David Tesic
A&E Assistant
After earning critical and commercial success with “8 Mile,” producer Brian Grazer teamed up with director Peter Berg for their newest release, “Friday Night Lights,” which came out on DVD and video Tuesday.
On a Friday night in Odessa, Texas, the lights in the high school football stadium shine bright. The bleachers are packed to capacity, and the cheerleaders are doing their routine. As soon as the Panthers hit the field, everybody in the stadium goes wild hoping for another victorious game.
The Panthers were the only hope for the people living in the small town of Odessa, where football is the lifeblood of the community. Everybody in the city depended on the team, but such great pressure can be enough to make anyone crack. The team ended the season with a loss at the state championship during the final intense seconds of the game.
Unfortunately, during the opening sequences, “Friday Night Lights” becomes rather confusing as it skips from one scene to another without any transition. Later on, the narrative is strengthened as the plot becomes more interesting and even intense at moments. At times it was hard to remember that the action was just part of a movie and not a live football game being played right before the audience’s eyes.
In fact, when “Friday Night Lights” screened in Elkins Auditorium last Thursday night, the loud sounds of cheering echoed in the plaza as the theater audience burst into applause. If only Pepperdine fans supported their real-life sports teams with that much enthusiasm.
After Billy Bob Thornton’s performance as a thief and alcoholic in “Bad Santa,” it was difficult to envision him playing a rather normal role, but he pulled it off successfully. In “Friday Night Lights,” he takes on the role of Coach Gary Gaines, a kindhearted family man and the head coach of the high-school football team from Odessa. Even though he didn’t win any awards for this performance, it might have been the most memorable one in his recent career.
There were a number of hard-hitting performances in “Friday Night Lights.” A breakout performance by Lucas Black as the character Mike Winchell was hysterical; Black is an up-and-coming actor to keep on the radar.
Boobie Miles, played by actor Derek Luke, was the football player with the most character in “Friday Night Lights.” Miles, a high school senior playing for the Panthers, is an athlete who can do anything. He can defend, pass, run and, most importantly, score touchdowns. But, an unfortunate injury takes him out of the game halfway through the season.
Not only is Miles’ character a great football player, but he also has style and comedic flair. Representing hip-hop to the fullest, Miles is never spotted without his Public Enemy jacket and fancy jewelry.
Besides high-quality performances and a compelling plot, the DVD release has a number of extra goodies to satisfy the behind-the-scenes addict in any film lover. A brief documentary exploring country singer Tim McGraw’s experiences filming “Friday Night Lights” are among the special features on the DVD. McGraw played the role of Charles Billingsley, the alcoholic father of Don, a player on the team. Another short documentary, “Real Life, Real Games, Real People: The True Story of the 1988 Permian Lions,” details the real-life events on which the film was based.
All in all, “Friday Night Lights” could easily be a 2004 favorite for movie watchers, even those who missed its original theatrical release.
01-20-2005
