Much darker than I expected and elevated by a terrific Billy Bob Thornton, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is a gritty look at the 1988 Permian High Panthers from Odessa, Texas.
In an economically depressed community where Football may be the only way out, we watch the entire year from pre-season to Championship Game in the Astrodome.
Watching these young men battle with the weight of the entire town behind them is powerful and at times, hard to watch.
Thornton is excellent as Coach Gary Gaines, juggling overzealous boosters, the future of a lot of young men and his own tenuous grasp on the job. His final halftime speech in the film is a perfect moment that defines football, teamwork and sports. It's flawless. If you aren't moved in that moment, you probably aren't near a TV all day Saturday and Sunday every fall.
The cast is excellent.
Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) is hilarious as Boobie Miles, the cocky superstar of the team who faces unexpected adversity.
Lucas Black (Sling Blade) is Quarterback Mike Winchell and Jay Hernandez (TV's Magnum PI) is Chavez. The third member of their rarely separated trio is Don Billingsley, well played by Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy, Triple Frontier).
Country singer Tim McGraw had his first big screen role as Don's alcoholic father Charles, a despicable and abusive parent punishing his son for his own failed dreams. McGraw is damn good, and very repulsive.
Against the backdrop of the struggling town and its citizens that live for Friday nights, Director Peter Berg (Patriots Day, Deepwater Horizon, The Kingdom) structures a compelling flight through the season that never feels rushed. He finds a near perfect balance between the personal stories off the field and the game action under the lights.
Special kudos to editors Colby Parker Jr (Ant-Man, Gran Turismo), Susan Rash and David Rosenbloom (Black Mass, The Insider). Their editing of the game action delivers plenty of thrills and hits you can feel in your bones.
Based on HG Bissinger's book detailing the true story of the Permian Panthers, this is a story that only real life could create. The last half hour is emotionally draining and as good as sports films get, making you feel like you ARE AT that State Championship game.
I loved the final coda after the final whistle, with Berg letting the sound fade away and his images alone tell the story. Creatively it's a risk that pays off.
The FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS burn bright, delivering a game time A.
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