Movies That Were ‘Based On A True Story’, But Apparently, That Was A Lie

Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights/Universal Pictures

Released in 2004 Friday Night Lights is the “true” story of the Permian Panthers, a real high school football team in Odessa Texas. Based on the book by H.G. Bissinger, the movie follows the 1988 Panthers as they try and win a state title. Unlike the book, there are a number of things the movie changes for dramatic effect.

Boobie Miles, the team’s star running back, was not one of the three captains in real life. They were Mike Winchell, Ivory Christian, and Brian Chavez. Don Billingsley’s father, who uses his championship ring to shame his son, never won a championship as a Permian Panther. Even the final play of the game is changed. In real life, Winchell threw an incomplete pass, while in the movie he ran the ball unsuccessfully and lost the game.