Draft Day (2014)
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Any NFL fan will be hard pressed to not enjoy DRAFT DAY on some level. Your enthusiasm will vary wildly based on your forgiveness for how badly the film fumbles the ball when it gets off the field.
Kevin Costner stars as fictional Cleveland Browns general manager Sonny Weaver. He has just lost his legendary father/previous Browns GM after firing him the year before. Sonny is facing a draft day that will shape his team and his career as he is truly at the controls for the first time.
Denis Leary is excellent as Browns Coach Penn, whose style is the opposite of Sonny's. Leary brings his usual humor and attitude to the role, man how I miss "Rescue Me".
Frank Langella is owner Anthony Molina, who challenges Sonny to make a splash on draft day but has no idea how seriously Sonny will take that advice.
Trading to the #1 pick in the draft, Sonny must decide between a picture perfect QB who may or may not be hiding something and Sonny's personal favorite Vontae Mack, whose passion for the game and the draft is over the top. Vontae is played by Chadwick Boseman and he is terrific, completing an amazing year of film roles that included playing James Brown in "Get On Up" and Jackie Robinson in "42".
As long as the film stays in the boardroom, on the field or at Radio City Music Hall for draft day, it's a lot of fun. When it strays into Sonny's personal life it fumbles badly into predictable and maudlin territory. It manages to correct itself in the final quarter, scoring some unexpected twists and turns that manage to make drafting players look pretty damn exciting.
The fourth quarter elevates everything that came before it, just like on the gridiron.
Costner is reliably good as Sonny, Jennifer Garner is ok as his love interest Ali, but she and Costner have zero chemistry in the huddle. Ellen Burstyn is terrific as Sonny's hard-wired Mom.
Look for Sean Combs as an agent and plenty of ESPN reporters and NFL players as themselves.
Director Ivan Reitman knows how to create a compelling, witty film. With everything from "Ghostbusters", "Heavy Metal" and "Stripes" on his resume, this would prove to be his final film before his death in 2022.
DRAFT DAY is predictable but fun for football fans and (as long as it's focused on football) a well made diversion, especially on Draft weekend!
The real life Cleveland Browns will wish yet again tonight that they had Sonny Weaver at the helm!
We'll give it a game day B-.
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