So basically, it didn’t successfully communicate either the message of the book or the (apparently contradictory) message of the movie.
I guess I’ll downgrade my opinion of it from “not a great movie” to “not a good movie,” then.
How about where the post-script undercuts the climactic ending?
I enjoyed Friday Night Lights, but there was one part I REALLY disliked. The ending. The team almost wins the big game. All the stars graduate (the QB, WR, RB, and best defensive player) and no they will no longer play HS football. Yes, very poignant. But after that, a title card reads “The next year, Premian won the state title”
WHAT WHAT WHAT?? You mean to tell me the team lost their starting QB and most of their skill positions… and THAT new team with the new QB (etc) won it all?? They showed us the WRONG underdog movie! A MUCH, MUCH more impressive story!