Video: 4
Audio: 3
Extras: 4
It's almost summertime, and, for you die-hard football fans who can't wait until pigskin season, here's the movie to get you through the interim. Friday Night Lights is the true story of Permian High School's football team and their road to the Texas state championship game. If you're from Texas (or anywhere that lauds high school football Fridays), then you're no doubt familiar with just how important high school football is in these towns.

The DVD is presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and the anamorphic transfer is above average. The fleshtones are accurate, and, although most of the scenes are a bit muted, you'll find a few images, like the Cougars' red jerseys, to be vibrant and saturated. A great deal of the action takes place at nighttime, and the dark background displays nary a hint of an artifact. Scenes are also nicely detailed. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is sufficient, and dialogue is cleanly rendered in the center channel. The football scenes could have been more impactful, with steadier bass work during tackles or especially hard hits, but what you do hear is enough to pull you right into the action of the movie.

Extras include audio commentary from director Peter Berg, 21 minutes of deleted scenes, a featurette on Tim McGraw, who also stars in the film, and a four-minute player cam. The highlight, though, is a featurette, "The Story of the 1988 Permian Panthers." It introduces us to the 1988 football players as they are today, along with a few reels of Boobie Miles (legendary Permian fullback) scoring TDs.