Before Kyle Chandler’s “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” line became a pop culture phenomenon, Billy Bob Thornton and his “Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes and love in your heart” speech represented the best pep talk from a football coach in a movie. Thornton’s monologue comes during the championship game in Friday Night Lights, Peter Berg’s 2004 sports drama based on H.G. Bissinger’s 1990 book, Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream.
The film follows the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team, the expectations for which are sky-high. Set in Odessa, Texas, the film follows Coach Gary Gaines (Thornton), who enters the season on the hot seat. If Permian misses the playoffs, he will be fired. The goal is to win the state championship. Coming in second is not an option. The stakes are high, and the pressure to deliver is on. That’s where Friday Night Lights begins, and 118 minutes later, it cements itself as the best football movie of the 21st century.
Football as a way of life in Texas
In Texas, people believe in God, family, and football. In Odessa, the biggest and best show in town is the weekly football game. For a handful of Fridays every fall, the town’s residents gather to watch their Permian Panthers play football. Berg does a great job of establishing Odessa on gameday — from the packed stadium and bright lights to the vibrant energy and passionate fan base. If the Panthers play on Friday, the entire town is in attendance. Date night at the movies will have to wait.
The first 12 minutes establish how important football is in Permian. The team practices under the hot Texas sun as they prepare for their first game. A handful of parents, scouts, and fans watch practice from the stands because what else would they do with their time during football season? Local news stations are interviewing players and coaches like they’re in the Super Bowl, losing sight of the fact that the interviewees are predominantly teenagers and not professionals. At the end of practice, Coach Gaines says, “We are in the business of protecting this town.” At Permian, winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.
Incredible character development
If the Beatles sat next to the football team at a restaurant in Odessa, people would walk up to the players before asking Paul McCartney for an autograph. The Permian players are gods in Odessa. If the team wins a state championship, the players will be immortalized in the town. Speaking of players, Friday Night Lights follows several sports movie tropes when filling out the roster. But that’s not a bad thing. The actors bring these characters to life and give some of the best performances of their careers.
The main characters include Boobie Miles (Derek Luke), the star running back with more charisma in his pinkie than most people have in their body; Mike Winchell (Lucas Black), the quarterback with the weight of the world on his shoulders; Don Billingsley (Garrett Hedlund), the tough fullback with a drinking problem and an abusive father; Brian Chávez (Jay Hernandez), the talented safety and leader of the defense; Ivory Christian (Lee Jackson), the defensive end and quiet giant; and Chris Comer (Lee Thompson Young), the nervous running back who becomes the starter.
For these players, the games are easy. It’s football — a sport they’ve played all of their lives. Off the field is where the challenges begin. These characters tackle an ungodly amount of pressure that would make any adult crumble, let alone teenagers. Frankly, how these players navigate obstacles makes Friday Night Lights a fascinating character study. Boobie must contemplate life without football. Mike must live up to expectations as the quarterback. Don wants to make his father proud. These emotional issues connect the players to the audience, especially non-football fans who know nothing about the sport.
Football is cinematic
Football is inherently cinematic. Think of a football game as an action blockbuster. It’s a showcase for the best athletes to show off their physical strength and immeasurable talent. The four quarters are like the acts of a movie, with each one providing a new set of problems. Each play could end with something you’ve never seen before. Or it might become a violent crash. Either way, you’re watching. There are winners and losers. Heroes and villains. Football players experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
While the first two-thirds of the film feature a few moments from each game, Friday Night Lights saves its best moments for the championship game between Permian and Dallas Carter inside the Astrodome. The game plays like a Shakespearean tragedy. Permian falls behind early on due to Carter’s athleticism and some help from the referees. Coach Gaines rallies his team at halftime and it mounts a comeback in the third quarter.
The game comes down to one final play, where Berg brilliantly incorporates slow-motion, crowd shots, and a moving score to make the game feel like it’s life or death. In the game’s final moments, Mike tells the offense he loves them after reading the play, “I-right wiggle 34 switchblade.” To some, it’s a play. To others, it’s a legacy.
The movie paved the way for the TV show
On its own, Friday Night Lights is a terrific sports movie with tension, emotion, and excitement. However, the lasting legacy of the film came two years later with a television show. With the same name, Friday Night Lights swaps Coach Gaines for Coach Taylor (Chandler) and Permian for Dillon.
The first episode of Friday Night Lights is sensational and frequently mentioned as one of the best pilots. Berg, who wrote and directed the pilot, essentially took what worked in the movie — the players, the town, and the emotion — and fit it into a 45-minute TV episode. The TV show also has the advantage of exploring characters and storylines over hours. Without the movie, there is no blueprint for what Friday Night Lights, the show, became. Be perfect. Win state.
Watch Friday Night Lights on Netflix or Peacock.