In 1988, the Permian High School Panthers, a big time high school in Odessa, Texas, vied for a state football championship. Their story became famous just two years later when H.G. Bissinger wrote Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and a Dream. The now world famous story allows those who lived the magic to revisit those days, and the rest of the world has the chance to feel like they are a part of the famed story. The film tells the story of the Permian High School football team, and the thousands of townspeople, who took part in the 1988 Texas football season. Boobie Miles (Derek Luke) is the clear leader of the team, as he possesses talent that compares to some of the best in the country at the time. The team, like any, faces adversity and must beat the odds if they want to win the state championship. With the entire team rallying around them (and putting an incredible amount of pressure on the young athletes) they will do everything they can to make their dreams come true, both on and off the field.
Friday Night Lights is a feel good story. There are ups and downs, positives and negatives, but, the writers (H.G. Bissinger, David Aaron Cohen and--also director--Peter Berg) develop a story that touches the hearts of its viewers. It makes those watching feel good about teamwork and about the strength of faith and perseverance. All of these wonderful contributions are reasons why people like the famed Larry King have said that this is the best football movie ever made. Friday Night Lights is regularly able to reach audiences and play with their emotions. At the drop of a hat, viewers’ moods can be switched from happy to sad, and stressed to relieved; this is a testament to the strength of the writers.
As with any true story, things are exaggerated for Hollywood in order to make the story more appealing to audiences. While some films go over the top with these exaggerations, Friday Night Lights chooses not to make the story itself too dramatic. Director of photography Tobias A. Schliessler uses slow motion and dramatic shots and angles to capture the intensity of each scene. The crew does not pretend that characters like Boobie Miles or Mike Winchell (Lucas Black) are superhuman or that they are capable of feats that most others are not. On top of the dramatic shots, music plays a significant role in the tone of the film. The crew in charge of choosing music and pairing it with the appropriate scenes did a wonderful job, and they deliver, making audiences feel something through every facet of the film. Acting, in general, helps convey emotion, and it plays a significant role in whether or not a film succeeds. Lucas Black, Derek Luke, Billy Bob Thorton (Coach Gary Gaines) and Garrett Hedlund (Don Billingsley) lead the way and help to develop the tone, the mood, the drama and the action. The black sheep in this bunch, the one who, maybe more than anyone, conveys the extremity of each and every situation is Lee Jackson’s Ivory Christian. Silence can be deafening, and Christian’s silence throughout the film is just that. His stone face and lack of emotion is just as powerful as what anyone else is able to bring to the table, and he just may be the most loveable character in the film.
Peter Berg develops a beautiful story of camaraderie and hope that transcends generations, and appeals to viewers of all ages, races, religions and backgrounds. With the help of a wonderfully written book by Bissinger, Berg, and the rest of the crew, make Friday Night Lights a film to remember. It tugs at heartstrings and it appeals to audiences emotions better than not just sports films, but most films. Audiences can feel the emotion pouring off of the screen. Every choice made by Berg and his supporting cast is next to perfect, just the like finished product.
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