Plucky 0 Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 The director of this movie, Peter Berg, played none other than Dexter Ruteki in the greatest ski movie ever made - "Aspen Extreme" I did not know he directed this (or any other movie) until I watched FNL again tonight. FNL is probably the best book to movie adaptation I've seen. For those of you that don't know, it's a true story. Okay, so the final championship game is over-dramatized, but it still stays very true to the book and the players stories. I know most of the world dismisses American football. I hope this movie can change some perceptions on the sport. It's very true to life. I should know - I grew up in a football crazy town and played on a team much like the team portrayed in the movie. It wasn't nearly as bad, but my town lived and died by the football team. Watching the movie brings back a lot of memories for me - even the state championship loss in the last seconds (we went to double overtime though). It's hard to judge unless you've been there. Us Americans look at soccer riots and think Europeans, South Americans, Northern Africans, etc... are crazy for taking a sport so seriously and fans being so crazy (ps - Detroit really isn't part of the US - lol - Pistons/Pacers game...). In America, high school football can be just as intense. Luckily, liquor isn't sold at the venues though Watch it if you can. Even if you hate American football, it's a great story on the human condition in a certain part of the US and the pressures put on America's youth in sports. Question - are athletics in Europe or Oz or NZ so intense at the High School level? What about college or university? As I recall, most sports are played at a club level which is quite a bit different. America seems to be unique with its fascination of high school and college athletics. I for one love college sports and follow it way more intensley than the pros. Dexter Ruteki Lives! - Powder 8 baby! Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 are you a Texas-boy, Plucky? Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 Posted June 19, 2005 Author Share Posted June 19, 2005 Quote: Originally posted by montoya: are you a Texas-boy, Plucky? Oh God no! I grew up in Oregon. My HS football team was Texas-esque, however. 4 trips to the state championship game in 5 years while I was in junior high and high school. After I graduated, my HS won two years in a row and lost once. Crazy football tradition where I grew up. Texass - hell no! (thank you lord.....) Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 If you want to see what might've happen to those people after high school and football, this might be a pretty good movie: The Last Picture Show (1971) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067328/ Movie starts on a Saturday, the morning after a local high-school football team in West Texas has lost yet again and the movie's main protagonists are mocked by everyone they meet... Thanks for the tip, will try to check out FNL later this week. Link to post Share on other sites
1 4 Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 I don't like American football, but I actually did like this movie. Link to post Share on other sites
Curt 1 Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 Excellent movie, seen it twice already. Link to post Share on other sites
sava 0 Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 Saw this movie the other day - is it actually realistic that 55,000 people would go to see the finals for a high school football match? Link to post Share on other sites
Curt 1 Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 Yeah I thought that when I watched it.. Link to post Share on other sites
sava 0 Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 Also, the size of the high school's football stadium seemed amazing for a high scool Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 Posted July 16, 2005 Author Share Posted July 16, 2005 In Texass, HUGE crowds turn out for the games. A lot of the High Schools with a football history have stadiums that would make a lot of colleges jealous. When we played in the state championships (in Oregon), I think 15,000 turned out for the games each year. That's a lot considering it was December and cold and raining. Small-town America goes ga ga over High School football. Friday Night Lights is very, very accurate in its portrayal of HS football in Texass and in general for America. It's one of the reasons I thought it was such a good movie. I just learned the other day that the high school I attended is putting artifical turf in on the football field. That blows me away! That money could be better spent elsewhere, but it is all being privately donated. Goes to show the popularity of the sport! I LOVE American football but concentrate mostly on the college game. I don't like the majority of pro sports any more. Too commercialized and too many rich little cry babies. Unfortunately, college is heading down the same path. High school may be the last bastion of the true spirit of the game and one of the reasons it's so popular. Link to post Share on other sites
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