Didn't quite do it......

Rating: Null/10 (9 October 2004)

As a Texan and former athlete, it left me with the feeling that it had great potential but failed to hit the target. The story line from the book was definitely more in-depth and hard hitting. Whereas, the movie skimmed over the true fanaticism that took place in Texas during the 70's, 80's and probably still today. The movie did touch on the devotion and loyalty to the small town heroes but it failed in the area of paying attention to detail. The Panther's home field was turf but the turf in the movie was the newer FieldTurf-type that wasn't available in the 80's. Some of the athletic equipment wasn't available at that time either. Of course this may be me being picky but it definitely was a distraction. It would have be nice for the movie, since it wasn't gonna stay totally true to the book, to actually dig deeper than the book. There is so much more to the fervor of Texas High School football. Parents holding kids back in earlier years to assure there maturity in later years. I think 60 minutes did a profile of Belton High school many years ago. That type of story and others would have made nice additions from where the book left off.
I also didn't appreciate the depiction of the Dallas Carter team as gregarious, obnoxious, cocky and dirty villain. Was it coincidental that they were an all Black team? Football is football. And what goes on in the trenches is not for the weak of heart nor the soft. Odessa Permian's story definitely wasn't unique. You can find that story in most small towns anywhere in Texas on a Friday night. It just would have been nicer if Peter Berg would have paid more attention to detail and dug a deeper at the maniacal force that is the greatest high school in the country (bar none...Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and California).