I have watched both, and I think, hands down, the tv show is better.
We're mad at Mike. Do you know who we're mad at? Mike? You dang right!
Apples and oranges really.
The show is great but it had some bad spots (especially in S2) and I don't think the movie had any.
I also think the movie is much better. For some reason, I find myself falling in love with the characters in the movie and I just can't in the show. Every single moment was great, the ending was amazing to the point I tear up. Movie is much better for sure, also the music just brilliant along with the story.
shareIt's definetly the tv show, but the movie has its merits (and hell, we can thank the movie (and book) for the show). Sure, season 2 was underwhelming but still had bright points. The show developed the characters as well as any show ever, and much like the Wire, was able to take a whole new cast of characters and make them interesting. It should, and probably will, go down as one of the greatest television shows ever.
shareI saw the movie back in 04 and have just watched the entire tv show in a few weeks
It is hands down the greatest show I have ever seen and I became obsessed with the livesof the wonderful characters
I actually sitting here re watching the movie and all I want is coach Taylor and riggins to make an appearance
A good movie by itself but it is nowhere the level of beauty that the series was
Apples and oranges.
The TV show was sublime but as someone mentioned it had some rough spots and some inconsistencies that detracted from it. They kept changing the ages of the characters and some of the actors looked way too old to be teenagers. Tyra getting into UT-Austin? Never, ever would have happened. Tammy Taylor could never have just become the principal of the high school like that either. S2 had some dreadful storylines.
Typical Katims stuff. Like Kristina in Parenthood running for Mayor? Again, totally unrealistic.
I always loved Coach Taylor, Matt and Julie. Landry was a great character and all the acting was great. Except Minka Kelly.
But the movie was pretty amazing too and unlike the TV show, didn't miss a beat. Perfect casting and the kids looked like kids. Big ones, but kids.
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I don't think one iffy season completely brought down the series. It's still one of the very best shows ever. Every TV show that lasts long enough has at least one season that doesn't quite work. The series had one great season (season one), two really good seasons (four and five), one above fair season (three) and one that was silly and lacked direction (two). That's a good track record.
Then again, I'm just not a big fan of the movie. Much of it feels rushed and overly plot driven. It has some amazing sequences, but it doesn't feel complete. It's also a lil' too sentimental. The show is sentimental as well, but it has the time and the strong characters to earn it. The sentimentality in the film just seems plopped on.
The movie was good, but the TV show was far superior.
The movie doesn't give us enough characterization. It feels like watching 2 hours of highlight footage with small glimpses of plot in between. It's really the fault of the format, you can't tell the story of 15 different characters in 2 hours. The show really fleshes out the lives and motivations of the coach, their players, and all the people in the periphery.
I also personally feel that Billy Bob's performance can't hold a candle to Kyle Chandler in the TV show. I like BBT as an actor, but he didn't really show much emotion or character development in this movie. Coach Taylor displays a lot more humanity.