'Friday Night Lights'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin must be perfect as they rewatch the 2004 classic 'Friday Night Lights,' starring Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, and Garrett Hedlund.
Cast
Billy Bob Thornton as Coach Gary Gaines
Lucas Black as Mike Winchell
Garrett Hedlund as Don Billingsley
Derek Luke as Boobie Miles
Tim McGraw as Charlie Billingsley
Connie Britton as Sharon Gaines
Directed by: Peter Berg
Notes
- Budget of $30 million, grossed $62 million. Based on Buzz Bissinger's 1990 book about the 1988 Permian Panthers season.
- 16 years from book to movie, with 7 rejected scripts along the way. Buzz Bissinger was Peter Berg's cousin, which is how the project came together.
- The movie did the 'Triple Crown' – book, movie, and TV series (compared to MASH, Buffy, 'Parenthood'). The TV show has 'overwhelmed' the movie, making it 'weirdly underrated.'
- Berg read all 7 rejected scripts, re-read the book, and realized they all focused on race and oil instead of what football means to the community.
- Billy Bob Thornton's 'being perfect' halftime speech was reportedly improvised the night before, inspired by something in his personal life. It contains the seeds of 'Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.'
- Exclusive from Peter Berg (Bill texted him): James Hetfield from Metallica was Berg's original choice for Charlie Billingsley (Don's dad).
- Lee Jackson (Preacher) was 6'8", 400 lbs, a University of Texas linebacker – this is his only IMDb credit ever.
- Derek Luke was 30 years old playing a high school student. The real Boobie Miles plays a Permian assistant, visible next to Coach Gaines during the halftime speech.
- Connie Britton quote from Grantland oral history: Berg's movie role was 'sort of pretty wife clapping in the stands, which is about the shittiest job an actress can have.' She initially refused the TV show.
- One of fewer than 10 sports movies where the good guys don't win (joins Bad News Bears, 'Rocky', All the Right Moves, 'Tin Cup', 'A League of Their Own', 'Moneyball').
- Peter Berg was one of the first two directors for ESPN's 30 for 30 (alongside Barry Levinson), giving the series credibility.
- The quick-cut filming style that felt dizzying in 2004 now feels standard.
Categories
Quote from Rog's review:
“The movie demonstrates the power of sports to involve us. We don't live in Odessa and are watching a game played 16 years ago and we get all wound up.”
Ebert gave it 3.5 stars.
- Bill and Mallory agree: The halftime speech and entire second half of the championship game – the comeback, the trick plays, the final play falling one yard short.
- Mallory also loves the Billingsley family car scene.
- The football scenes (9/10 quality).
- The 'being perfect' halftime speech – improvised by Billy Bob the night before.
- Tim McGraw as an actor.
- Dallas Carter's analytics-ahead-of-its-time approach: never punting, never kicking, always going for it on 4th down.
- Billy Bob and Lucas Black previously in Sling Blade together.
- Lee Jackson (Preacher) having this as his only IMDb credit ever.
- The theme that 'this is it, it's never going to get better than right now' and the burden of an entire town on kids' shoulders.
- The Connie Britton/coach's wife character – completely sidelined as 'pretty wife clapping in the stands.' Easily the #1 pick.
- Derek Luke being 30 playing a high school kid.
- Medical treatment of Boobie's knee – no surgery, trying to play on a torn knee.
- Don's dad interrupting the hookup – very grim.
Hanks won 2-1. Mallory picked Cruise (her first time ever) – the moments of mania beneath a calm exterior; could see Cruise going toe-to-toe with boosters. Craig's tiebreaker: Cruise is way too small (5'6") and doesn't fit in Texas. Running tally: Hanks leads 21-16.
Bill: Explosions in the Sky music when everyone gets on the bus heading to the Astrodome for the championship game.
The coach's wife being sidelined AND questions about whether Coach Gaines was actually good at his job – letting Don's dad abuse him, not having a backup plan beyond Boobie, bringing Boobie back hurt in the championship.
- Bill: Billy Bob should have played the coach in the TV show instead of Kyle Chandler.
- Mallory: Coach Gaines is not a good coach – designed the entire offense around one player with no backup plan.
- James Hetfield from Metallica was Berg's original choice for Charlie Billingsley. 'Something about James Hetfield's energy.'
- Alan J. Pakula was planning to direct in the mid-90s (died 1998). Richard Linklater wrote a script but it was too expensive.
- Garrett Hedlund moved to LA and within a month won roles in Troy and 'Friday Night Lights'.
Brad Leland as Buddy Garrity – 'I see him in anything, I'm like Buddy Garrity.'
- Peter Berg: Yes – specifically the TV series that grew from this movie.
- 'Friday Night Lights' as a property: Not its apex (the TV show supersedes it).
- Sports movie coin tosses: Yes.
- Cooper's coach didn't realize his coin was tails.
- A 1969 Buffalo nickel for a coin toss – who flips a nickel?
- Score inconsistencies throughout the championship game.
- Winchell goes from terrible to pinpoint 50-yard bombs instantly.
- Preacher and Chavez get end-of-movie life updates but have about 4.5 minutes total screen time.
- Real Boobie Miles plays a Permian assistant in the film.
- Carter High had their title revoked (ineligible player); the real opponent was Converse Judson.
- Permian won state the following year (1989).
- Brian Chavez went to Harvard, got his law degree, moved back to Odessa, got into a fight, lost his license temporarily.
Peter Berg – the movie launched his career and led to one of the best TV shows ever. For performances: Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Luke, and Garrett Hedlund are the standouts.
- Bill: 'You may never matter again in your life as much as you do right now.'
- Mallory: 'Always keep your helmet handy.'
Both pick 'Varsity Blues' – the fun Texas version paired with this serious version.