A mish mash of cliches, Varsity Blues is a complete loser. Even without MTV Productions on it, you could still tell the network's particiaption a mile away. All the cliches from sports movies to teenage comedies are thrown in along with some new ones that will most likely pop up in similar movies by the end of the year.
Varsity Blues is the most generic, paint-by-numbers film of the early year. In West Canaan, Texas; where high school football is religion. Coach Bud Kilmer pushes his athletes to their limits and their parents aren't much better. When star quarterback Lance Harbor (studly Paul Walker who should become a star as soon as he gets a lead role) is injured, second string bookworm Jonathan Moxon (James Van Der Beek in a performance that belongs in a Junior High School play) steps in to take his place. The problem? Moxon doesn't play by Kilmer's rules and really doesn't care much about football. Will the team win? Do you really care?
Like most movies these days, Varsity Blues tries to be about everything at once. Is it a raunchy teenage sex comedy? Well, sometimes. Does it try to show how High School coaches exploit their players for their own gain? Well, sort of. Is it about how it's OK to rebel and be true to yourself? Um, well, kind of. Does it succeed on any of these levels? Not at all.
If you want to go see a movie that has the fine Jon Voight chewing up scenery then leaving without a trace, fine. If you haven't figured out what happens at the end, you probably should see the movie. I will be at home watching The Bad News Bears which did the story first and better.
Grade: D-
Varsity Blues is the most generic, paint-by-numbers film of the early year. In West Canaan, Texas; where high school football is religion. Coach Bud Kilmer pushes his athletes to their limits and their parents aren't much better. When star quarterback Lance Harbor (studly Paul Walker who should become a star as soon as he gets a lead role) is injured, second string bookworm Jonathan Moxon (James Van Der Beek in a performance that belongs in a Junior High School play) steps in to take his place. The problem? Moxon doesn't play by Kilmer's rules and really doesn't care much about football. Will the team win? Do you really care?
Like most movies these days, Varsity Blues tries to be about everything at once. Is it a raunchy teenage sex comedy? Well, sometimes. Does it try to show how High School coaches exploit their players for their own gain? Well, sort of. Is it about how it's OK to rebel and be true to yourself? Um, well, kind of. Does it succeed on any of these levels? Not at all.
If you want to go see a movie that has the fine Jon Voight chewing up scenery then leaving without a trace, fine. If you haven't figured out what happens at the end, you probably should see the movie. I will be at home watching The Bad News Bears which did the story first and better.
Grade: D-