NOT AT ALL FACTUAL

Rating: 1/10 (12 October 2004)

OK, this movie follows the book perfectly in that Odessa Permian players do have a big black P on the sides of their helmets and Odessa Permian is in West Texas, but other than that ... Actually, as someone who is very familiar with story behind "The Rookie," another movie about a West Texas story, I know that Hollywood takes creative license with the facts. What Hollywood did with this movie was not creative license so much as flat out lying and in some cases slander and defamation. The book, Friday Night Lights, is a perfect story: Why mess with a perfect story? I've read the book numerous times and saw that team play 3 times, including the Dallas Carter game. I watched this so-called movie in absolute amazement of the number of the factual errors. I understand there is going to be small changes and I can deal with the number and position changes of the key players, I can even tolerate silly facts such as players and band members wearing lettermen jackets and wool caps in the MIDDLE OF September ... for those unaware of that silliness, it's only 90 degrees in September. And since when does Permian play district games in September? I can tolerate the errors such as Permian playing Marshall at Ratliff Stadium (the game was in Marshall). I understand the need to change scores and certain game situations to make the movie be more exciting.
But to change critical facts is irresponsible and stupid.
Obviously, the people who wrote and produced this movie did not read the book, not even the prolouge. Then they would know that James "Boobie" Miles not only did not play in the Midland Lee game, but that he quit the team that next week. He NEVER returned to the team in any way shape or form, certainly not as some great inspiration before the Dallas Carter game. Speaking of, Miles was injured in a scrimmage against Amarillo High, not in the first game of the season. And to insinuate that Gary Gaines would have no clue of Miles' medical status, that he would simply take L.V.'s and Boobie's words for it, is insulting to Gaines, a respectable and renown coach in this state.
The Dallas Carter game in the movie was an abomination. Coach Freddie James is a well-respected coach in this state, too, and to paint him as a villain is ludicrous. If I was James, and they called him by name in the movie, I would seek legal action. ... Yes, Dallas Carter was brash and talked a lot of noise, but it was not gang-land school nor was it any dirtier of a team than Permian. The racial irresponsibility this movie showed -- the typical cliché of lilly white vs. dirty black -- is ridiculous. ... The score was wrong (14-9 was the actual final) and the way the game played out was wrong (Permian actually led 9-7 entering the fourth quarter) and Permian never got close to winning the game in the final minute.
Speaking of the playoffs, the three teams involved in the coin flip were MIDLAND HIGH, Midland Lee and Permian ... well, the movie got 2 right. Why is Abilene Cooper substituted for Midland High? Since when did Dallas Jesuit play Permian in the 1988 playoffs? Since when did San Angelo Central make the playoffs that year, and wouldn't it be damn hard for San Angelo Central to play Permian in the playoffs if THEY'RE FROM THE SAME DISTRICT AND CENTRAL WENT 2-8 that season? Did four teams from District 4-5A make the playoffs that year? For the record, in reality Permian played Amarillo Tascosa, El Paso Andress, Irving Nimitz, Arlington Lamar and Dallas Carter in the playoffs. The Panthers played Dallas Carter in the state semifinals in Austin, not in the state final in the Astrodome. Nevermind that Carter was stripped of state title for UIL violations and the title given to Converse Judson.
Another gross error that is inexcusable is that this movie portrays the relationship between Charlies and Donnie Billingsly as abusive. THAT WAS NOT WRITTEN ABOUT NOR DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY RECOLLECTION OF THAT BEING TRUE. In fact, Charlie Billingsly has sent emails to friends, family and others that that was NOT THE CASE. If I'm the Billingslys, Gaines, and especially James, I seek legal action against the producers and writers. They tried to "8-Mile" this movie and it was a fiasco.
Other errors: Brian Chavez wore 85 and was a defensive end, not safety; Ivory Christian wore 62 and was a linebacker; Boobie Miles wore 35; Chris Comer wore 45; where the hell was Jerrod McDougle, the fifth player featured in the book; since when did Permian practice at Ratliff Stadium; since when did Abilene High beat Permian that year (Permian lost to Marshall and Midland Lee in the regular season, both in one-point games).
I did not go to Permian, but I love high school football and really wanted this movie to be great. Sadly, it's a big stinking pile of lies and inaccuracies that most of the country won't ever know about unless they read the book.
In its defense, the movie is incredibly true about the characters of the players and the way football is treated in Odessa, but ...
One thing I wonder about: Why not just treat this movie like Hoosiers was treated. Take a real event (Milan's state title in the early 50s), create a movie with fictional characters (Jimmy Chitwood) based on the real players and create drama and scenes based on the real action. OR, treat this movie like Miracle. Take a real event (the Miracle on Ice hockey team), tell the story as accurate and perfectly as possible. Both of those are great movies. What Friday Night Lights did was a combination of both and came away with something only marginally better than Johnny Be Good. You made a mockery of a great book.