FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Director Peter Berg’s spot-on adaptation of one of the better true sports stories of the last century is as much an anti-sports film as it is a monument to the politics of hard-nosed high school football in the great state of Texas. The film doesn’t pull any punches in its portrayal of the use and abuse of 17-year-old boys in a game that means more than just boosting school spirit. Between college scouts, local radio and TV news, the players have the weight of their entire careers riding on every single play. Berg’s approach captures the action on and off the field with the same high-energy documentary approach. The quick-cutting and whip pans could very easily have come off as overproduced Tony Scott visual dramatics, but the film stays honest throughout, riding on the shoulders of Billy Bob Thornton’s understated performance as a coach who feels just as much pressure as his players. Friday Night Lights trades the usual sports-movie inspiration for introspection into our media saturated society. Universal’s Blu-ray is a nice representation of Berg’s low-tech shooting style, but perhaps not the hi-def showcase fit for impressing your friends. The extras (ported over from the standard DVD release) are scattered and short, focusing on the on-field extras, country star Tim McGraw’s acting debut and a selection of deleted scenes, along with Berg’s commentary track.