Directed by: Peter Berg

Produced by: Brian Grazer

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic issues, sexual content, language, some teen drinking and rough sports action.

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Genre: Drama

Time: 1 hr. 57 min

Friday Night Lights highlights director Peter Berg's thorough insight of team members of Permian High football 1988. The movie is based on writer of 1990 H.G. Bissinger's novel. The movie takes you to Odessa, Texas where football is on the priority on everybody's list. It is the most important thing in people's life.

Billy Bob Thornton stars as Gary Gaines is the coach of the Permian Panthers high school team, who has the great responsibility on his shoulders of the team. People expect big things from his squad under him. This place gives oversized importance to the game that they won't settle for anything less than the state championship.

Billy does not have to sweat over this. He sure has an ace. Boobie Miles (Derek Luke), is a gifted running back star and every body relies on him. Unfortunately the bad news reach the community and the team that Boobie has got injuredand he knows at this crucial time both his career and his team is in jeopardy.

With this the pressure passes on to Mike Winchell (Lucas Black). He is the quarter back on the team and known for never returned smile to anyone. He is under extreme pressure of winning and constantly thinks about his mother who is ill. The team also consists of Don Billingsley (Garrett Hedlund), who is also under great pressure as he suffers verbal abuse from his alcoholic father (Tim McGraw), who has been a state champion and will accept nothing less from his son.

The characters in the movie are certainly believable; you get involved in their plight. The plot has nothing unique but still the actors and the dialogues make is interesting and does not make you bored even for a second. It is one of the well structured and developed movies which do not have any thing "cheesy" to offer. The acting talent here is quite amazing - the performances by Billy Bob Thornton coaching the Derek Luke and the much underrated Lucas Black. The movie definitely has a serious real story to it which every aspect associated with sports including team pressure, parental pressure, and pressure to win.