championship. The problem is that he can't just get the team there. He has to win the thing along with trying to get an undefeated season out of his players.
The players are all your typical colorful characters. The star player is headed to the NFL if he can just shrink his head a little bit and the supporters are all stock roles. But the film works. It works well because the writing is so good and the grid iron action is top notch. Somewhere in white trash USA, these people exist. Stores are closed because the owners go to the game instead of running their business. This is probably true in many places across the country. But in this film, the obsession is rampant. This town deserves each other.
The movie does tell a compelling story and the football scenes are exceptional. It reminded me of films like "Any Given Sunday", "Rudy" and even "The Program", a movie which I liked, but many others didn't. Billy Bob Thornton is made to play Coach Gaines. A man who understands the situation he is in, but also realizes that it's still just a game and this town needs to realize that. That is best stated in a scene where he is more or less threatened if his team doesn't get the big win while driving into town.
This is a top notch sports film with terrific acting and tells a compelling story very well. I just wish these people would relax a bit. (***1/2)