Varsity Blues

Starring: James Van Der Beek, Jon Voight, Paul Walker, Ron Lester, Scott Caan, Amy Smart, Ali Larter
Directed by: Brian Robbins
Rating: R
Genre: Sports, Comedy, Drama
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Jonathan Moxon (James Van Der Beek) has it pretty easy. He sits on the football sidelines barely paying attention to the game while the school's All Star quarterback (Paul Walker) wins game after game with touchdown pass after touchdown pass. However, when the first string QB goes down with a season ending injury, Moxon is thrust into the limelight of having to be a hero for the team. The angry, intense coach (Jon Voight) doesn't like his attitude and is worried about not winning a championship. The instant spotlight also puts straight on Moxon's relationship with his girlfriend (Amy Smart). As life becomes more and more complicated, Moxon must decide if he really wants to play football.

Review:

Tim: Varsity Blues is an outstanding football movie. I have read that the film doesn't cover all the aspects of the book. While I've never read the book, I can say that the movie is intense and entertaining.

The story is first and foremost about football, but it is also about friendship and the relationships of youth. That is all good, but the real success of the film comes with the adversity created by the head coach. It is here that this movie becomes great.

James Van Der Beek is an outstanding everyman hero that we can all root for. He wins the crowd and we're right there every step of the way with him. Jon Voight is so evil and such a horrible character in this film. His performance is remarkable, because we hate him so much. The rest of the supporting cast is decent, but none really give outstanding performances.

The actual gridiron scenes are excellent, but surprisingly take a back seat to the rich characters that we so quickly grow attached to. The final game is beautiful to watch, however. The football action is top notch and the drama cannot get any more intense.

Pay special attention to the halftime locker room scene at the last game. This is why we watch movies. Van Der Beek will forever remain a hero in my eyes for the delivery of his speech. His speech is about as motivational and as brilliant as it can be.

Varsity Blues is rated R for a reason and I'd question letting younger viewers watch it. Anyone who has ever played high school football anywhere in the country (not just Texas) will be able to relate to this movie. The film is wildly entertaining and just a great movie all around.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Friday Night Lights, Remember the Titans, The Longest Yard, Any Given Sunday, Hoosiers