More than just a football movie!!!

Rating: 10/10 (21 October 2004)

Anyone who is a football fan will like this film for its football story. I found that it is about more than just the game of football. The film is set in Odessa, Texas where high school football is almost a religion, a small town that would otherwise not exist to the outside world if not for its varsity football team. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton, as the coach of the team, in a very subtle but effective performance, the focus is not on him, the film focuses on the players on the team, 3 in particular. The quarterback who is insecure about himself and is trying to be a leader, the star running back who seems to only think of himself until fate changes him, and the fullback that has a propensity for mistakes on the field, he has an abusive father that hates the way he plays. Without giving plot points which I hate to do, the film grew on me. It does have some of the typical sports movie stuff, the games the practices etc.. But most of it show how important the game of football is to them and to the town. Thew players trying to get out of Odessa thru football, playing their hearts out to get scholarships to college, but it is realistic in saying that most of the players wont make it out of the town. You don't have to be a sports fan to love this film.
Grade: A-