a must see -- since it is from real events

Rating: 10/10 (13 October 2004)

*spoilers* I grew up in Midland Texas -- we are the rich hillbillies the one player referred to in the movie. The movie sheds interesting light on what football is like in West Texas. It is often a tense scary place. Mojo madness is something unlike anyone can imagine unless they have lived it. The cross-city rivals between Midland Lee and Odessa Permian are vicious (something the movie didn't hit on but tells a lot about the story also). The movie also left a lot of the book out. Having grown up with all of this in my life, the movie was a great way to look back and reflect. Teams really do overplay their players to injury. It is really that bloody and yeah Odessa is that ugly landscape wise (although it has grown considerably since 1988. The writers got very close to what the actual coaches looked like. They even got the right band uniforms. My husband's comment was "I don't think there is anywhere else in the world that actually watches a coin toss for high school football on TV" (this was one scene of the movie. I think unlike some football movies Friday Night Lights did not "drama" the sports like some movies do. You didn't see much of their personal life because they pretty much eat, sleep and breathe football.
Also -- I am not sure those who have not lived sports of this intensity can comprehend the scene where Gaines came back from the game they lost and had "for sale" signs in his front yard. Most "losing" Permian coaches don't make it past about 2 years of losing before they are out of there.