The other day we heard from an Anonymous Houston Extra who worked in the Houston production of the movie "Friday Night Lights." AHE has checked in with another commentary about the movie and how the citizens in west Texas may be portrayed.
I have a personal comment about why the FNL book and movie were made. I think it's actually quite simple. I remember very well hearing about an author going into Odessa back in the 80's to write a book about the high school football team there. I said even back then to my wife, "oh my goodness, are these people so naive that they can't see this carpet-bagger is coming in to do a tap dance all over them." But times were tough, and I guess the people of Odessa just wanted to believe something good could come about from it.Bissinger could have picked "Any Town USA" to write a book on high school football. The fact is that Bissinger needed a stereo-typical Texas town environment where exaggerated plots could be amusing and believable to outside readers. Odessa was perfect because it was an isolated Texas town and virtually unknown to most of the country... everything would be real and believable to the reader. With Odessa he had license to incorporate racism, a society filled with under-educated "red necks" and a mentality that "winning the football game" is everything.
I think it's so silly when people ask Berg why he made FNL. He's Bissinger's cousin that's why. The movie isn't "Schindler's List" you know, and it's not even about football. It's about Peter and Buzz just wanting to make a buck creating a film they hope people will view as entertainment... and you can expect Berg to do whatever he can to make it entertaining including a lot of exaggeration. I heard extras say scene after scene "I would never act like that in public". I also watched the opening scene of the championship game where one of the coaches (not Billy Bob) getting his defense fired up to take the field. He starts yelling over and over "this is your opportunity to legally assault somebody. I want you to go out there and assault somebody."
The people of Odessa need to take these caricatures with a "grain of salt". I just hope the movie doesn't go overboard and get too "cheesy". Otherwise, Peter and Buzz will get their nice contract salaries, Odessa will get pie in the face one more time and Universal will get a nice big tax write-off like Alamo gave Touchstone.
Yes, we all hope the movie doesn't go overboard. West Texas is flyover country even for other Texans, and it's a rare opportunity to get some national exposure. But, if they do get too "cheesy" with the movie, then we promise to try to maintain our dignity as we read that it was a box office bomb.
UPDATE: Anonymous Houston Extra checked in again with this:
Also a personal FYI... I got a nice card with photos from the friend who accompanied actress Eloise Broady on the FNL set. Eloise is a past Playboy centerfold who plays a "dizzy" girlfriend of a rich Permian Booster. I know what you are wondering but let me stop you now... she is clothed in all the photos. In real life she is married to John Paul Mitchell the hair products magnet and owner of Patron Tequila. In the rush Eloise's friend was mistaken by the director for an extra and used in several takes also. There was nothing stuffy about Eloise or her friend. They cut-up and had fun the whole time they were there.Have a great summer and I'll check in after release of FNL.
Thanks! We look forward to it!
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