In The Hollywood Reporter’s recent rankings of the best sports movies of all time, just one football movie was included, the documentary O.J.: Made in America. I think Friday Night Lights (2004) should’ve made THR’s list. Here’s a big reason why.
If THR were to rank the best sports-movie pep talks, I believe Billy Bob Thornton’s iconic speech in Friday Night Lights should rank very high. It’s unique, even transcendent, unlike any sports movie pep talk.
Thornton, who played legendary Texas high school football coach Gary Gaines, doesn’t raise his voice or throw anything. He remains calm and discusses the importance of friendship, family, and loyalty.
Here’s Thornton’s (Coach Gaines’s) wonderful pep talk.
“Well, it’s really simple: You got two more quarters, and that’s it.
Now most of you have been playin’ this game for ten years. And you got two more quarters, and after that, most of you will never play this game again as long as you live. Now, ya’ll have known me for a while, and for a long time now you’ve been hearin’ me talk about being perfect.
“The Speech” from Friday Night Lights (photo courtesy Business Insider)
Well I want you to understand somethin’. To me, being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It’s not about winning. It’s about you and your relationship to yourself, 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’ve 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.
I want you to take a moment. And I want you to look each other in the eyes. I want you to put each other in your hearts forever, because forever’s about to happen here in just a few minutes.
I want you to close your eyes and think about Boobie Miles, your brother. And he would die to be out there on that field with you tonight. And I was hoping you could put that in your hearts. Boys, my heart is full. My heart’s full.”
Billy Bob, whose father was a high school basketball coach, is often asked about his speech, even today, more than twenty years later. Was it in the script? Some of it was, but much of it, Billy Bob improvised.
Prior to shooting, Billy Bob asked director Peter Berg if he could go “off the page.” Billy Bob was inspired and had something to add. Just the previous night, Billy Bob was devastated by a close friend’s betrayal. Ultimately, Billy Bob lost a friend, but he created one of the best, if not the best, sports movie pep talks of all time.
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Jon Hart is the author of Unfortunately, I was available.
