Sam smith (sam_smithreview) Almost everything works in this portrait of the madness for and around high-school football in a small Texas town. One of the best sports movies I've seen, largely because it's not really about the sport, or the big game, or winning and losing. It's about growing up, letting go of dreams, the pressure adults put on kids to fulfill their own dreams, losing perspective and gaining it. It seems to try and honestly look at both sides of high school football; how it helps young men grow, challenge themselves and bond, but at the same time how it subjects them to physical harm, an unrealistic set of expectations about life after being a local star, and being forced to carry a whole town on your shoulders when you're only 17. Some terrific visuals, both in the quick cutting ferocity of the games, and in the long aerial views of the empty Texas plains. A movie like this depends on its actors, because it is a character drama at its core. Much noise has been made of Billy Bob, and how he gives a great performance, and this is very true, but he is not the only star in this movie. The boys all do a great job too, especially Lucas Black. I have never noticed this actor before, but he is so intense as Mike Winchell that he makes you really feel for him. The other boys, including Derek Luke and Jay Hernandez, are also note- perfect.Few plot twists feel too familiar from other films. I understand those that say the film displays a superior attitude towards these small town people. But I found those weaker moments fleeting in a film that surprised me with the strength of it's acting, writing, and film making.

Shawn Mitchell There are many reasons why the movie will forever be better than the TV series, and here's one of them, more emotional than the TV series, while the FNL show has a few good episodes that I actually enjoyed, ultimately, the FNL movie will always be better than the TV show due to its emotion and theatrical writing. I personally think that Mike Winchell was the real star of the movie. A film better than its spin- off show. The citizens of Odessa-Permian would be proud of Peter Berg for his movie, and I gotta say, since I recently saw the movie, I still stand by my opinion, saying that the FNL Movie is better than the FNL series. Nuff' said.

gabby (cursedmagic713) It's tough to compete against movies in a similar genre (Rudy, Varsity Blues, Remember the Titans, Any Given Sunday, etc), however I strongly believe that this movie is set apart from some of it's predecessors.In a time where cities and towns alike view high school football as a religion, the story revolves mainly on 5 football players and their coach. Peter Berg depicts the story, based on the book by H.G Bissinger, of the high school football 1988 season of the Odessa, Texas Panthers. The underlying focus is undeniable: a constant pressure from an entire town to be the best at any cost; whatever it takes. But at what price? Berg paints his beautifully cinematic vision of the triumphs, downfalls and a memorable ending that has you cheering for the Permian Panthers and swaying in empathy to the pulsing guitar riffs of Explosions in the Sky.To my surprise it had every level of greatness: from a stellar break out cast- marking the beginning of Tim McGraw's and Garrett Hedlund's acting career. To a very favorable and impassioned speech by "Preacher" (Lee Jordan). Preacher, whose quiet demeanor is set ablaze in an effort to push his teammates onward. An excellent sound track (courtesy of Explosions in the Sky) that gives every scene an emotion, further than one could expect, where the you can see McGraw's character flourish as he strives with his inner demons to find a balance between teaching his son "how to be a man" but realizing he found his own way through the season. Most importantly it has a very compelling story line; it's not your "typical -happy-ending-for-the-team" movie. And that is indeed why I love it so much - you feel for the character's lives and how much they are affected by their decisions, each gaining something or suffering a loss.Lastly my two cents: every coach should take note; even though they attempt to sweep it under the rug, do not revolve every play after one player. The outcome may not be worth it.As someone who isn't too fond of football, but plays rugby- I can truthfully admit from the first time I saw this movie, I was hooked. For a sports movie, it has everything I look for in a great film.In short: a film to be crowned a classic sports movie.

hall895 They like high school football in West Texas. That previous sentence would have a good chance of winning a competition to determine the biggest understatement in the history of the world. The truth is that in West Texas high school football is an obsession. You watch Friday Night Lights and you see the passion. But passion can go too far. The pressure the adults put on a group of teenage boys is ridiculous. The self-worth of a town is determined by the results of high school football games. Adults live vicariously through the team, trying to relive past glories. Or bask in reflected glory since they never actually had any glory of their own. In the midst of all this stands a coach who has to mold his boys into men while also managing to satisfy the town's bloodlust for victory. And there are the boys themselves, they all have their own hopes and dreams, many of which have nothing to do with football. The players are constantly told that playing high school football will be the greatest thing they do in their lives. How sad it will be if that is true.Coach Gary Gaines, played by Billy Bob Thornton, is the central character in the film. Gaines is a man put under tremendous pressure and he handles it about as well as you could possibly hope he would. He understands that the town's obsession with his team is unhealthy at best, dangerous at worst. But make no mistake, the coach wants to win. And he's got the team to do it. Until he loses his star player to injury in the first game. Can he rally his team in the face of adversity? The movie follows the team on its roller-coaster ride of a season, big ups and downs all along the way. There's some drama, some excitement, and maybe even a little room for growth for some characters who may come to realize there is in fact more to life than high school football.Thornton gives a very strong performance in the starring role. And Tim McGraw is a revelation as the alcoholic, emotionally abusive father of one of the players. While Thornton and McGraw are excellent and create a couple of memorable characters the movie doesn't do as good a job as you would hope in establishing the personalities and stories of the players. The cocky, headstrong star running back has some pizazz to him but injury cuts him down. The film has some good emotional moments with him as he struggles to accept his fate. But when the story turns its attention to the other players things fall somewhat flat. The quarterback is quite bland. Most of the other players remain total mysteries, not established well enough at all for us to really care much about them or their fates. There is the one player, the son of the McGraw character, who has his moments but that story is much more about the dad than the son. It's odd but in this story of a high school football team it is the team itself, the players, who get short shrift. It all makes for an interesting movie but it doesn't pack the emotional wallop of some other movies of its type. There's some decent drama but nothing that really has you on the edge of your seat. This look at a team and its town has some good pieces but it never quite all comes together. In reaching for the goal line maybe this movie comes up just a yard or two short.