Awesome Movie!

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2005)

This is a great movie! A movie not only about the "sport" football, but the pressure of living up to the expectations that are placed upon the player. I personally bought this movie because it engulfed the very essence of my small town and the extreme attitude towards football. This movie was from what I hear, well researched and a true story. Each player has a love for the game, but also has added pressures placed upon them by various people. The team is out of Texas, which is a serious football state anyway, and the town rallies around the team and lives for "Friday Nights". When the team loses, the town turns soar on the coach, who is played by Billy Bob Thorton, who is AWESOME! He plays this football coach who truly cares for his players, and without saying realizes the pressure these young high school kids are under. He is torn between the town's "gotta win" mentality, and his own view of "let's just give it our all, and have fun playing football". Of course he would never say the latter comment because his job is on the line. Thorton is the best actor to date. He is able to become the character, I mean truly transform into someone else. The QB is great in this film. I can not recall his full name at this time, but in the movie he is known as Michael Wintchum. He is a nervous kid, who is trying to get a football scholarship in order to help his sick/low income mother help. He looks at football as a job, needing to do well. Booby Miles was the star player and needed this as well, only..., well you will see for yourself. This movie is not just "jockish", there is so much symbolism involved. There are a lot of sad moments in the movie, such as when the coach is confronted in the Walmart parking lot, the QB at the kitchen table reviewing plays with his mom, the Booby Miles drama and the crying in the car scene, and the reunion between father and son after the final game, as well as the last play of the game. The music fits the dialogue well. Ten stars, watch it, I know I will be watching it again, after all, I have it right here.