Varsity Blues (1999)

In small-town Texas, high school football is a religion. The head coach is deified, as long as the team is winning and 17-year-old schoolboys carry the hopes of an entire community onto the... See full summary »

Director:

Brian Robbins

Writer:

W. Peter Iliff

Stars:

James Van Der Beek, Jon Voight, Paul Walker

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Van Der Beek	...	Mox
Jon Voight	...	Coach Kilmer
Paul Walker	...	Lance Harbor
Ron Lester	...	Billy Bob
Scott Caan	...	Tweeter
Richard Lineback	...	Joe Harbor
Tiffany C. Love	...	Collette Harbor
Amy Smart	...	Julie Harbor
Eliel Swinton	...	Wendell Brown
Thomas F. Duffy	...	Sam Moxon (as Thomas Duffy)
Jill Parker-Jones	...	Mo Moxon (as Jill Parker Jones)
Joe Pichler	...	Kyle Moxon
Mark Walters	...	Chet McNurty
Brady Coleman	...	Sheriff Bigelow
James N. Harrell	...	Murray (as James Harrell)

Storyline

In small-town Texas, high school football is a religion. The head coach is deified, as long as the team is winning and 17-year-old schoolboys carry the hopes of an entire community onto the gridiron every Friday night. In his 35th year as head coach, Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight) is trying to lead his West Canaan Coyotes to their 23rd division title. When star quarterback Lance Harbor (Paul Walker) suffers an injury, the Coyotes are forced to regroup under the questionable leadership of John Moxon (James Van Der Beek), a second-string quarterback with a slightly irreverent approach to the game. "Varsity Blues" explores our obsession with sports and how teenage athletes respond to the extraordinary pressures places on them.

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Plot Keywords:

quarterback | coach | texas | coyote | small town | 

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Taglines:

In a town where winning is everything, these guys have nothing to lose.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language throughout, sexuality and nudity, and some substance abuse

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 January 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

American Boys

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£139,211 (UK) (10 September 1999)

Gross:

ESP 8,749,775 (Spain) (13 July 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

MTV Films, Marquee Tollin/Robins, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Ford on the movie cover was never used in the movie.

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Goofs

During the first after-game party, when Lance and Darcy are having sex in the laundry room and Billy Bob storms in to puke, the top of Darcy's dress changes positions between shots.

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Quotes

Mox: [after Kilmer left the locker room after choking Moxon] Before this game started, Kilmer said "48 minutes for the next 48 years of your life". I say "fuck that". All right? Fuck that. Let's go out there, and we play the next 24 minutes for the next 24 minutes, and we leave it all out on the field. We have the rest of our lives to be mediocre, but we have the opportunity to play like gods for the next half of football.

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Connections

Spoofed in Not Another Teen Movie (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Horror Show"
Written by Kevin Cadogan, Stephan Jenkins
Performed by Third Eye Blind

User Reviews

Best teen movie of the year!!

From the previews, you would think that this movie is all fluff. But, there is actually a story involved here. Kids trying to be all that they can be despite a winning-obsessed coach (well played by Jon Voight) and pressures by parents and the town. Van Der Beek plays "Mox" very well, and there is a great soundtrack. It is better than most of the teen movies this year and deserves a watch.