Friday Night Lights - A Chick’s Perspective

• Posted on July 4, 2008 at 5:06 am

Here as promised is another review to keep you company til we release another podcast ep.  This is all about another show with very little farefare that you should be watching if you have a taste for quality programming.  Friday Night Lights.  It was a great movie released in 2004 starring Billy Bob Thornton as the Coach of a high school football team struggling deep in the heart of Texas.  It was real, gritty and the acting was phenomenal. 

Director Peter Berg decided in 2005 that a TV series could be chiselled out and as such Friday Night Lights was born on NBC.  Sure there were some similarities to the original movie but it was a new world on its own.  Right away this television show set a precedent.  It is filmed in Texas, the actors live in the towns where they film and their extras are town folk.  The filming techniques are unlike anything currently being exhibited.  The actors don’t have marks and there are three cameramen responsible for shooting the scene in any way they seem fit.  A such they film extremely fast and their performances are more instinctual and accurate than the posing we see on many shows.  It gives the show a unique feel, a honesty not often seen on commercial television.  The script writing is amazing.  The writing staff has managed (largely) to avoid the clichéd and the predictable by going against the grain.  Finding the small moments.  The truth in each scene.  The acting is high calibre too and I will go into that later.

To summarise the show, FNL revolves around the Taylor family.  Eric (Kyle Chandler) is the coach of the Dillon Panthers, his wife Tami (Connie Britton) is the high school counsellor and they have a daughter Julie (Aimee Teegarden).  This tight knit family unit is the most honest depiction of a marriage and family that I have seen on the celluloid.  Any scene that has all of them or a combination of them is exquisite. 

The rest of the cast is filled out by members of the team and community.  I am deliberately trying to be vague as not to ruin important plot points.  There is the captain and quarterback of the Panthers, Jason Street (Scott Porter), bad boy Tim Riggins (the delectably scrummy Taylor Kitsch), the fast talking Smash Williams (Gaius Charles) and the nervous second string quarterback Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford).  There are others too – Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly), the cheerleader and QB’s girlfriend, Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki) the “fun” girl and Landry Clark (Jesse Plemmons) best friend of Matt and brain.  This could sound completely formulaic but it isn’t.  An event occurs in the pilot that changes the lives of each and every character I have mentioned and (beware) it will probably make you tear up.  This show has a finger on emotion and whether it is the written word, the performance or the beauty of a scene, this is a show that you will love.

FNL is not a football show.  It’s about a coach and his team but it is NOT all about football.  There are some amazing football scenes shot over the seasons but it’s always about characterisation on this show.   It’s about people, and the people depicted in this show are fascinating. We see the pressure and strain on these teenagers for victory from every element of the community, we see the media spotlight, the simmering race tension and even politics.  And every second of it is enthralling.  Connie Britton (Spin City) is phenomenal and yesterday I read she was again passed over for the Emmy short listing for a second year in a row.  This lady puts her heart and soul into this woman who I would love to know.  Kyle Chandler (Early Edition) is fiery, controlled and downright convincing as the new coach of this team and he’s an actor who can convey so much with so little words.  (There is even a site devoted to the acting ability of his hair, you need to watch to understand).  The ability to convey honesty and conviction through one’s face is a talent that many actors are without and these two are amazing.  So much so that I am appalled they haven’t been recognised for their efforts.  These two are television critic’s darlings and for good reason.

Now this may not have sold you on watching this show or giving it a chance.  It is currently two seasons in with the third starting as part of a Direct TV/NBC deal.  Below are my reasons for loving this show – please give it four episodes, I promise you, you will love it.

1.       The actors act the stuffing out of the script.

2.       The scripts are tight, emotional, true with equal amounts of drama, comedy and honesty.

3.       It looks and feels different than anything else on TV.

4.       The actors are purdy too (for girls and guys alike).

5.       Mud Bowl – if you stick with it you’ll see this incredible episode.

6.       The music.

7.       Kyle.

8.       Connie.

9.       Zach Gilford and his depiction of Matt Saracen.

10.   Anything that comes out of Landry’s mouth, bravo Jesse Plemmons.

11.   The Riggins’ residence

12.   The emotional punch of the pilot.

More importantly there is no star power or “big, flashy concept” behind this show.  This is about showing a family, a team, a community in all it’s flawed glory and you should give it a go.

Now if Connie is out there and reads this (I know she Google alerts FNL items) – I loved your work and know that your performances are valued.  You are amazing. I cannot wait for the new season.  Gushing complete J

Adele

Tweet This Post 

• 1 Comment on Friday Night Lights - A Chick's Perspective
• Filed under
  • Adele Blog