Varsity Blues (1999)

The three most cliché ridden subgenres of film are chick flicks, sports films, and teen movies. Varsity Blues manages to combine the latter two quite well, providing us with much of the unsurprising twists and turns that come with teen athletes. But, instead of leaving me groaning over the obvious, this film actually hits its stride and packs enough genuine humor and light drama in all the right places.

I’ll get the negatives out of the way- This film is populated by your typical cast of (mostly) gorgeous young 20-somethings, none of whom look or sound like teenagers. All of the key good and bad points in the film come very predictably and don’t surprise you one lick. The film relies on some very tacky stuff, like high-schoolers partying and messing around like frat boys and lots of toilet humor. The film contradicts itself by glorifying rebellious attitudes while at the same time championing teamwork.

The thing is though that Varsity Blues isn’t taking itself seriously enough to be derailed by these time-(dis)honored clichés. It’s meant to be a fun and funny movie that tells a small story. And that’s exactly what it is.

James Van Der Beek is Jon Moxon, second string quarterback for a powerhouse high school team in a small Texas town. His dad was a football legend and Jon is pretty good at throwing the pigskin, but he has no desire to play football beyond high school. He’s smart, athletic and popular- he’s the perfect teen sports movie protagonist. He’s got big plans to go to Brown University, but life throws him a curveball. Starting QB Lance Harbor seriously injures his knee, forcing Moxon into the spotlight.

Varsity Blues is the story of one young man’s escape. Moxon seeks to escape football, despite his abilities. He seeks to escape the dead end, football-obsessed podunk Texas town that he lives in. He seeks to escape the pattern of young people getting trapped in this town, unable to make something of themselves. It’s not that he hates football, his family or his town; he just feels stifled and repressed by it all. This motif is hardly groundbreaking, but it is something that a lot of teens can relate to, which makes it work. It also helps that football, his family and his team are portrayed in such a way that audiences can’t help but cheer him on in making his escape.

Moxon isn’t the only person seeking escape though. The head cheerleader, played by Ali Larter, is desperate to break away from small town life. She had been dating Lance Harbor, hoping his success would take them away from Texas. When Lance gets hurt, she tries to attach herself to Moxon, even going so far as to strip nude and don a whipped cream bikini to seduce him. Another player on the team is equally desperate to get anywhere but Texas. Desperate to get recruited to a decent school, he contemplates taking cortisone shots to ease the pain of an injury so he can stay on the field and make the big plays that scouts will notice.

All of this is nothing new. Coming of age films have been around nearly as long as they have been making movies and yearning for something larger than what you know is a classic cinema staple. No one can make a film that says anything different about the longing to break free and the desire to make something of yourself. It’s all in the presentation and the obstacles presented (in this case, it's a tyrannical football coach).

Varsity Blues knows its target audience and injects all the high school sensibilities and 90s wit needed to please younger audiences. It’s got beautiful people, sex, drugs (in the form of alcohol and cortisone shots), and a rock and roll soundtrack to boot. It taps into the angst that teenagers are all too accustomed to and tells a story that is like a lighter version of the book Friday Night Lights and the movie and TV series that followed it.

Sure, it’s predictable (to a point) and it’s got plenty of clichés and stereotypes of the rebellious teen/sports genres, but that’s half the fun of Varsity Blues. Younger viewers don’t care and eat this stuff up like a loving spoonful of teen entertainment. Through all the ups and downs, pros and cons, Varsity Blues is a harmless bit of fun that I’m still young enough to appreciate. Plus, I finally got to watch the film that gave us the whipped cream bikini scene, which has been referenced, spoofed and mocked ever since.

RATING: 3.25 out of 5