X
- 2004
- PG-13
- Universal Pictures
- 1 h 58 m
- 2004
- PG-13
- Universal Pictures
- 1 h 58 m
Summary A true American story of a group of young athletes, their town and their dreams. (Universal)
Directed By: Peter Berg
Written By: Buzz Bissinger, David Aaron Cohen, Peter Berg
- 2004
- PG-13
- Universal Pictures
- 1 h 58 m
- 2004
- PG-13
- Universal Pictures
- 1 h 58 m
Friday Night Lights
70
7.2
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Summary A true American story of a group of young athletes, their town and their dreams. (Universal)
Directed By: Peter Berg
Written By: Buzz Bissinger, David Aaron Cohen, Peter Berg
Where to Watch
Coming Soon
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 35 Critic Reviews
70
89% Positive
31 Reviews
31 Reviews
11% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 35 Critic Reviews
70
89% Positive
31 Reviews
31 Reviews
11% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The best sports movie for years, as it's not about sport at all. Forget fears of jingoistic grandstanding, this is an un-American all-American tale that deserves attention.
By Ian Nathan
FULL REVIEW
Thornton, giving a splendid, disciplined performance, seamlessly shapes his coach into a believable man of quality rather than star-size charisma.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 59 User Ratings
7.2
64% Positive
38 Ratings
38 Ratings
31% Mixed
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
5% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 59 User Ratings
7.2
64% Positive
38 Ratings
38 Ratings
31% Mixed
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
5% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
This movies is truly great because of the way he portrays the "Texas" way of life.
Peter Berg also did a pretty great job in developing characters because you can really relate to them.
Ending of the movie is heartbreaking and I would strongly recommend this movie to everyone, even if you're not a football fan.
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The film lets you get caught up in the excitement of this religion and the addictive nature of those stadium lights. Berg and cinematographer Tobias Schliessler get up close to the action, catching the hits and miscues in all their violent urgency.
Thornton gets inside the coach's skin. It's a subtle, soulful performance in a movie that otherwise goes for the jugular.
Uplifting and troubling, partly because it is more honest than most sports movies about the high cost and short life span of high school football glory.
It's a passably made, grittily acted slice of life in Texas that veers not an inch from the norm for this sort of picture.
There’s something deeply authentic about Friday Night Lights. It’s not just about a football team — it’s about an entire town pouring its hopes into kids barely out of adolescence. The film captures it with rawness, without artificial heroism or grand speeches, and that’s what makes it stand out.I know firsthand what it feels like in a high school locker room — the obsession with reaching the state final, the fear of failing when your whole identity revolves around the sport. That’s why it hit me hard to see Buddy left with no future after an injury. Because when people only value you for what you do on the field, the blow is deeper than just physical.Peter Berg’s direction is direct, with a camera that puts you inside every tackle and every lost stare. Billy Bob Thornton’s performance is restrained and believable, just like a coach who teaches not only plays, but also how to deal with failure.I’m giving it a 7 because, although it doesn’t go too deep into some characters, it does convey the essentials: the pressure, the environment, and what it means when football isn’t just a game — it’s a way out, a burden, and sometimes, a mistake.
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While I know this came first, seeing this in comparison to the TV series is like night and day. On one hand, the TV series is phenomenal. On the other, this is not. The story just feels so abbreviated and hastened. The great part about the TV series was that while it was about football, of course, it was about so much more than that. It was about the characters and their daily lives and then how everyone would unite on Friday to play football. In the movie, and this is to my point about the abbreviated nature of the movie, a lot of the characterization was missing and it ultimately felt almost impersonal. Sadly, this is why I could not enjoy this one a ton. Now, it was an ok movie and all, but cerainly not as great as I would have hoped. This story is clearly just better suited for television where everything can be explored in greater depth.
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Production Company
- Universal Pictures
- Imagine Entertainment
- Friday Night Lights LLC
- MDBF Filmgesellschaft mbH & Company KG
Release Date Oct 8, 2004
Duration 1 h 58 m
Rating PG-13
Tagline Hope comes alive
Awards
Teen Choice Awards
• 2 Nominations
ESPY Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
AFI Awards, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination