FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
dir: Peter Berg
"Gentlemen, the hopes and dreams of an entire town are riding on your shoulders. You may never matter again in your life as much as you do right now." - Gary Gaines
Brief Synopsis
A southern town's beloved football team is assembled for a new season under a new coach. The pressure and expectations of the towns people begin to weigh in on the teenage players.
Why It's Here
In the town of Odessa, Texas, the greatest light in the lives of the towns people is the high school football team. Their loyalty and faith in these young men overshadows the depressing state of their town and their everyday lives. Peter Berg translates his cousin's novel into a powerful football drama about dedication and adolescence. The players represent the heart of their town, enduring more pressure and higher expectations than most men could ever imagine living with. Removing any notion of "winning isn't everything", the players of the Odessa High Panthers dedicate their lives to the sport to amazing lengths, even to the point of putting their physical health at risk for a one season shot.
The film doesn't ride on a single actor, instead relying on the combined energy of the team to bring power to the film, filmed as if part of the action, it feels true and real due to Berg's unique directorial style. Wide shots of the rural landscape burn in the image of the desolate community and the stadium lights that bring hope to a town that has long lost any other ambition. Berg makes this film almost poetic, unlike any other football film before it. The ending stands as a powerful portrayal of a true and likely scenario that faces any true player, and as a true story, the film stands as breaking (most) of the conventions of the typical Hollywood sports film, creating a dynamic and powerful teenage drama.
The film doesn't ride on a single actor, instead relying on the combined energy of the team to bring power to the film, filmed as if part of the action, it feels true and real due to Berg's unique directorial style. Wide shots of the rural landscape burn in the image of the desolate community and the stadium lights that bring hope to a town that has long lost any other ambition. Berg makes this film almost poetic, unlike any other football film before it. The ending stands as a powerful portrayal of a true and likely scenario that faces any true player, and as a true story, the film stands as breaking (most) of the conventions of the typical Hollywood sports film, creating a dynamic and powerful teenage drama.