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"Lights" follows the 1988 football season of the
Odessa-Permian Panthers, one of the elite high school clubs
of West Texas. They're under so much pressure to win - by
just about everyone in the town - that they're bursting veins
and crunching calfs in an effort to do so. Their coach (Thornton)
is under just as much pressure - arriving home to several
'For Sale' signs at the front of his house, anytime he doesn't
win a game.
Granted, there is a tiny bit more going on in the film adaptation
of H.G Bissinger's book. Notably, there's a sub-plot about
fathers and sons. Most of the young Texas football team feel
as if they have to win, to some extent, to please their fathers.
All the local pops are obsessed with the game - so losing
isn't an option.
At the same time though, there's a sweeter than apple-pie
message in there about how one feels they've always go to
live up to their older man's wishes, and how fathers seem
content to live through their sons - righting the wrongs they
might've made as a youngster. In addition, there's a great
pay-off at the end, resulting in one killer last arc.
The cast is impeccable. The young actors, particularly former
child-star Lucas Black (American Gothic), show they can really
stand their own against heavyweight Billy Bob Thornton, who's
predictably, as solid as timber.
Side by side with other sports movies, "Friday Night
Lights" mightn't chalk up as high a score. It doesn't
have the pep of "Varsity Blues" nor does it have
the warm and fuzzies of "Hoosiers" or "Rocky".
Now that probably has a lot to do with the fact that it's
playing to a much different tune to those other flicks - in
retrospect this one isn't so much about 'winning', it's about
redemption. To say anymore would be to ruin the finest - but
slightly gloomier - element of the pic.
A good rental, if not a worthy buy for footy buffs.
DVD Extras
It's a case of quantity over quality in terms of the DVD
extras, but they're still worth a squiz. Director Peter Berg
and his cousin, the book's author H.G Bissinger, provide (an
unadvertised) commentary. Bissinger does a lot of the talking,
but when the two chat back and forth they've usually got interesting
topics to wax lyrical over.
In addition, there's a few deleted scenes, a worthless bit
on Tim McGraw's transition into acting, another brief featurette
- this one discussing the players interaction in the film
- and the better piece, an elongated look at the real 1988
Permian Panthers.
Conclusion: Movie 70% Extras: 65%
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