Hasitha Fernando looks at the story behind Varsity Blues as it turns 25…
While movies like Remember the Titans, Jerry Maguire and The Blind Side get mentioned often when it comes to football films, Varsity Blues is somewhat of an underrated affair that often gets overlooked. Today we take a look at the cult-classic sports drama and its subsequent impact as it turns 25…
James Van Der Beek was on a winning streak when he was cast in Varsity Blues
James Van Der Beek was an up-and-coming actor looking for his big break when he landed the role of Dawson Leery in WB Television Network’s Dawson’s Creek. Supported by a cast of young talents like Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, and Chad Michael Murray the show’s debut in 1998 was a major success for the network and helped make the cast members household names. It was around this time, whilst receiving acclaim for his work on Dawson’s Creek, that Van Der Beek was also selected as one of People’s Magazines “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” and ended up being cast for Varsity Blues.
Sport traumas & family ties to football
It’s a strange irony that one of Van Der Beek’s first forays into feature film should be a football drama when the sport itself played an instrumental role in being the catalyst for him taking up acting in the first place. The actor suffered a bad concussion during an eighth-grade football game and was forced to take a break from all forms of extracurricular activities. It was during this time that Van Der Beek tried his hand in acting and by 16, the chap was making his professional off-Broadway debut.
When he was chosen to play the rebellious backup quarterback Jonathan “Mox” Moxon in Varsity Blues, Van Der Beek was forced to get some insight into the world of football from his younger brother Jared, due to his prolonged absence from the field. Jared hailed from a high school that won the state championship for five consecutive seasons when he was a player, and that made him the ideal person to get what Van Der Beek wanted. The actor was also drawn to the project because he could connect with, and related to, the material which explored the complexities of sports culture which he witnessed his sibling go through.
The production was sued by a real school football team
Either by accident or sheer negligence the producers of Varsity Blues overlooked the fact that there were multiple teams called the “Varsity Blues” in Canada. The football, hockey, volleyball, soccer, and basketball teams of the University of Toronto were collectively called the Varsity Blues. Although the name of the actual football team featured in the film was the Coyotes, the title of the effort certainly ruffled some feathers over at the University of Toronto who promptly sued Paramount arguing that the flick “damaged the reputation of their own Varsity Blues football team.”
The studio ultimately settled the dispute by offering to contribute to the university as well as putting a disclaimer in the end credits of the movie saying that “the team depicted was fictional and not based on the University of Toronto’s athletic program”.
The film birthed multiple lifelong friendships
Multiple lifelong friendships were ignited on the set of Varsity Blues. In the movie Ali Larter and Amy Smart’s characters were at loggerheads with one another. However, in real life their relationship was just the opposite, as the duo almost bonded instantly the moment they met. “We were the only two girls on set and we’re still best friends to this day,” Smart revealed during an interview with Bustle in 2014.
Scott Caan’s longstanding friendship with Paul Walker was also kindled during the production of this film. In the beginning Caan was doubtful if he’d ever fit in with the rest of the cast but Walker made him feel right at home. The pair bonded immediately through their shared passions of surfing and Jiujitsu and decided to move into a two-bedroom rental in Austin the same night. Ever since then, Caan and Walker remained close friends until the late actor’s untimely demise in 2013.
The soundtrack featured some real bangers
Being a production of MTV Films the Varsity Blues soundtrack featured some real bangers from well-known bands, as well as lesser-known groups who had put out some underrated efforts. Van Halen, AC/DC, Green Day, Foo Fighters and Aaliyah were just some of the talents that showed up to deliver the goods in the album. And as a soundtrack, this collection more than accurately captured the vibes and sounds of the late 90s era, in addition to the teenage angst and the perils in the playing field. It’s truly an effort worth revisiting for that much needed rush of nostalgia.
Box office success & cult status
Varsity Blues wasn’t a hit with critics at the time of its release with most criticizing its story and lack of originality. Acclaimed movie critic Roger Ebert summed up his thoughts during his review for the Chicago Sun-Times noting that, “Scenes work, but they don’t pile up and build momentum.” A similar observation was made by online film critic James Berardinelli of ReelViews who commented that although it, “takes a worthwhile detour or two, it ultimately finds its way back to the well-worn tracks of the genre.”
However, despite middling critical reviews the film opened at #1 at the North American box-office making $17.5 million USD during its opening weekend, even dominating the following week in terms of ticket sales. And by the conclusion of its theatrical run the movie went on to make a respectable $54.3 million, on a production budget of $16 million, while James Van Der Beek bagged several awards at the Teen Choice Awards and MTV Movie Awards of 1999.
Since its release 25 years ago, Varsity Blues has achieved something of a cult-status due to an ardent fan following who’ve formed an intimate connection with the film’s exploration of high-school life of the era. And let’s not forget Ali Larter’s iconic whipped cream bikini scene, which is still fondly remembered and referenced. The movie has also been reappraised for delving into the toxic world of high-school sports and the lifelong effect it has on aspiring young athletes and their personal lives.
Whilst Varsity Blues may not be a piece of genre defining cinema the flick’s innate ability to resonate with certain audiences and exploring mature themes on the complexities of sports culture makes the effort something worth revisiting from time to time.
What are your thoughts on Varsity Blues? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Hasitha Fernando is a part-time medical practitioner and full-time cinephile. Follow him on Twitter via @DoctorCinephile for regular updates on the world of entertainment.
