Varsity Blues

Year: 1999
Starring: James Van Der Beek, Jon Voigt, Amy Smart
Rotten Tomatoes: 39% fresh
IMDB: 6.0
Tagline: "Make your own rules."


BK review: I will start out by noting that I will refer to this one as a movie, not as a film. But I will see it was a very entertaining - very cheesy - movie. This movie could really be summed up by one scene: Johnny Moxin throwing the ball in the front yard before angrily stating "I don't want your life" with Van Der Beek's terrible Texas accent. Really terrible. I like this movie for a number of reasons. (1) I thought Voigt does a fantastic job as the asshole head coach. (2) It was the first time I had seen Amy Smart, and I am now a big fan of hers. (3) The whip cream bikini. (4) Most of the lines uttered by Tweeter. (5) The game action is actually pretty well put together and realistic-looking. (6) The fact that Ron Lester played the overweight lineman named Billy Bob in this one, then reprises that exact same role as Reggie Ray in Not Another Teen Movie.

But, this movie is nothing more than a fun 105 minutes. You can re-watch it again on cable, but not all the way through - only in bits and pieces. Other than Voigt and Scott Caan, none of the acting was anything to write home about. The plot was pretty predictable. The only time it lost its predictability is when the team plays without a coach - and that's just absurd, so I don't give any credit there. Also, you have the same old storyline of girl dating back-up player who then becomes star, so she stops getting along with him for some reason only to get back with him at the end (see: Teen Wolf). Here's the problem: Van Der Beek's character does not change at all in the movie, other than becoming the starting QB. It was just that the director - Brian Robbins - apparently felt this romantic drama had to occur, like it was in the book he read about directing movies. Smart's character dates Moxin, then gets annoyed at him for basically no reason, then gets back with him at the end, only neither of them has changed at any point - they broke up merely as a required plot point. And yes, I spent more time on this than need be, it has just always bugged me.

Last thing I will add - would any business owner who loves his high school football team as much as they make it seem in this movie ever allow the team to come to his establishment in get ridiculously drunk the night before a big game? Doubt it.

So, the movie misses on a bunch of things. If you were hoping to watch a gripping drama about high school football, then this is not for you. If you want to have a few beers, grab a few quotable lines that will draw some laughs in the future, then this movie will fit the bill.

Out of 100, I give this one a 63.