"Friday Night Lights" waxes eloquently on high school football

By Stefani Green
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer

"Friday Night Lights" is not just another sports movie, it actually has a very realistic and important message behind it — winning and losing feels the same, it's the way people treat you that's different. This movie is about some of the struggles that one deals with both on and off the field. The struggles depicted in this movie are realistic because it is based on a real high school football team in Odessa, Texas.

1988 marked a special year for the folks in Odessa, a town where football is life and winning is more important than how the game is played. The 1988 Permian High School football team started the year with one goal, to win their fifth state title.

Odessa, located in West Texas is a rural town where everyone knows your name and high school football players are not just athletes, they are town heroes.  A town that seems sleepy until the Friday night lights from the stadium illuminate the hearts and hopes of everyone in attendance.

This movie uses actual footage from the 2003 Permian High School football season, and the film was shot on location at the country's largest high school stadium, Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, which has a seating capacity of 20,000 and is in the Texas Astrodome.

Billy Bob Thornton, who does an amazing job of portraying his character, plays Coach Gary Gaines. He is animated, serious, strong and motivating. 

Thornton is the kind of coach a championship football team would have — one with heart. Win or lose, this coach sticks with his motto and definition of perfectionism: "Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know you didn't let them down. I want you to put each other in your hearts forever, because forever is about to happen. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, with love and joy in your heart? If you can do that, then you're perfect."

Directed by Peter Berg and based on the book "Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream," this movie will be enjoyed by anyone who attended high school football games. 

Any player, student, cheerleader, parent or fan, can relate to this movie, as it takes you back to your own high school and the excitement of your team scoring that final touchdown.