Good But Not Up To The Book:

Rating: 6/10 (28 January 2006)

Friday Night Lights was disappointing when compared to the book, despite a very good performance from its star, Billy "Bob" Thornton. The movie highlighted the games to provide action for the flick while the book was more interested in the community life and its affect on these high school boys. While certainly worth your time to watch, it did not capture the authors intense feelings for the pressure cooker the young athletes had to live in. The movie failed to magnify the huge amount of coddling and pampering the town and school gave to these young men. The novels author continually pointed out that this football team was the highlight of most the young men's entire life. The production was a little uneven and was probably hard to follow by anyone who had not read the book. Pick up the movie and preview it yourself and and watch intently for the little messages the film gives but fails to highlight.
Ron Hall Lake Butler, Florida