Rated PG-13 for thematic issues, sexual content, language, some teen drinking and rough sports action.
Directed by Peter Berg (The Rundown, Very Bad Things)
Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black
Friday Night Lights is a true story from the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Buzz Bissinger who spent 1988 in Odessa, Tex., a town obsessed with its champion high-school football team the Permian Panthers. Publishers Weekly called this book a “superb, if disquieting, portrait of heartland America.” Seventeen years later the story is brought to the big screen.
The film is incredibly well done and will take your emotions on a roller coaster ride. I don’t think I’ve seen a better depiction of the heartache that high school seniors go through when they realize that “this is all there is. . . and then what?” But what else do you expect from a small town that has a 20,000 seat stadium—the biggest high school stadium in the nation. In Odessa Texas, football isn’t for fun, it isn’t even a game . . . it’s a religion. And the burden of high expectations that these players carry is far from fiction.
The performances are very strong. Tim McGraw’s realistic portrayal of an abusive father will scare you. Or as my wife’s good friend Nancy would say, “He’ll ick you out!” And Derek Luke (who got our attention in Antwone Fisher) nails Boobie Miles, a kid who put all his eggs in one basket, never thinking of the consequences of dropping it.
FNL has been compared to Hoosiers and other great sports films. But FNL is more than just a great sports film, it’s a great film.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
As powerful as the film is, be prepared to catch a glimpse at the real world’s dirty laundry. If you’re looking for a fun football film to bring the family to . . . turn the car around, stop by Blockbuster and rent Remember the Titans. This one’s not for the kids. Berg maxes out the PG-13 rating with as much language as possible, implied sex, partial nudity, and some pretty disturbing content.
SHOULD TEENAGERS SEE IT?
FNL is a great jump start for discussions about our future, stress, and expectations that others put on us. The film’s content is indeed mature. But if anything, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth for living a raucous life.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
