2K Replay: FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

 by Adam Riske

Winner for “Best Sports Movie” at the ESPY Awards.

• Best Scene/Moment (tie): “Boobie” Miles (played by Derek Luke) breaking down in his uncle’s car after coming to terms with his football career being over and the state championship game between Dallas Carter High School and Permian High School.

• Best Song (tie): “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by The Stooges and “New Noise” by Refused.

• Best Merch: A “Friday Night Lights - Permian Team Coach’s Binder” for $52.00. This is pretty cool. It’s an original prop from the movie used by one of the characters (played by Billy Bob Thornton).

• Director Grade: Friday Night Lights was directed by Peter Berg.
Great Movies: N/A
Good Movies: Very Bad Things, Friday Night Lights, Deepwater Horizon
OK Movies: The Rundown, The Kingdom, Patriots Day, Mile 22
Bad Movies: Hancock
Unseen By Me: Battleship, Lone Survivor, Spenser Confidential
Overall Grade: B+

• Double It with This 2004 Movie: Miracle

• Year 2004 Movies to Trailer Before Them: The Alamo, Million Dollar Baby, Mr. 3000

• Color of Night or Friday Night Lights? Friday Night Lights.

• Mall Movie? Probably not. Sports comedies are for the mall, but most sports dramas are more for the fancy theater in town.

• Only in 2004 (tie): Wanting to buy a Permian High School football jersey and me shouting “Go Mojo!” to my friends.

• Scene Stealer (tie): Lucas Black and Lee Jackson.

• I Miss (tie): Lee Thompson Young (RIP) and Peter Berg movies not starring Mark Wahlberg.

• I Don’t Miss (tie): High school football movies being so good that I felt like an asshole for not playing when I was in high school and trying to make Garrett Hedlund happen.

• 2004 Crush (tie): Amber Heard I guess and Jay Hernandez’s film career. I bought stock. I thought he’d be the next big thing.

• 2024 Crush: Football.

• What I Thought in 2004: I went in not expecting much and was pretty blown away by Friday Night Lights. In 2004, I thought it was not only one of the best football movies I’d ever seen, but also one of the best sports movies of all time.

• What I Think in 2024: It’s still a really good sports movie but it didn’t click with me quite as much as it did in 2004. It’s kind of a young man’s movie. The performances are great (especially an understated Billy Bob Thornton as the head coach) and I love the film’s specificity. You really get an idea of Texas high school football culture from Friday Night Lights.