Friday Night Lights / Raise Your Voice
These movies are out on DVD but since they came out in October, they still make the list to the left. However, there isn't much to say about them.

Friday Night Lights chronicles the events of a high school football team in Permian Basin, Texas. High school football in Texas is a religion for most folks down there and at this high school, it's no exception. With pressure running high for a state championship, Coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) has his hands full. While the talent is there, having them work as a team is another problem. It is this dedication to building bridges in order to achieve one goal brings the team together all the way to the state championship game, even as their star running back gets injured.

While events in the film were changed a little bit to suit Hollywood, it still comes up short in telling a compelling story. However, it is one of the most nicely shot football films I've seen in a while so credit goes to those who made it look so real.

Raise Your Voice concerns a young girl (Hilary Duff) who has dreams of becoming a great singer and helped along by her brother (Jason Ritter), applies to an exclusive summer music program in Los Angeles. But when the two sneak out for a concert, her brother dies in a car accident. Still recovering from his death, nothing can break Terri from her depression, even the news that she was accepted to the program. Her mom (Rita Wilson) and aunt (Rebecca DeMornay) convince her to go and manage to sneak her there under the nose of her father, who highly opposes Terri going. Once there, the competition is fierce but everything Terri puts into her singing is for her brother, giving her the chance to win a coveted scholarship.

This movie shifts back and forth so many times, it never knows when to stop until the movie is over. Duff tries to do here best with the bad material but mainly, she's either smiling or crying. Soon, it eventually becomes a cycle as you await how Terri will become teary and want to leave or when the angry dad appears or when everyone gathers in the quad to jam. Might as well let Duff sing in the movie instead of surrounding it with all that dialogue.

Friday Night Lights: 2.5 stars
Raise Your Voice: 1.5 stars