The message in this story is pretty *beep* up!

How can you say that all he got out of it was a shirt? You talk about how he's always the odd man out, well the shirt and the slow clap signify that he's finally being accepted for who he is. The same bullies that tormented him are showing respect. How is that not a happy ending? Most outcasts will never experience anything like that in their high school days. He's obviously a smart, ambitious kid that will find his way out of the trailer park, but now he doesn't have to worry about school being a source of pain and misery.

There's a few 80s coming-of-age films that pretty much treat the geek of the crowd in the same fashion, this is just a film that focuses on that character a bit more than most. Look at The Breakfast Club; in the end the prom queen ends up with the bad boy that she couldn't stand the sight of 8 hours earlier, the jock ends up with the goth girl and the geek is left to having to be satisfied that he's the smart one regardless of the fact that they pretty much kicked him to the curb. Pretty in Pink also leaves the geek without the girl that he stands by and defends without any conditions. Granted, he fairs much better in the end but he still got robbed. Even Lucas isn't left high and dry...

Maybe the point is that life isn't fair and that being a nice guy doesn't go a long way in the real world. It's a harsh concept but people have to learn it at some point. I guess this is as good as any other.

On the other hand, to be fair to everyone involved... Lucas kind of wedge himself into situations that most people know they don't belong. It sucks that Maggie went the way that she did but it should have been clear to him that her ship had sailed and he was left on the dock. Despite this he continues to pursue her in the worst way possible, getting into a sport that he clearly has no ability to play. Sure, it shows that he has a lot of heart but beyond that it's just a sad cry of desperation. Not to mention the number of lies he puts out there to make up for his shortcomings. He's just in a bad situation that he goes out of his way to try to salvage and ends up making it worse.

So he does get a bit more out of this in the end than just the letterman's jacket. He gets treated pretty well considering some of his bad decisions and he comes to accept that just because he likes a girl doesn't mean she is obligated to accept him. I'd say that since it's insinuated that he ends up dating Wynona Ryder that he's better off than he was when the movie started all around.

I agree that this film is depressing and even though it has a "happy" ending it isn't enough to overcome the rest of the movie being SO sad.

What I don't agree with is the comments about Maggie and how she could have been Lucas's girlfriend and how he had a shot with her. He absolutely never had a chance with her as anything more than a friend. That was pretty clear so I'm not sure why or how anyone could have had a different impression.

Second thing I kinda disagree with is that he doesn't have a girlfriend in the end. Sure, that's true but it seems clearly implied that he will probably wind up dating the nerdy girl who is clearly in love with him. I know it is not shown but I'm pretty sure that is what is supposed to be hinted at.


"It's Minnie Pearl's murder weapon."

Blind puppy love opened Lucas' eyes to the world around him and encouraged him not to be such a pushover. In the end he earned the respect of his tormentors and had Winona Ryder as plan B. Dude was ahead of the game really.

When theres no more room in Hollywood, remakes shall walk the Earth.

lol I agree with you.

Not in the sad way you see things, but for sure some decision made on the movie were very bad. In the end when I see him earn that shirt, I thought that if it was me I'd just leave it there and go away.

But let's face it on the POV of movie makers. Regardless of what Lucas says, he indeed likes north american futibol. He'd not do all that just because he was bumped by the most beautiful girl in school. The shirt is just a symbol, that everybody on school accepted him, they like him now, he after all wanted to be liked by everybody and "worked hard" for it and he earned it. The shirt is a gift from them, as saying that they want him on the team and won't laugh on him.

The message of the movie is that you can be strange to people and weak, but don't get down and give up. Just keep trying, get to do things people like, and they will like you.

Well they wanted to make a movie showing how life is tough, how some people don't support it and suicide, and that we shouldn't live expecting it to get better because it will probably not. But still the movie must end and they didn't wanna end it either having Lucas succeeding neither with a bad feeling. This is what they manage to imagine.

Also, they wanted to show that instead of being sad because the pretty readhead smiling girl doesn't like you... look around. You won't find a Winona Ryder, but maybe a fat wanting girl who also doesn't like you will accept date you because the big strong guy is busy dispending a blond girl to date the redhead one.

Lucas was looking for acceptance. That's the whole point of the movie, isn't it? At the end in the game he puts in the effort, puts himself out there in harms way and people accept and respect him for it. This is a basic rule in life - you try. Lucas tried, and that's why we and his peers liked him. I thought it was a great message. No matter who you are or where you come from, you put yourself out there and try your best.

This movie had the same message as that treasured assfest Rudy, but Lucas did it better.

Death by stereo

If you think I'm reading this whole thing, you're crazy.

Or here's how his life could've turned out:

- End of movie signals beginning-of-the-end of Lucas' "awkward" phase.
- Legally emancipates from deadbeat dad and moves into guesthouse of rich gardening client, who mentors the young, intelligent lad.
- Soon becomes upper-classman and a heart-throb to the ladies (Corey Haim, people!).
- Attends Stanford on need-based scholarship; majors in zoology.
- Marries Wynona Ryder character who is also at Stanford studying music.
- Becomes a doctor and moves into one of the houses he used to garden.
- Has four awesome kids; sometimes the family attends 49er's games to watch the Charlie Sheen character play football (he sends tickets to the Bly family whenever he can).

THE END