The singular phenomenon of West Texas high school football--the cult-like way thousands of people connect their happiness with the achievements of adolescent gridiron heroes--could have been the basis for a Great American Film. Instead, it's Varsity Blues, a glossy youth melodrama starring Dawson's Creek's James Van Der Beek as bookish senior backup quarterback "Mox" Moxson, who's thrown into the spotlight at West Canaan High when the team's star suffers a season-ending injury. The bulk of the film involves Mox's response to his new role: will he be true to his sweetheart and his values, or will he be seduced by fame and the head cheerleader? As the pleasant Van Der Beek plays him, there's little question that he'll do the Right Thing; he's a broad-strokes hero in the same way that the team's martinet coach (Jon Voight) is a broad-strokes villain. Mox's inevitable moral triumph sideskirts plenty of potentially compelling conflict, such as the relationship between Mox and a father who is proud of his straight-A son for the first time only when he becomes a sports hero. Unfortunately, rather than examining the issues raised by fanatic devotion to high school sports, Varsity Blues mechanically works towards a climax where all that matters is whether West Canaan will win the big game. Not recommended. (S. Renshaw)
Varsity Blues
(Paramount, 105 min., R, <b>DVD</b>) Vol. 14, Issue 4
Varsity Blues
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