Friday Night Lights
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Peter Berg
Billy Bob Thornton
Lucas Black
Garrett Hedlund
Derek Luke
Jay Hernandez
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In Odessa, Texas in August of 1988, the Permian High School Panthers football team, headed by Coach Gary Gaines, is under intense pressure to reach and win the state championship. All of Odessa is focused on high school football, showering the team with money, attention, devotion and the concurrent obligation to win at all costs. As pre-season begins, the team is confident, despite the players' overall small size, because of the skill of their star tailback, James "Boobie" Miles. Boobie, arrogant and charismatic, sees football as his ticket out of small-town Texas, and basks in his many college scholarship offers. Even the team's practices are crowded with talent scouts and fans, including Boobie's adoring uncle L. V. and Charles Billingsley, the father of starting tailback Don. Charlie is a former champion Panther who is disappointed in what he sees as his son's inability to stand up to pressure. After one uninspired practice, Don brings a girl home, where his drunken father duct-tapes a football to his hands and beats him. The team's talented quarterback, Mike Winchell, is shy and insecure despite his skill, and is further hampered by his dedication to his chronically ill mother. The man under the most scrutiny, however, is Gaines, who knows he will be forced to move out of town if the team does not succeed, and who stoically accepts the "advice" and vague threats of the town's rabid fans. The whole town attends the first Friday night game, during which Boobie dominates. When they have a comfortable lead, Gaines replaces Boobie with second-string, junior tailback Chris Comer, but the rookie cannot find his helmet and so Gaines returns Boobie to the field. When Boobie is hit, he crumbles, and although the doctor fears he has torn a ligament, an injury that would keep him from playing and possibly ruin his entire future in football, Gaines tells the team not to worry. Without Boobie, the team loses the next game 49-6, and the fans, who blame the coach for Boobie's injury, admonish him to come up with a new plan to win. Gaines exhorts Mike, who feels acutely the burden of fame, to put aside the anxiety of caring for his mother and "get the job done," promising him that if he accepts the challenge, he can be exceptional. The team next plays Cooper, and although at first the rival team advances, when Comer gets the ball, he proves to be a lightning-fast runner and invigorates his teammates. After the win, Boobie goes to the Midland hospital, where he refuses to accept the doctor's recommendation that he recuperate further, and instead lies to Gaines that he is capable of playing. The next game is against arch-rival Midland Lee, and if the Panthers win, they will go on to the state championship playoffs. When Midland is winning by seven with only minutes to go, Gaines bows to coercion and puts Boobie in the game, but the boy is immediately tackled and collapses in pain, his knee crushed. The team rallies under Mike's direction, but they lose in the last seconds. On the way home, Charlie drunkenly kicks out the car windows, excoriates his son and tosses his championship ring out of the car. At the same time, Mike tells Gaines that he feels cursed, and the coach replies that all curses are self-imposed. Because there is a three-way tie for first place, Permian, Cooper and Midland hold a tense coin toss to determine which two teams will go on the playoffs, and Cooper loses. The next morning, Charlie apologizes to Don, explaining that he knows firsthand that this year of glory is all there is to life. Don hands his father his ring and walks away in silence. Soon after, Boobie collects his gear from the locker room, and although he affects his customary cocky attitude, in the car with L. V. he breaks down, sobbing that football is all he has. Permian enters the playoffs, and as they win each game on their roster, so does Dallas-Carter, an all-black, powerhouse of a team. When the two teams are ready to compete for the championship, the coaches gather to discuss the logistics, and the Dallas managers, concerned about racial tension, insist on a neutral stadium and a mixed-race referee staff. They agree to play in the Houston Astrodome, and as the bus leaves to drive there, Boobie arrives, on crutches, and asks to accompany them. The game, which for most of the players marks the climax and conclusion of their football careers, begins, with Dallas taking an early lead. The burly players dominate the Panthers, who return to the locker room for halftime. There, Ivory Christian, typically a quiet, religious boy, delivers a rousing speech, after which Gaines announces that his constant admonition to be "perfect" refers not to whether or not they win but whether or not they extend their strongest effort. Entreating them to think of Boobie, Gaines tells the boys that they are in his heart. The team returns to the field with renewed vigor, lead by a dynamic Mike. A series of spectacular plays put the winning touchdown in their grasp, and with two minutes to go, they move the ball to a mere four inches from the end zone. Gaines calls a special play and Mike, who has been hit repeatedly by Dallas' defense, struggles to maintain his strength. The entire audience rises to their feet when Mike takes control of the ball and scrambles down the field. As the bell signals the end of the game, he lunges for the end zone, missing by inches. The team, as well as the town, is devastated. On the field, Charlie embraces his son, slipping his championship ring onto Don's finger. The next day, as the boys gather their gear and take their final leave of the Permian locker room, Gaines begins to prepare the next year's football roster, unaware that the 1989 team, led by Comer, will have an undefeated season and take the state championship trophy.
Director
Peter Berg
Cast
Billy Bob Thornton
Lucas Black
Garrett Hedlund
Derek Luke
Jay Hernandez
Lee Jackson
Lee Thompson Young
Tim Mcgraw
Grover Coulson
Connie Britton
Connie Cooper
Kasey Stevens
Ryanne Duzich
Amber Heard
Morgan Farris
Laine Kelly
Gavin Grazer
Turk Pipkin
Dr. Carey Windler
Tommy G. Kendrick
Brad Leland
Lillian Langford
Christian Kane
Buddy Hale
Ken Farmer
Marco Perella
Eloise Dejoria
Robert Weaver
Katherine Willis
Angie Bolling
Charles Sanders
Barry Sykes
Clay Kennedy
Lewis B. Johnson
J. D. Hawkins
B. T. Stone
Wade L. Johnston
Rick Herod
Paul Mitchell Wright
Julius Tennon
Dennis Hill
Timothy Walter
Robert Scott Smith
Kenneth Plunk
Josh Berry
Branson Washburn
David Johnson
John Hayden
Chris Palmer
Kyle Scott Jackson
C. Anthony "charles" Jackson
Kippy Brown
Cleveland "chick" Harris
Billy Melvin Thomas
Kammerin Hunt
Roy Williams
Gary Mack Griffin
Randy Brinlee
Dan Rankin
Tim Crowley
Harvey L. Jeffries
Tiki Davis
Everett Smith
Ty Law
Chris Dahlberg
Peter Harrell Jr.
Kevin Page
Brady Coleman
Stephen Bishop
Bob Richardson
Mark Donaldson
Aisha Schliessler
Evan Bernard
Rutherford Cravens
Wayne Hanawalt
Brian Thornton
Sam Austin
Mark Nutter
Jeff Gibbs
Richard Dillard
Robert Flores
Terry Parks
Talon Smith
Taylor Sawyers
Bradley Lisman
Richard Nance
Aaron Babino
Dean Baldwin
Ben Bronson
Sunny Byrd
John Clark
Bobby Doherty
Chris Fisher
Cedric Foster
Corey Hargers
Tavis Harvey
Deshaun Hill
Ryan Jacobs
Nick Jester
Mike Jones
Tyrone Jones
Mark Llewellyn
Jon Luke
O. J. Mcclintock
Robert Nguyen
Joseph Norman
Dewayne Patmon
Everick Rawls
Brett Robin
Steven Rogers
Ray Ross
Chad L. Stevens
Travis Thompson
Matt Trissel
Brandon Tully
Darrick Wallace
Tim O'connell
Derek Graf
H. G. Bissinger
James "boobie" Miles
Crew
Daniel Dalton Akers
Dave Alexander
Kyle Alexander
Sally Allen
Peter Amundson
Troy Anderson
Craig Anthony
John Arszyla
Ronald Asheton
Scott Asheton
Sarah Aubrey
Marc Baird
Mateo Barnstone
Tony Barraza
Roger Basquette
Ronn Basquette
Stephen F. Beasley
Peter Berg
Lee Berger
David Bernardi
Richard Berry
Patrick Blackard
James Bluma
Matt Boatright-simon
Jo Edna Boldin
Peter Borck
Jennifer Bourne
Brigitte Bourque
Jon Brannstrom
Julian Bratolyubov
Troy Breeding
Toni Cobb Brock
Richard Buoen
Jacenda Burkett
Gary Burritt
John Bush
John Cameron
John Cameron
David Campbell
Murray K. Campbell
Chelsey M. Carpenter
Ean Carr
Douglas Carter
Dwight Cary
Jeffrey Castel De Oro
Rusty Chambers
Layne Chaney
Lance Cheatham
Audrey Chon
Cheryl Clarson
Peter Clarson
Dennis Clay
George Clinton Jr.
David Aaron Cohen
Timothy E. Cole
Dennis Collins
Jack Colmenero
Larry Comans
Logan Cooper
Tim Crowley
April Crump
Sheri Cruz
Carla Curry
Michele Cusick
Jai Dadlani
Bobby Dall
Eric R. Damazio
Payal Dani
David Daniel
Debbi Datz-pyle
Thadd Day
Yann Delpuech
Shanti Delsarte
John Dj Desjardin
C. C. Deville
Sean Devine
Drew Dillard
Patricia Dillon
Carol F. Doran
Becki Drake
Stephen Drake
William Drayton
Tiffany Lynn Drucker
Pauline Wu Duvall
Lynne Eagan
Thom Ehle
Barrett Elkins
Derrick Espino
Marcia Evers
Explosions In The Sky
Fred Fassert
Gregory Faucett
Ginna Faulkner
John Claude Fedrick
Elizabeth Finch
Tommy Fine
Joe Fisk
Christopher Fitzgerald
Cliff Fleming
Jim Flynn
Melissa Forney
Cedric Foster
Preston Foster
Bruce Fowler
Walt Fowler
Douglas Fox
Chris Frazee
Mike Frevert
Robbie Friedmann
Brian Fuller
Will Gallagher
Courtnee Garcia
Sonia L. Garcia
Erick Garibay
Bill Georgiou
Karen Ruth Getchell
Billy F. Gibbons
Shellie Gillespie
Sanford Gilzow
Stan Ginsel
Gary Glitter
Lisa Goldberg
Kayse Goodell
Dwayne Grady
Allan Graf
Allan Graf
Derek Graf
Robert Graf
Gina Grande
Brian Grazer
Don Greenberg
Robert Grieve
Joe Grisaffi
Kurt Grossi
Steven Guerrero
Kit Gwin
Mark Hadland
Shepard Hall
Bill Ham
Chris Hamala
David Hampton
David Shawn Harper
Dana Hart
Jeffrey B. Hartman
Eric Harwood
Richard Hebben
Eric Heffron
John Heller
Craig Henighan
Eric Henshaw
Veronica Hernandez
Rob Hicks
Ryan Hintz
Shweta Hirani
Janet Hirshenson
Mike Hitch
Richard Hollander
Mark Hopper
Jennifer Ann Howard
Don Howe Jr.
Jeff Howison
Christopher Hrasky
Joey Hudgins
Jason Hunt
Patrick D. Hurd
Roy Huth
Victor Ignatiev
Joel Iwataki
Lynn James
Michael Aaron James
Jane Jenkins
Boysie Jereza
John Johns
Marvin Jones
Richard Jory
Doug Juhn
Emmet Kane
Kathy Kaplan
Perry Kass
Francis Keao
Matt Kelly
Nell Kennedy
Kathy Kiatta
Darren King
Gregory King
Matthew King
Karen Klein
Rick Kline
John Knight
Peter Kolb
Goro Koyama
Gene Kozicki
Mukesh Kumar
Cheryl Kurk
Lisa Kurk
Hoiyue Harry Lam
Matt Langley
Bill Lanier
Daniel Lanois
Dwight Lavers
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Other than the title, all of the credits appear at the end of the film. The initial cast list differs in order from the cast/character list. The picture begins with the written statement: "The following is based on a true story which took place in West Texas in 1988." Voice-over commentary by radio announcers, hosts and guests is interspersed throughout the film. The picture ends with subtitles explaining the future careers of the film's major characters, noting that Brian Chavez went to Harvard and became a lawyer; Don Billingsley remained close with his father and became an insurance salesman in Dallas; Ivory Christian received a football scholarship and went on to work as a truck driver; James "Boobie" Miles played football in junior college and settled in Texas with his twins; and Mike Winchell played football for a year at Baylor University, then became a surveyer.
Although all other sources list the running time as 117 minutes, New York Times lists 105 minutes. The credits include the written statement: "In memory of Alan J. Pakula." Pakula (1928-1998), who was originally set to direct Friday Night Lights, began his film career as a producer on pictures such as To Kill a Mockingbird in 1962 (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1961-70). Later, he directed several award-winning films, including All the President's Men (1976) and Sophie's Choice (1982). He died on November 19, 1998, when a piece of metal tore through the windshield of his car. The end credits thank numerous people and institutions, including the Texas Film Commission, Austin Film Commission, city of Odessa and Permian High School. An end credit for Friday Night Lights states that the film's soundtrack is available on Hip-O Records/UMG Soundtracks.
H. G. Bissinger's book, Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, was published in 1990 and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 15 weeks. It was later named by Sports Illustrated as the greatest football story ever told. Bissinger, a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, spent a year in Odessa tracking the Permian High School football season and becoming part of the community. He then took six months to organize the book before beginning to write. The book frankly portrayed the racial and class issues in the community and the fact that the coach made more money than the principal and the local school district budgeted more money for football medical supplies than for the entire English department. As a result, as Publishers Weekly reported in December 1990, Bissinger received death threats and was forced to cancel some personal appearances in Texas. The New York Times critic wrote, "In his telling Odessa proves to be a symbol of almost everything wrong with sports in America."
As stated in studio press materials, upon the book's publication, Pakula's former assistant, Tova Laiter, introduced the property to Imagine Entertainment producer Brian Grazer. Grazer pitched the film to Universal, which acquired the book rights. The project then underwent years of complications, with numerous directors and writers attached at different times. On November 7, 1990, Daily Variety announced that Pakula would direct and produce the film and mentioned David Ward as a possible screenwriter and Sam Shepard as a star. David Aaron Cohen wrote a script for Pakula that was eventually used as the basis for the final film. According to a September 2004 Los Angeles Times article, Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show (1971), which was also set in rural Texas, was Cohen's inspiration.
In 1994, Brian Levant worked on another screenplay adaptation, planning to direct it, but according to a November 2003 Los Angeles Times article, "the studio eventually cooled on Levant's version." By February 1996, Hollywood Reporter stated that Jon Avnet would direct the picture, with Pakula as executive producer. The Los Angeles Times piece added that Billy Ray wrote a script with Avnet. However, Daily Variety noted in September 1996 that Universal Pictures had shelved the project, which was "now looking for a new home." On August 15, 1997, a Daily Variety article stated that Richard Linklater was in negotiations to re-write and direct. Daily Variety noted in May 2002 that after Linklater wrote a script, booked locations and cast football players, Universal "pulled the plug." Then in 1999, director Ted Demme was briefly attached to the film, but his death in 2001 once again delayed the project.
In late July 2003, as noted in Variety, Grazer hired Peter Berg to co-write and direct. The Los Angeles Times article detailed Grazer's initial reluctance to hire Berg, who had turned down previous opportunities to work with Imagine. After Berg asserted his commitment, however, Bissinger, to whom the book rights had since reverted, agreed to a new deal with Imagine. Berg and Bissinger are second cousins and close friends. Berg noted in press materials that Bissinger had showed him the book in galley form before publication, and that as a result Berg had campaigned for years to be allowed to direct the film version. He stated in press materials that his "take on this film is football is combat and these guys are warriors."
Berg traveled to Odessa every weekend shooting football footage and getting to know the townspeople. At his behest, some scenes were shot at Permian High School, including at the school's Ratliff Stadium. Most of the film was eventually shot on location in Texas, including in Odessa, Austin and the Houston Astrodome.
According to the 2004 Los Angeles Times article, the role of Coach Gary Gaines was originally offered to Tom Hanks. Billy Bob Thornton, who played Gaines, drew from the experiences of his father, who had been a high school basketball coach. Lucas Black, who played "Mike Winchell," had earlier been directed by Thornton in Swing Blade and All the Pretty Horses.... Berg hired James "Boobie" Miles, one of the football players whose story was told in Friday Night Lights, to play a sideline coach in the film. The film's pressbook notes that Miles was present for the filming of the scene that recreated the most important moment of his life, in which he broke his knee during a game and saw his football career ruined. Lee Jackson made his feature film debut in Friday Night Lights as Christian.
Out of a pool of 960 applicants, second unit director and former USC football player Allan Graf picked 260 to participate in a three-day tryout camp in January 2004. He eventually chose forty boys to appear in the film. The football unit held a six-week training camp at St. Stephens Academy, playing six hours of football every day. Real-life Permian football trainer Tim O'Connell recreated his job for the production.
Although the movie hewed closely to the book, some differences emerged. Chris Comer was not highlighted in the book, as he was a junior and Bissinger covered only the seniors. As stated in a September 12, 2004 Los Angeles Times article, in order to receive permission to film in Odessa, Berg had to promise not to portray the town in a racist or stereotypical manner. Therefore, the film's portrayal of the town differs from that in the book. Because of the omission of Odessa's cultural strife, some critics, including the Los Angeles Times reviewer, maintained that the film "throw[s] authenticity to the wind in the name of what's called `dramatic purposes.'" Many reviews, however, asserted that the film dealt expressly with racial and class tensions. The Newsweek review read: "[The film] has lots to say about race, class, celebrity, competition and the way dreams can inspire as well as devour the dreamer." The New York Times critic stated that "the screenplay fiddles very little with the actual events" and "rarely softens the picture."
Reviews in general were positive, and the picture became a sleeper box office hit. Newsweek magazine and AFI named Friday Night Lights as one of the top ten films of 2004. In May 2006, the NBC television network announced that a weekly series based on the Bissinger novel and the film would be on the network's 2006-2007 Prime Time schedule.
Miscellaneous Notes
Voted one of the 10 best films of 2004 by the American Film Institute (AFI).
Released in United States Fall October 8, 2004
Released in United States on Video January 18, 2005
Brian Levant and Jon Avnet were both previously attached to direct.
Alan J. Pakula was previously attached to direct.
Kodak
Released in United States Fall October 8, 2004
Released in United States on Video January 18, 2005
