Tense, Intelligent and Fun
I’m not really a football fan, so I tend to avoid football related movies. If you’re like me, then I should tell you that Draft Day isn’t really about football. Instead, it’s more a behind the scenes look at the wheeling and dealing that makes football, and it is absolutely worth the watch.
In Draft Day, we meet Sonny Weaver (Kevin Costner), a general manager who has the opportunity to shape the Cleveland Browns into his dream team. His father, who was also the previous coach, has died and he now has the opportunity to trade up to the number 1 spot with Seattle. Of course, then he has to deal with the repercussions and that includes dealing with team owner Harvey Molina (Frank Langella) coach Vince Penn (Denis Leary) and even his own mother (Ellen Burstyn). There is literally no one who doesn’t have a strong opinion about his pick.
Let me say this again, I don’t like or even understand football, but I could still follow this movie. That’s because Costner plays such a great, self depreciating been-there-done-that character that he makes the movie worth watching.
I did feel that the movie was a bit too PG considering the subject. Let’s be honest, this is the NFL with its image scrubbed squeaky clean. The NFL was heavily involved in the making of this movie, so I doubt they would have approved anything that would have seriously undercut their image. The NFL actually went over the dailies of the movie and made cuts, which explains why they come out looking like utter Boyscouts.
But this isn’t really a movie about football scandals. Again, it’s a movie about one man dealing with a high pressure job and handling everyone’s opinions on how he does that job. The NFL can be forgiven for trying to keep their image clean.
Costner has great chemistry with Jennifer Garner. Garner plays a fantastic, business savvy, football loving independent woman with a secret relationship with Weaver. The best part is they didn’t make her come across as a ball breaking cliché. Her character is likable and efficient, and she didn’t fall into the stupid ‘woman trying to prove herself in a man’s world’ trap. She is clearly knowledgeable and proves that effortlessly.
There are some great football moments as well and fans of the game won’t be disappointed. The best part is, for those of us who don’t watch football, we become so emotionally invested in the characters that we actually care about the outcome of the game.
Draft Day isn’t a sports driven movie. It’s a character driven movie, and the characters make the movie. Costner shines like he hasn’t in a long time, and has more than made up for his last train wreck of a movie “3 Days to Kill.â€
Draft Day is tense, intelligent and fun. This character driven drama can make even the most die hard non-fan of football care about the game. It was fast paced and filled with great, tense moments. This is a must watch for any football fan, and a fun watch for those who aren’t.
Heck, I might even watch a football game now. Here is the Draft Day official Trailer:
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