Varsity Blues

If everyone wasn't so serious, you would have thought that a film dedicated to high school football had to be a satire on the pulling power of quarterbacks, the macho cool of drinking yourself senseless and the God-like presence of The Coach.

Watching grown boys hurl themselves at each other, dressed in padded Spandex, with socking great helmets over their heads, while squealing girls in dazzly miniskirts jump up and down on the touchline, is to glimpse the seventh level of Hell. The degree of commitment demanded of these kids by their fascist overlord is beyond a joke. In fact, the movie is so alien to anyone outside of Texas, it might as well be sci-fi.

The plot has been round the block so often, it makes itself sick. Nice guy Mox (James Van Der Beek) is beginning to feel uncomfortable about the football mania surrounding West Caanan, his small home town. When the star quarterback does his knee in and Mox takes his place, he comes up against coach Kilmer (Jon Voight), the man who lives, breathes and demands success. What follows is a battle of wills, culminating in the final game of the season. No prizes for guessing who loses. It's you. For being there.