Much like how Steven Speilberg's Lincoln strengthened its focus by limiting the scope of its timeframe, so too does this movie. It chronicles one day of an important event rather than an entire season, and that's an asset. Costner plays Cleveland Browns GM Sonny Weaver, Jr., and as his third year on the job begins following a 6-10 season, he couldn't be in hotter water. Sports talk radio is calling for his head, his girlfriend and co-worker, Ali (Jennifer Garner), informs him she's pregnant, and team owner Anthony Molina (Frank Langella) demands he "make a splash" in this draft. Sonny wants to draft standout linebacker Vontae Mack (Chadwick Boseman) with the 7th pick, but Molina doesn't believe a defensive player will be a good sell for the fans. But along comes a golden opportunity in the person of the Seattle Seahawks' GM, who offers up the #1 pick in the draft in exchange for three first-round picks in consecutive years. Sonny, after some hesitation, agrees to the deal, assuming he can snare a "can't miss" prospect in quarterback Bo Callahan (Josh Pence). The fans and owner are thrilled, but Browns head coach Vince Penn (Denis Leary) is livid over this deal and threatens to quit. But with 8 hours to go before the Draft commences, Sonny ponders whether his gamble will pay off and if there's any other course of action.
Every sports fan has this thought at least once: "Man, our GM is an idiot." That's certainly the case here as Sonny deals with boiling pressure from all sides (including angry fans) while nonetheless keeping his cool. For Kevin Costner, the part fits him like a wide receiver's gloves. Jennifer Garner also excels in a role with a lot more substance than that of the cliched romantic interest (her character, the "cap-ologist" if you will, proves herself very adept and even-handed at dealing with people). Draft Day nails many of the big-picture elements of the NFL business including that of working the salary cap, the coach/GM/owner friction, and the concept of character flaws determining whether a player could be a "bust." One particularly strong confrontation involves the team's current starting quarterback (Tom Welling), fresh off rehabbing a knee injury, engaging in a bitter war of words with Sonny. Yes, the events in this movie are simplified to make it appeal to a wider audience, but it's successful in broad strokes. After all, it doesn't take much of a stretch to find a real-life NFL team with similar levels of dysfunction in its front office (Redskins, Lions, and Browns fans should be raising their hands right now).
Unfortunately, Draft Day misses on a few of its smaller details. One obvious flaw is a nerdy intern character whose awkward antics aren't funny and seems extremely out-of-place in a ship run as tightly as an NFL office. Fortunately, his screen time is limited. Also mildly irritating is a subplot involving Sonny's mother (played by Ellyn Burstyn) with a resolution that feels forced and artificial. One could also argue that the last-minute details on certain prospects dug up by Sonny's scouts are issues that might have been found and covered to death months ago. Also, isn't 42's Chadwick Boseman a little small for a linebacker (he strikes me as more of a safety)? And how come no one boos Commissioner Roger Goodell (playing himself in several mercifully brief appearances) when he steps to the podium?
But I digress. Director Ivan Reitman (best known for Ghostbusters and Stripes) does a solid job presenting the narrative, getting us on Sonny's side, and delivering a strong sense of verisimilitude. For a movie with so much talking via telephone, Reitman takes a creative, fluid split-screen approach to keep the proceedings from becoming stale. The movie as a whole doesn't hit hard or expose corruption in the game America loves so much, but I'd stop short of calling it a commercial for the NFL. Isn't Draft Day obligated to plaster teams' names, reference real-life players from the past, and integrate ESPN and NFL Network personalities for the sake of realism? I'd say so.
On balance, the story achieves the feel-good impulse it aims for. The final events of the film stretch real-life credulity a little, but it's consistent with the context of this film and the personalities of these particular business people. The business side of sports isn't just about evaluating players and stats; it's a war of personalities, and Draft Day successfully depicts it. The characters and situations held my interest, which is priority No. 1 for any film regardless of its subject matter and audience. Even the Sonny/Ali relationship is strong, thanks in large part to the limited time-frame and strong acting from Coster and Garner. Reitman may not have made a classic sports movie in any sense of the term, but Draft Day represents enjoyable in-the-moment entertainment.
Rating: *** (out of ****)
This looks pretty boring.
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