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Friday Night Lights is a 2004 movie, which is based on a book by H.G. Bissenger called Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and A Dream. This movie tells of the 1988 Permian Panthers rocky season and shows their highs and lows. They are coached by Gary Gaines, who is played by Billy Bob Thornton, who seems to be on the verge of losing his job. Though out the season, Gaines seems to be getting threats from the people in the town that if it does not win, they will hurt him.They story really focuses on a couple of the players and how they struggle with football and their everyday lives. James "Booby" Miles, played by Derek Luke, is stud of a running back but tears his ACL. The movie shows how Miles tries to come back, and gets hurt even more. Miles season and career are over after the injury. Another player that is focused on in the movies is Don Billingsley, played by Garrett Hedlund. Billignsley has a rocky relationship with his father Charles, played wonderfully by Tim McGraw. Charles is an alcoholic and absolutely obsessed with football. In the movie, Charles duct tapes a football to Don's hands. This is a theme though out the movie. Even the town is obsessed with football. The team makes it to the playoffs and all the way to the championship ,but runs into a buzz saw that was Dallas Carter High School. This made for a climatic end to the movie. Permian loses but the game is very close.

I found that this is common theme on the plains. I experienced this to an extent but not as intense. Football or sports in general is the glue that makes the community come together.