Plot: What’s it about?
I can say that I’ve never put on a set of shoulder pads and never played on a football team. Sure, I played some touch pick up games from time to time, but “team sports” were never really my thing. I gravitated towards swimming, golf and tennis. But I realize that football is, perhaps, the most popular sport in America and people are fanatic about it. And most of those folks are in Texas. Varsity Blues takes a look at Texas football with some pretty brutal reality and exactly how the town and state rally around their high school teams. To say that it’s a religion is a pretty fair assessment.
Set in New Canaan, TX – a small town where high school football is a way of life. The parents of the star quarterback (Paul Walker) have a billboard of their son in the front yard (if that puts things into perspective). We meet Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight), the coach who’s given the town of New Canaan a bevy of championships over the years. He’s an icon in the town, due in no small part that he knows how to win. He’s also an egocentric jerk, but no one cares so long as he, you guessed it…wins. The story centers around Jonathan Moxon (James Van Der Beek). He rides the bench and has talent, though when the star quarterback takes a hit, it’s Jonathan’s turn to shine. He has aspirations of getting out of the small town, though, and wants to study at Brown University and date his non-cheerleader girlfriend. HIs moment in the spotlight changes some of that and he butts heads with Bud – not always a great idea. Is Jonathan another mindless minion or does he have what it takes to change New Canaan football forever?
It’s pretty difficult to do a football movie without its share of cliches. This one is filled with them right down to the cheerleaders dating whoever throws the winning touchdown. That’s not to say there aren’t elements of truth in what’s on screen. I have no doubt the lengths parents and coaches will go to that will ensure a victory – at whatever cost. And this has got a pretty decent cast as well with Van Der Beek leading the way (at the height of his Dawson’s Creek stardom), also look for Ali Larter, Scott Caan and a pre-Fast and the Furious Paul Walker. The film, while entertaining, did grind on me a bit. I’m a fan of the more underdog stories like Remember the Titans or Rudy. But that’s just me. Likely, at this point in time, you know if this is for you or not.
Video: How’s it look?
About the only thing I remember watching this the first time around was that it was one of the first reviews I did for this site. Yep, we’re talking (as of this writing) a quarter of a century ago. Wow, that’s a long time. Fortunately age has been rather kind to Varsity Blues. Paramount’s new 4K remaster gives us just what we’d expect: a higher-quality picture lacking grain, impressive detail, better color and contrast all of which make for a winning score (pardon the football pun). It’s kind of odd seeing how these “fresh faces” looked at the height of their looks. Not that they’ve aged too horribly, but looking at this transfer – it’s a bit difficult to date the film. It’s a testament to the quality. I’m repeating myself and rambling, but just know that this 1.85:1 4K HEVC image pulls its weight.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Consider this an opportunity missed when it comes to audio. We get the same Dolby TrueHD soundtrack that was present on the Blu-ray. So, no Dolby Atmos this time around. Sorry additional speakers, we’re going to bench you. Don’t let me snide comments detract you, though. The included mix has a few moments, notably during the football games, that really pack a punch (er…”hit?”). Vocals are sharp and centered and the ambiance from the surrounds seems to put the viewer right in the middle of the action. It’s still a good mix, but one that could have been that much better. Oh well.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Sadly, no new supplements have been added. What we get is what’s been available on the Blu-ray for over a decade.
- Audio Commentary – Director Brian Robbins and producers Tova Laiter and Mike Tollin offer their insight into the project, the casting and of course the legacy of any and all Texas football. Likely fans have heard this one before, so it’s more of the same.
- Football is a Way of Life: The Making of Varsity Blues – This is the standard offering when it comes to “Making of…” documentaries. We get it all, sound bytes from the cast and crew, Texas football and the amount of work and training that went into making the film.
- Two-A-Days: The Ellis Way – Focusing on the more technical aspect of things, we get a look at what went into the football scenes as well as the training that the actors went through.
- QB Game Analysis – Coach Mark Ellis and NFL quarterback and former Texas high school signal caller Josh McCown give us the lowdown on things.
- Billy Bob with No Bacon – The eccentric star reflects on his role years later.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
When it comes to sports movies and football movies in general, there are a few that stand out. Varsity Blues, while not a bad film, just isn’t one that stood out for me. I’ll take Rudy, Remember the Titans or even Friday Night Lights over this one. But I know the film has its fans and Paramout’s video presentation might be worth the upgrade.
