(Joining me on this review is an associate of ours here at the Real Sports Marks AZ. He has a Facebook account full of nostaglic stuff and so does his Twitter account. Ladies and gentlemen, the AZ Nostaglic Cat, Joey Nevada)

Varsity Blues is a "coming of age" film released in 1999 (20 years ago, what!) about a small town in Texas that eats, sleeps and breathes high school football.

JN: I talked to people from Texas and this isn't an exaggeration. Some towns just shut down so everyone could watch the game on a Friday night.

The film was produced by MTV Films, distributed by Paramount Pictures and was directed by Head Of The Class alum Brian Robbins. It also has a killer soundtrack to boot.

JN: In 1999, MTV was still, you know, playing music to their audience. They forced a show down people's throats called Total Request Live starring Carson Daly. I read somewhere that Carson Daly was still relevant. Who knew?

The film stars James Van Der Beek as the back-up quarterback who has to step in as the starter when the starter is injured and has the pressure put on him by this Texas town.

JN: The starting quarterback is played by the late Paul Walker, who would go on to be in the "very successful" Fast And The Furious series. Sadly, Walker was killed in a car accident in Nov. 2013.

The cast was mostly of younger actors and a film and TV legend portraying the head coach in Jon Voight.

JN: It was around this time that Hollywood was using younger actors in their TV programming and their motion pictures. It was met with mixed reviews.....Ok, I give it mixed reviews.

The film shows a damning display of what established head coaches with pressure over their heads could actually go over boundaries to keep their football-obsessed town happy.

JN: Without giving spoilers away since you should catch this flick, Voight's character (Coach Bud Kilmer) is beyond over-the-line with his tactics to maintain the team's success.

There are two ironic scenes in this film that people remember off the top of their head.

JN: (1) Ali Larter's attempt to seduce Mox (Van Der Beek) with a bikini made of whipped cream and cherries

(2) As Mox's father is yelling at him, he shouts back at him "I don't want your life!" in a very capable Texan accent by Van Der Beek.

There is one actor that I like to point out is Ron Lester, who plays the wildboy offensive guard of the team. (SPOILER) He blacks out due to a past concussion on the play where Lance Harbour (Walker) tears his knee. He would play that same character on the spoof Not Another Teen Movie.

JN: Lester was an inspiration off the screen. Growing up obese, Lester underwent bypass surgery in 2001 and lost over 350 lbs and continued to live a more positive life afterwards. Sadly, Lester passed away in 2016 due to liver and kidney failure. 

The film made $54 million during its run in theatres. It wasn't a blockbuster film and was released in January of '99, but it did do well in DVD and rental sales, so it's a cult classic, I guess.

JN: I thought that MTV did an excellent job promoting this film and James Van Der Beek flourished, winning the Teen Choice Award and the MTV Breakout Male Performance Award at the MTV Movie Awards.

The University of Toronto sued Paramount Pictures for the use of "Varsity Blues" and how they depicted intercollegiate athletics.

JN: It was settled out of court.

The soundtrack is a mix of Country, Southern Rock, Heavy Metal and Alternative. I believe that it is a very underrated soundtrack for a movie produced by MTV Films. 

JN: Despite much known tracks in the soundtrack, three songs jump out due to the time this motion picture was released. "Nice Guys Finish Last" by Green Day fit the football action, as did "Run" from Collective Soul. "My Hero" by Foo Fighters keeps this movie going. It is Dave Grohl's ode to his late friend, Kurt Cobain.

My review is simple. I like the film due to the football action and how the players stick together against overbearing coaches and football-obsessed adults. It's a movie that you will remember despite not being a big blockbuster.

JN: It is definitely a cult classic as it planted the seeds for the film and TV series Friday Night Lights. 

After 20 years, Varsity Blues is a film that stands the test of time.

(I want to thank Joey for his contribution on this piece.)

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