This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

People take this game way to seriously. Do not teach your kids these values it will only screw them up later in life. But then again this is "Texas".

Based on the award winning book by H.G. Bissinger, Friday Night Lights provides the audience with an inside look at the magnitude of high school football in Texas. The film follows several players, as well as the head coach, as the Permian Panthers attempt to win the State Championship during the 1988 season. The roles of Mike Winchell and Don Billingsley are portrayed well by Lucas Black and Garrett Hedlund. Through their performances, Black and Hedlund were able to show the pressure and stress that football players felt. At one point in the film, one football player says, "relax we're seventeen" and Billingsley responds, "do you feel seventeen?". This quote emphasizes how in Texas, high school football players are held to higher standards than most teenagers. The best performance came from Billy Bob Thornton though, as he played Head Coach Gary Gaines. Thornton does a great job in showing the anxiety of a football coach in Texas. It was cool to see Billy Bob Thornton and Lucas Black together again, eight years after they starred in Sling Blade. The film is directed well throughout, but the final scene stood out the most to me. The scene consists of three football players standing in the parking lot of the stadium a couple days after their last high school game ever. As the players bid farewell to their careers, you can see how a huge part of their lives is over. High school football really isn't like it is in Texas anywhere else. Through excellent directing and acting, the film is successful in highlighting the enormous impact that high school football has on small towns in Texas.

It's tough to compete against movies in a similar genre (Rudy, Varsity Blues, Remember the Titans, Any Given Sunday, etc), however I strongly believe that this movie is set apart from some of it's predecessors.In a time where cities and towns alike view high school football as a religion, the story revolves mainly on 5 football players and their coach. Peter Berg depicts the story, based on the book by H.G Bissinger, of the high school football 1988 season of the Odessa, Texas Panthers. The underlying focus is undeniable: a constant pressure from an entire town to be the best at any cost; whatever it takes. But at what price? Berg paints his beautifully cinematic vision of the triumphs, downfalls and a memorable ending that has you cheering for the Permian Panthers and swaying in empathy to the pulsing guitar riffs of Explosions in the Sky.To my surprise it had every level of greatness: from a stellar break out cast- marking the beginning of Tim McGraw's and Garrett Hedlund's acting career. To a very favorable and impassioned speech by "Preacher" (Lee Jordan). Preacher, whose quiet demeanor is set ablaze in an effort to push his teammates onward. An excellent sound track (courtesy of Explosions in the Sky) that gives every scene an emotion, further than one could expect, where the you can see McGraw's character flourish as he strives with his inner demons to find a balance between teaching his son "how to be a man" but realizing he found his own way through the season. Most importantly it has a very compelling story line; it's not your "typical -happy-ending-for-the-team" movie. And that is indeed why I love it so much - you feel for the character's lives and how much they are affected by their decisions, each gaining something or suffering a loss.Lastly my two cents: every coach should take note; even though they attempt to sweep it under the rug, do not revolve every play after one player. The outcome may not be worth it.As someone who isn't too fond of football, but plays rugby- I can truthfully admit from the first time I saw this movie, I was hooked. For a sports movie, it has everything I look for in a great film.In short: a film to be crowned a classic sports movie.

I did a high-school sort of chick-flick marathon; watching movies like "Mean Girls" and "Grease", when I ran out of cliché movies on girls with trouble at school. I started searching the web for other movies with "high school" as an important theme and crossed paths with this movie. I read the summary and thought that it wasn't going to be a movie I liked, nor a movie that would fit my high-school marathon. But hell, I watched it anyways. And loved it! It is not a regular sports movie, nor anything like the high-school movies I was watching. It was rough, exciting and most importantly very real. The recognition with the characters and their problems, as well as the fact that it is a autobiographical work, made it an incredibly touching movie. It's the story of a Texan Amercian football team that is fighting to become state champion, not only on the field, as well as with themselves. It just doesn't all go as easy and smooth as planned. Don't expect anything feel-good, or warm and cozy for your sweet little soul. I cried my heart out for over an hour of the complete movie. The last time I cried that bad with a movie was with "The Bridge to Terabithia" (also wonderful, very different from this one). I surely recommend everyone to watch this. Just take a box of tissues.