Draft Day - Review

Draft Day
(2014 - April 11)
Drama | Sport
1 hr. 49 min.
Rated: PG-13 | Brief strong language including a few of the "F" and its variations and sexual references. Common Sense Media says: Nothing too risque. Ok for teens if the language isn't an issue for you. Read more
Grade: B-
Director: Ivan Reitman
Writers: Scott Rothman, Rajiv Joseph
Stars: Kevin Costner, Chadwick Boseman, Jennifer Garner | See full cast and crew

On the day of the NFL Draft, general manager Sonny Weaver (Costner) has the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades for the number one pick. He must quickly decide what he's willing to sacrifice in pursuit of perfection as the lines between his personal and professional life become blurred on a life-changing day for a few hundred young men with dreams of playing in the NFL.

Ivan Reitman's Draft Day stars Kevin Costner as Sonny Weaver Jr., the GM of the Cleveland Browns. With 13 hours until the beginning of the NFL draft, Sonny is informed by the team's owner (Frank Langella) that if Sonny doesn't make a splash and generate ticket sales, he's going to be fired. That prompts the GM to take a trade offer from another team that gives him the first pick in the draft, in exchange for three future first-round picks. 

The move outrages the Browns' head coach, and forces all of the team's scouts to dig up what they can find about the pick everyone, including the owner, expects them to make -- a highly touted QB from Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Weaver is drawn to a talented linebacker who has family issues to deal with and is known for having a hot temper. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

I am not a big football fan so I dreaded sitting through this film. Surprisingly, this is not a bad film. Not a great film but not too bad either. It held my interest throughout (and that was five min. after my screening of Oculus so I could have been experiencing movie fatigue but I found myself intrigued). Perhaps part of that is because this football film does not take place on the field, bur almost entirely inside GM offices...on the phone...yeah, sounds like a boring premise right? Nonetheless, they manage to pull it off. 

Kevin Costner delivers a fine performance as does most of the cast. Chadwick Boseman doesn't get anywhere near the screen time he had as Jackie Robinson in '42', 

but don't cry for him, he'll get plenty more in the upcoming James Brown bio-pic 'Get On Up' opening August 1. I don't know if its that I wasn't thinking about him but I didn't even recognize Tom Welling (Smallville, Judging Amy, Cheaper By The Dozen 1 and 2).

Football fans will likely enjoy the plethora of cameo appearances from their team favorites who play themselves in the film, or the fantasy football and statistics fever aspects of the NFL Draft.

Behind the scenes on the set.

Cast

 

 Kevin Costner         Jennifer Garner

Sonny Weaver Jr.                       Ali             

Chadwick Boseman        Josh Pence     

  Vontae Mack                   Bo Callahan 

    Terry Crews              Tom Welling   

 Earl Jennings                        Brian Drew

 

    Denis Leary            Ellen Burstyn            Frank Langella

   Anthony Molina                   Barb Weaver                    Anthony Molina