Varsity Blues

Plot synopsis:
Jonathan "Mox" Moxon (James Van Der Beek) is an academically gifted backup quarterback for the West Canaan High School football team. Despite his relative popularity at school, easy friendships with other players, and smart and sassy girlfriend, Jules Harbor (Amy Smart), Mox is dissatisfied with his life. He wants to leave Texas to go to school at Brown University. He also dislikes his football-obsessed father (Thomas F. Duffy) and dreads playing football under legendary coach Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight). Kilmer is a verbally abusive control freak whose philosophy can be summed up as "win at all costs". He has a strong track record as coach, remarking in a speech that "in my thirty years of coaching football at West Caanan, I have brought two state titles, and 22 district championships!" Kilmer's philosophy finally takes its toll on Coyotes' quarterback, Lance Harbor (Paul Walker). It is revealed that Lance, who is Mox's best friend, had been manipulated into taking cortisone shots into an injured knee that finally gave out on a huge sack. Lance is rushed to the hospital, where doctors are appalled at the massive amount of scar tissue found under his knee.Mox, who has accompanied Lance to the hospital, is shocked when Kilmer tells the doctor that he knew nothing at all about Lance's knee problems, when in fact Kilmer ordered the trainer to inject the shots. In need of a new quarterback, Kilmer reluctantly names Mox to replace Lance as captain and starting quarterback. The move brings unexpected dividends for Mox, one of them being Darcy Sears (Ali Larter), Lance's beautiful blonde cheerleader girlfriend, who is interested in marrying a football player in order to escape small-town life. Darcy even goes so far as to attempt to seduce Moxon, sporting a bikini made of whipped cream over her otherwise naked body, but he rebuffs her as gently as he can.Becoming fed up with Kilmer and not feeling a strong need to win, Mox starts calling his own plays on the field without Kilmer's approval. He also finally tells his football obsessed father off at one point screaming at him "I don't want your life!" Mox's father had been a football player at West Caanan, and although Kilmer dismissed him as a "no talent pussy" he did say that he at least listened (unlike Mox). Kilmer, who becomes aware that Mox has won a full scholarship to Brown, warns Mox that if he doesn't fall in line, he will alter his transcripts in order to reverse the decision on his scholarship.Another friend of Mox's, Wendell Brown, is injured on the field shortly thereafter. Kilmer manipulates Wendell into taking a shot of cortisone to deaden the pain from his injury, allowing him to continue even in the face of a permanent injury. Wendell, who is desperate to be recruited by a good college, grants his consent. At this moment, Mox tells Kilmer he'll quit the team if the needle enters Wendell's knee. Undaunted, Kilmer orders Charlie Tweeder (Scott Caan), a friend of both Mox and Wendell, to take the snaps. Tweeder refuses. Mox tells Kilmer that the only way they'll return to the field is without him. Realizing that he will be forced to forfeit the game, Kilmer loses control and attacks Mox. The other players break up the fight and then refuse to take to the field. Knowing his loss of control has cost him his credibility, Kilmer tries in vain to rally support and spark the team's spirit into trusting him, but not one player follows him out of the locker room. Kilmer continues down the locker room hall, and seeing no one following him, turns the other direction and into his office. The team goes on to win the game without his guidance.In a voice-over epilogue, Mox states that he "never played football again. Lance went on to a successful coaching career (he did not work at Wal-Mart as feared by Darcy), Wendell received a scholarship to Grambling, Billy Bob cried because he's a bit of a crier, Tweeder drank beer because, well...Tweeder drinks beers. Kilmer retired, never to coach football again. However, his statue still stands only because it was too heavy to move. I took the scholarship and will graduate from Brown University."

Tags: adult comedy

Review:
True, "Varsity Blues" has those standard teen elements like wild drinking parties, the school slut, etc.
The film dabbles with elements of the sport that probably hit home to some high school football players.
Then James Van Der Beek comes along, and his character is not really concerned with winning or playing football in the first place.
But he likes football, has fun with it and simply wants to play a good, honest game.
Like a number of other reviewers, I though "Varsity Blues" wouldn't amount to much more than "Dawson Plays Football", MTV-style.
The movie's filled with cliches:  the town obsessed with the football team; the overweight, goofy lineman; the slutty cheerleader with the heart of gold; the arrogant coach; the teacher straight out of an early 80's Van Halen video; etc, etc.
You know how the story's going to end, but you're not always sure how it's going to get there, and that's what keeps it interesting.Van Der Beek is very good, much better that I ever thought I'd give him credit for.
Also good:  Paul Walker as the original starting quarterback, and Amy Smart as Van Der Beek's smart girlfriend.
Too bad, although I think this was more the fault of the script than of Mr. Voight.It's certainly not the best movie ever made -- for that matter, it's not even the best football movie ever made -- but it's still good.
The only thing that can make such a movie watchable is memorable characters created by good actors, and here is where Varsity Blues succeeds.
Having played football in West Texas for a 3-A dynasty team, this movie brings back the memories and the nightmares that a dynasty town can give.
Varsity Blues tells the story of a high school in a small town in Texas, where football is king..
James Van Der Beek stars as Jonathon Moxon (Mox), the backup quarterback of the high school football team.
I never played high school football, so maybe that's the way a coach is, but actually willing to ruin a kids life by making him play with a serious injury?
This is an unpretentious and entertaining movie about high school football in a small Texas community.
The movie is well paced and a pleasant diversion; (many in the audience actually applauded at the climactic scenes in the final moments).What I find most interesting about the fact that this film was produced in association with MTV, is that for a Network ostensibly dedicated to iconoclastic themes and attitudes (i.e., anti-establishment and counter-culture), this movie is remarkably "old-fashioned" in the adherence to values espoused by the hero.
After he becomes the starting quarterback, he resists the come-ons of his predecessor's beautiful girlfriend, and he will sacrifice his own scholarship to Brown University (an Ivy League school in Rhode Island for those of you not familiar) rather than let another player be used and potentially physically damaged by the unscrupulous coach.Some of the scenes are reminiscent of other football films: The Longest Yard, All the Right Moves, North Dallas Forty, and so on, but I guess there are no real surprises these days after decades of the same essential stories in Hollywood.
Out of all the MTV movies I've seen, "Varsity Blues" was definitely the best.
It's cast did great acting and good portrayals of high school students and teachers.
James Van Der Beek is just as good as the football jock as he is as movie buff Dawson on "Dawson's Creek".
This movie does a good job at holding my attention and bringing back some good high school memories.Brian Robbin's film is about a Texas football team in the town of West Canaan.
After the star quarterback is injured, the back up guy, Moxon is forced to deal with his relentless coach Kilmer, his disapproving girlfriend, and his football-loving parents while starting in his new role that is all strange for him.The acting is pretty good.
This is the first time I saw James Van Der Beek on film because I refuse to watch Dawson's Creek, but he does a pretty good job.
James Van Der Beek, star of the equally bad tv show Dawson's Creek, tries to spread his movies star wings and impress the chicks with his physique in this piece of pooh.
If you want a good high school movie, see "Superstar", it was a lot more believable..
"Varsity Blues" is a tedious, shallow and formulaic tale of small town high school football hijinks wherein the adults are even more developmentally disabled than the hormone-crazed teenagers they've produced.The film manages to encompass just about every cliché endemic to this well-worn genre.
All this doesn't take into account the bubbleheaded sexpot sex ed teacher who moonlights at the local strip joint; the befuddled cops; the drunken, smart-mouthed jock who hijacks a cop car and spends the evening joyriding through town with a bevy of naked, nubile girls from the neighborhood; or the horny young lady who dresses down and splashes on a whipped cream bikini only to be rejected by the pure-in-heart hero.Then we arrive at the final game and the unconvincing showdown between the villainous coach and the righteously rebellious players led by the hero Moxon.
A whole bunch of my friends at school said that Varsity Blues was a good movie, thus I decided to go see it with a couple of friends.
As many people say, the football scenes were good, but I could just watch that on my t.v. so the scenes really were not worth the money I spent to go watch the movie.
I can understand why some guys might like this movie, but instead of wasting money to watch such short scenes of sex, go rent a prono that might actually have more substance than this film flop..
The acting was better than I expected, which isn't saying much...The story was typical, everything in the movie was either a stereotype or cultural statement on part of the director...The only two things worth seeing in this movie are James Van Der Beeke's little brother, and Jon Voight...which is the only reason I saw it..
This probably isn't the movie's doing, but the fact that I used to watch it all the time (actually, I'd get on Pay Per View a lot...sorry Mom) the year before I entered 8th grade (I'm now entering 12th) and it will always stick with me.
I especially liked the preview with Jon Moxon(James Van Der Beek) running the ball with the song "My Hero" playing during the slow motion clip.
in that I mean that amy smart and paul walker lost their appesl long ago, and especially the acceptance of a very "par like" writing, but the fact that the end of this movie connects on the deepest level with what all of anyones' possible high school aspiractions could ever dream to be is the reason that this movie succeeds on both a personal level as well as a dreamer's (aka all of our) level is the reason this movie should be praised as not a GREAT movie, but a movie we watch with reason for motivation as well as a movie that gives us reason to believe that inside of all of us, there is a Billy Bob or John Nox that can not only succeed but excel...Shame on all that does not believe that this is the earliest instalment of a great Texas high school sports (all high school sports for that reason, especially in our own school's sports), that makes us believe in the greatness we are all capable of....
Released in 1999, "Varsity Blues" is a sports film about football in Central Texas, where high school football is virtually a religion.
I was surprised at how engrossing and entertaining "Varsity Blues" is, much more so than similar films, like "Remember the Titans" (2000), "Woodlawn" (2015) and scores of others.The story revolves around a second-string quarterback, Mox (James Van Der Beek), who doesn't take football too seriously because he's consigned to the bench, but when the team's star-quarterback is seriously injured (Paul Walker), Mox rises to the challenge and begins to experience all the perks that come with being the football hero of the town.I'm not a huge fan of sports film, unless they successfully tap into other genres.
The movie features everything you'd want in a film of this ilk -- the sexpot cheerleader (Ali Larter), wild schoolmates (Scott Caan, Ron Lester), the smart girl (Amy Smart, no pun intended), wild parties, miscellaneous coming-of-age antics, megalomaniac coach (Jon Voight) and everything that goes with intense sports competition.Some people complain that the film's unrealistic because of all the extreme things that occur, but the team in "Varsity Blues" represents the typical champion high school football team and therefore they experience the various crazy things these types of teams encounter in real life.
Also, movies like "Varsity Blues" and "Platoon" may come across as "too much" because filmmakers only have about 2 hours to tell the story and they have to jam a whole year of experiences into that time frame.Others complain about the lack of assistant coaches in the second half of the final game, but we'll have to assume that they went with a certain person and the film just doesn't show it.
I rate "Varsity Blues" as high as I do because it's a stand-out sports film and high school dramedy that heavily influenced the more reality-based (but IMO less compelling) "Friday Night Lights," which came out five years later.
If you can get through all of the teenage humor, there is a really great message for high school students in this movie.
At the end of the movie, James Van der Beek's character gives a great speech about being a teenager and that it is important to remember that.
The Coyotes are the high school football team of a small American town.
All the standard stuff happens and the ending is no surprise to anyone who will has seen a movie of this genre before.The film isn't very funny and focuses more on the drama side (albeit with the usual light `coming of age' approach).
Religion in Texas has nothing over high school football as players and coaches are treated like gods and given free license to do most anything they want in some areas of the state.
The film does capture this brilliantly with wild parties, scattered under-aged sexual situations, high school girls who try to hitch a free-ride off their male football-playing classmates and crazed coaches (Jon Voight in admittedly one of his finest performances) who only care about their win-loss records and their standing in the community.
This film essentially involves a high school quarterback named "Jonathon 'Mox' Moxon" (James Van Der Beek) who lacks the talent of the starting quarterback "Lance Harbor" (Paul Walker) and is content to sit on the bench as he doesn't really care that much for the game.
Part of the reason for this attitude involves the football coach by the name of "Bud Kilmer" (Joh Voight) who has been allowed to get away with extremely abusive behavior for 30 years at this high school due to the fact that he has won 2 state championships and 22 district titles.
Probably the best movie about high school football!.
Voight was excellent as the ultimate bullying coach, and Van Der Beek as the high school senior who is a decent guy who is wise beyond his years.
It wasn't a waste of time, but it was an average high school sports flick with a 'stuck in his ways after several years at the position' kind of head coach.
Jon voight is great as the villainous football coach, he plays it very well, if you don't hate him as a character then there's something wrong with you lol.
It follows a successful high school football team coached by Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight)--a man who basically runs the community.
It then proceeds to question that very importance, along with the aggrandizing of athletics in our schools altogether.Subtly juxtaposing these ideals, we see Mox's little brother, who has an obsession with religions and practices a variety of them throughout the movie, much to his parent's disapproval.It isn't perfect, but Varsity Blues holds up well.
A movie about a high school football team, created by MTV, starring all the teen-heartthrobs of the late 90s, I couldn't have been more uninterested.
James Van Der Beek stars and honestly, I always felt that he was too much into the whole teen-heartthrob persona, I never took him seriously as an actor, or envisioned him being good in a role like this.
Varsity Blues is produced by MTV, stars actors I normally wouldn't watch, and as it turns out it is one of the most exciting and intense sports films I've ever seen.
Where else would you set a movie about a town where high school football is the only thing that matters?So you know what you're in for with this movie.
James Van Der Beek is the star of the movie, if not the football team.
And if a high school football movie can give you some good drama that's really all you can ask.
Sure it might not have the best acting, or dialogue, but the cinematography, and performance by Jon Voight greatly makes up for it.The thing that gets me is the last game that they played in the movie was only a division title game, but what happened with the state game that Bud was so hell bent on winning??.
it's safe to say that varsity blues is one of the best teen movies of the 90's.
Jon Voight is superb as Coach Kilmer and the football action in the movie is excellently filmed.
In West Canaan, TX high school football is a religion, and nobel bench-warmer-turned-star-quarterback James Van Der Beek (DAWSON'S CREEK) incites a revolt against the tyrannical coach (a vicious Jon Voight) between the parties, practice, cookouts, and the head cheerleader sporting a come-hither whipped cream bikini.
The best MTV "Film" yet and a good football movie..
Jon Voight was great as always as the obsessed coach, and Van Der Beek performed well in his first movie.
This movie is about High School football in Texas.
John Voight is great as the coach who will sacrifice anything to win.The other actors were good as well especially the guy who played Billy Bob. Sure, its predictible but its also entertaining and fun.
I liked it because it reminded me of why I loved high school football so much.
It was a good movie IMO and I think it shows what's wrong with high school sports in some parts of the country..
I wish I had seen this movie when I was still in high school, I can think of a few things I would have done differently..
A simple run-down of Varsity Blues:The movie starts out with how Mox and his friends grew up in a football crazed town.
But after seeing it I got an incredible desire to go back in time to high school just so I could play football again.
This movie made me miss high school football so much I couldn't believe it.
I thought Varsity Blues was a very good movie, but Amy Smart must be the cutest girl alive.
James Van Der Beek and Amy Smart were mighty charming as the only two people (let alone kids) in town not obsessed with football.
James Van der Beek shines as the good guy, trying to stay that way and "Billy Bob" we will definitely see again.
going to high school in texas and making it to the state championship one year, i know how important football is to any town (small or large) in this state.
(The setting was perfect for an escaped mental patient psycho killer to run amok - Small Texas town, high school football team, stupid cops...) James Van Der Beek was smart enough to choose a role that might actually help along his career as a serious actor, unlike all his other Dawson's Creek cast-mates who chose to get their heads chopped off this year.
High school football player Mox must deal with the struggles that occur when you become a star quarter back under the rule of a tyrannical coach..
Also, the stereotypical view of an east Texan adult having no other means to occupy their time aside from high school football is ridiculous.Van Der Beek lets us empathize somewhat, but you just cannot buy the fact that he has serious struggles because he scored a few touchdowns.
Give the villian (Coach Kilmer) some good qualities while at the same time give the hero (James van Der Beek) a little bit of a dark side..
This movie was a pretty accurate portrayal of high school football and the fever surrounding it.
This movie was great,  the actors, the acting, the plot except for a few cheesy lines uttered by James Van Der Beek.
If you like teen dramas, football, or small town sociology go see this movie..
"Varsity Blues" is a very good movie, because it does not candy coat the high school athletic scene.
If you ever played high school football you become this film.
Parts can be a little different (can those football players jump or what?) from what you would normally see.Film buffs will hate this, but if you enjoy movies and don't like everything 100% perfect, see this!.
At first it was hard to see James Van Der Beek and not think Dawson but he was a very good actor.
An awesome teen flick about high school, football, and fun!.
Varsity Blues caters toward a high-school audience and is a great film to watch with friends.
I was expecting the typical high school football movie, but it turned out to be very good.
High school football is a popular topic for movies.
But I have to say that it is definitely a high school guy movie.