Football Movie Marathon #2: Varsity Blues (1999)

The second movie in the marathon, Varsity Blues, came out when most of us were in high school. Maybe it is just because of the time frame of the movie's release, but I really have a soft spot for this one that just doesn't seem to be apparent to the general public. On IMDb, where just about everything that's half decent or better scores a 7.0/10 or higher, Blues only comes in with a 6.0/10. That's lower than all those ridiculous Star Wars prequels and the like. Rotten Tomatoes isn't a whole lot kinder, giving the movie just a 40% approval rating. I would never argue that it is a great movie, but I do think that its a pretty damn good one.

I think a lot of the problem is in perception. On the surface, you get cardboard actors like James Van Der Beek ("I.Don't.Wahnt.Yoh.Lahife!") and Paul Walker playing 23-to-35 year old looking high school kids just trying to balance fun and high school football, like a fucked up mix between Friday Night Lights and American Pie. Jon Voight plays the coach that is out there to win at all cost, much to the dismay of the other main characters.

A lot of criticisms one might have about the movie are valid. Some of the characters and subplots are weak. The final game is laid out in a stupid and clumsy fashion..."Let's win the game by 1 point on the last second with trick plays and teamwork like we're the Mighty Ducks! Yeah!". Where are all the defensive players on the team? Why do all the assistant coaches seemingly disappear and let Lance coach the squad when Kilmer walks out? Etc, Etc. These are difficult criticisms to overcome, but I think the movie succeeds is in the scenes that they won't make you aware of in a preview or plot synopsis. What is great about this movie is the town. Remember the Titans and Friday Night Lights attempt to dabble in showing a high school football obsessed environment but really don't do a terrific job. This movie does. Mox and Lance aren't particularly exciting to watch on screen, but the scenes with their fathers are excellent. Good football players are treated like celebrities...breaking the law, being given free beer despite being underage, etc. You also get a lot of randoms throughout the movie reflecting on their past that always seems genuine.

When I first watched this movie in high school, I would've described Jon Voight's Coach Kilmer as the bad guy, but now he's more of a sympathic antagonist in some ways. If he is as racist as he is alledged to be by the running back, Wendell, then that is unforgivable. The pushing players to injury when he knows better is unforgivable. Other than that however, he is a man crushed by the weight of his own shadow, and of the expectations in the town. Watching the movie when I'm a little bit older, you realize he is in the right half of the times he is being a bastard. The team shouldn't be screwing around with trick plays in practice when they should be working on the game plan. They shouldn't be at a strip club all night before a big game. He punishes them and is justified in doing so on several occasions. Perhaps the best scene in the movie, is when despite being angry with several of his guys, he sticks up for them when he overhears two of his ex-players bad mouthing the current team in the town diner.

Anyways, its a solid film with more to it than people give it credit for.


Marathon Movie Rankings
1. Brian's Song
2. Varsity Blues