Varsity Blues (film)

Varsity Blues
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBrian Robbins
Written byW. Peter Iliff
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyChuck Cohen
Edited byNed Bastille
Music byMark Isham
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • January 15, 1999 (1999-01-15) (United States)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$16 million
Box office$54.3 million

Varsity Blues is a 1999 American coming-of-age sports comedy-drama film directed by Brian Robbins and written by W. Peter Iliff. It stars James Van Der Beek, Jon Voight, Paul Walker, Ron Lester, and Scott Caan. In the film, a small-town high school football team deal with the pressures of adolescence, their football-obsessed community, and their authoritarian coach.

Varsity Blues was theatrically released in the United States on January 15, 1999, by Paramount Pictures. The film grossed $54.3 million worldwide against a $16 million budget, but received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its depiction of small-town communities and criticism for its cliches. Varsity Blues has since gone on to become a cult film, inspiring other coming-of-age films and the codename for a 2019 criminal investigation into U.S. college admissions.