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‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin

December 31, 2024 · Friday Night Lights (2004) · Action · Drama · Sport · 1:56:48 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 15:25The dramatic filming style with quick cuts - seemed overwhelming in 2004 but now feels normal since every movie uses similar techniques
Mallory Rubin▶ 15:52The editing and cutting style, plus the close-up documentary-style footage that puts you inside the action - feels more appropriate now with modern viewing technology

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 44:35The coin toss and game location decision was the only time the movie really dove into the race issues from the book, unlike the book which explored it more thoroughly
Mallory Rubin▶ 44:07It's bizarre that something so consequential as where to play the game would be decided by having a conversation instead of being predetermined

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 47:55Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn't let them down because you told them the truth. I want you to take a moment. I want you to look each other in the eyes. Put each other in your hearts forever. Boys, my heart is full. My heart is full.
Mallory Rubin▶ 46:47Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship to yourself and your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn't let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is that you did everything that you could. There wasn't one more thing that you could have done. Can you live in that moment as best you can with clear eyes and love in your heart? With joy in your heart. If you can do that, gentlemen, then you're perfect.

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:04Connie Britton — Discussed the lack of a heat check scene for Connie Britton, criticizing how her role was underutilized as just 'pretty wife clapping in the stands'
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:06:02Connie Britton — Agreed that Connie Britton's underutilization was 'unforgivable' and 'damning' given her later TV performance, but focused on critiquing the missed opportunity rather than identifying a heat check moment

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:32Coach Gaines, maybe just a bad coach

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:34Coach Gaines is a terrible coach - he abused players, made poor strategic decisions, lied to the team about Boobie's injury, didn't get proper medical care for Boobie, and had numerous other coaching failures
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:11:59Coach Gaines is not actually a good coach - his coaching decisions were deranged and pathological, particularly lying to the team about Boobie being fine and his poor handling of injured players

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:34Didn't have a pick, thought the acting was pretty good and couldn't think of anyone for overacting

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:40No, can't think of a better title for the movie

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:33James Hetfield — Discussed multiple director alternatives (Alan J. Pakula, John Abnett, Richard Linklater) and revealed James Hetfield from Metallica was considered for Don's dad role before Tim McGraw was cast
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:24:11James Hetfield — Reacted positively to the James Hetfield revelation and discussed how a Richard Linklater version would have been totally different but potentially great, comparing it to 'Everybody Wants Some'

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:02Garrett Hedlund — Peter Berg's TV series Friday Night Lights, sports movie coin tosses, horrible sports movie parents (Charlie Billingsley), and Garrett Hedlund in Country Strong
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:31:21Peter Berg — Peter Berg's TV series Friday Night Lights property overall, agrees it's not apex mountain for most individuals despite being a great movie

Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 1:34:55Tom Cruise — Tom Hanks as Coach Gaines - says 'The answer's Hanks' and agrees with producer Craig that Cruise is too small and doesn't fit in Texas
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:33:54Tom Cruise — Tom Cruise as Coach Gaines - argues Cruise could handle the moments of mania and going toe-to-toe with boosters

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:38Danny Trejo — Danny Trejo as Chavez's dad - appears in a bar scene, fights two guys after someone insults the team, gets beaten near death and has emotional scene with Coach Gaines
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:40:06Wayne Jenkins as a dirty cop convincing a player to throw a game due to gambling debt, though also suggests him for the coin toss scene

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:01Why didn't Don move out? Couldn't he have just lived on somebody's couch during the season instead of staying home with his abusive dad?
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:41:01What's to stop two of the three coaches from just weighting the coins in the coin toss - there's absolutely nothing in place to prevent that outcome

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:46:44Varsity Blues — Varsity Blues paired with Friday Night Lights
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:46:54Varsity Blues — Agrees with Varsity Blues paired with Friday Night Lights

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:48:22You may never matter again in your life as much as you do right now
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:48:28Always keep your helmet handy

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:48:46Derek Luke — Derek Luke and Garrett Hedlund for their performances
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:48:33Peter Berg — Peter Berg - leads to one of the best TV shows in history, but also praised Derek Luke's Boobie performance

Movies Referenced (31)

Varsity Blues (1999)

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 11:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sling Blade (1996)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 26:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Den of Thieves (2018)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 34:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Any Given Sunday (1999)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 17:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Remember the Titans (2000)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 18:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tin Cup (1996)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 18:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All the Right Moves (1983)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 21:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 27:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Moneyball (2011)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 18:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hereditary (2018)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 41:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 22:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

8 Mile (2002)

1 mentions · Mallory Rubin▶ 4:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

Peter Berg

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for The Last Seduction, Very Bad Things▶ 8:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ben Affleck

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Argo, Gone Girl, The Town▶ 11:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Linklater

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Waking Life, Before Midnight, Slacker▶ 1:22:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alan J. Pakula

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Sophie's Choice, All the President's Men, Presumed Innocent▶ 1:22:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Barry Levinson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Rain Man, Wag the Dog▶ 30:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (47)

Paul Winchell

18 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons · Known for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh▶ 16:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Garrett Hedlund

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Tron: Legacy▶ 31:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 22:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Connie Britton

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, American Ultra▶ 12:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tim McGraw

8 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons · Known for Friday Night Lights, The Blind Side▶ 22:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brad Leland

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Deepwater Horizon, Hancock▶ 12:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Churton Season

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Chicken Run▶ 3:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kyle Chandler

5 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons · Known for Argo, Manchester by the Sea, Super 8▶ 8:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny Trejo

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators▶ 1:39:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Derek Luke

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Glory Road, Spartan▶ 31:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jay Hernandez

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hostel, Suicide Squad▶ 31:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tammy Taylor

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin▶ 9:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (8)

Brian Grazer

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13▶ 14:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jason Street

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 38:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Sheridan

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Hell or High Water, Wind River▶ 23:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Buzz Bissinger

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Friday Night Lights, Shattered Glass▶ 33:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 34:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ron Shelton

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Bull Durham, Hollywood Homicide, White Men Can't Jump▶ 21:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roy Williams

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Worst

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Michael Grantland

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 29:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stevan Larner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Caddyshack▶ 46:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗