Kevin Costner has a long history with sports movies. He made “Bull Durham” and “Field of Dreams” back-to-back in the late 80s, took a swing at golf with “Tin Cup” in the mid-90s, and returned to baseball “For the Love of the Game” at the end of that decade. 2014 marks Costner’s return to the sports drama genre. As Cleveland Browns GM Sonny Weaver, Jr., Costner takes part in the most outrageous “Draft Day” in NFL history.
Diehard football fans are likely going to blast “Draft Day” for its mostly unrealistic interpretation of the Draft Day process. There are several situations over the course of the film that would never happen in real life. These include last minute revelations about players that would’ve been discovered months before and the incredible chaos on the actual day, including the wheeling and dealing of draft picks.
However, as someone who’s not obsessed with this annual NFL event, the lack of authenticity didn’t bother me. “Draft Day” isn’t a touchdown by any means (and nowhere close to the level of “Field of Dreams”, which other critics have suggested), but it works as a relationship drama with some effective twists, solid performances, and sprinkles of humor.
Costner’s Sonny Weaver, Jr. is beginning his third year as the General Manager of the Cleveland Browns, who are coming-off yet another losing season. When we first meet Sonny, he’s not exactly having the greatest draft day of his life. His father, a legendary coach of the Browns for years, has recently died. The Browns’ owner (Frank Langella) is pressuring Sonny to “make a splash” with their 1st pick in the draft day (#7 overall) or he’ll likely be fired. And team attorney Ali (played by Jennifer Garner) has just told him they’re expecting a child.
So Sonny tries to change his luck by swinging a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for the #1 overall Draft Pick. All the analysts, and the Browns’ outspoken head coach (Denis Leary) think it’s now obvious that they’ll take the top prospect to come out of college ball, Heisman Trophy-winning QB Bo Calahan. But Sonny’s not completely convinced. There are other possible choices, or maybe another trade or two. And the clock is ticking.
“Draft Day” starts-out very slow and doesn’t pick-up momentum until about a half-hour in. Director Ivan Reitman (coming-up on 30 years since “Ghostbusters”) showcases strategy scenes (both in person and over the phone) in an effort to pull-in the diehard football fans. He also uses NFL graphics, logos and actual locations, along with commentary from real-life NFL TV analysts, to explain the basics of the draft to those who aren’t as knowledgeable of the process. One oddity that Reitman uses is a split-screen graphic in which characters over-lap each other, walking into the others’ half of the screen. It’s as bizarre and distracting as it sounds.
However, and this is rarely the case, it’s the subplots of “Draft Day” that make the movie a success. 81-year-old Ellen Burstyn is very good in a small role as Sonny’s mother, grieving over the loss of her husband. Chadwick Boseman (Jackie Robinson in “42”, James Brown in “Get On Up”) stands-out as a hot-shot potential draft pick. And the scenes between Costner and Garner, who are struggling to figure-out where to take their relationship, work as well.
“Draft Day” is rated PG-13 for some brief strong language. There are moments when this film scores with its “inside football” look and feel, while other times it fumbles badly. And it’s much tamer in tone than it could have been (a somewhat watered-down, football version of “Moneyball”). But overall, it’s entertaining, honest, and quite likeable within its “What if” premise.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Draft Day” gets a B-.