Friday Night Lights (2004)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Directors:

Peter Berg
Josh Pate

Writers (WGA):

Buzz Bissinger (book)
David Aaron Cohen (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

8 October 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Hope comes alive

Plot:

Based on H.G. Bissinger's book, which profiled the economically depressed town of Odessa, Texas and their heroic high school football team, The Permian High Panthers.

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Coach | Odessa Texas | Small Town | Championship

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Billy Bob Thornton	...	Coach Gary Gaines
Lucas Black	...	Mike Winchell
Garrett Hedlund	...	Don Billingsley
Derek Luke	...	Boobie Miles
Jay Hernandez	...	Brian Chavez
Lee Jackson	...	Ivory Christian
Lee Thompson Young	...	Chris Comer
Tim McGraw	...	Charles Billingsley
Grover Coulson	...	L.V. Miles
Connie Britton	...	Sharon Gaines
Connie Cooper	...	Mrs. Winchell
Kasey Stevens	...	Flippy
Ryanne Duzich	...	Melissa
Amber Heard	...	Maria
Morgan Farris	...	Jennifer Gaines

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic issues, sexual content, language, some teen drinking and rough sports action.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:LH | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Australia:M (tv rating) | South Korea:12 | Malaysia:U | Ireland:12A | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:12A (original rating) | UK:12 (video rating) (2005) | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-11 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Abilene, Texas, USA

Company:

Friday Night Lights LLC

Trivia:

There are only two title cards at the beginning of the movie. The first is "The following story is based on the 1988 West Texas football season." The second is the movie title. The cast and crew are not shown until the end of the movie.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When the trooper pulls up next to the football players outside of the 7-11, you can see he has a mustache. However, Texas DPS troopers aren't allowed to have facial hair or show a white undershirt, as the trooper in the movie is doing.

Quotes:

Brian Chavez: Billingsley! Party at Taylor's house NOW Billingsley! Gonna get wasted! Yeah! Billingsley! BILLINGSLEY!
Brian Chavez: Isn't that guy, like, 35?

Movie Connections:

Featured in 'Friday Night Lights': The Story of the 1988 Permian Panthers (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Just Got Paid

Nice football drama

I don't think I've ever enjoyed Billy Bob Thornton's character in any movie as much as I did here. For once I didn't find him totally obnoxious. FNL was a great drama which used that same gritty style in 8 Mile and actually featured characters with emotional depth. I'm not a football fan at all really but this one kept me on the edge of my seat. It's also great in that it shows all of the outcomes and possibilities of high schoolers playing football, which becomes crucial in character development. You also feel the heat coming from the townfolk who live by and practically worship football and how it affects the boys. Great story, great acting, great direction, and very entertaining, every last bit. 8/10.