It's been a while since I had seen a film with Kevin Costner. He is a good actor. Heck he is a great actor (who has made a few stinkers of a movie as well).
I am a UK based movie lover and I love sports movies, even though I don't always understand them. Draft Day falls well into this one. I know on a basic level what the draft is in the NFL, but actually know more about doing a fantasy draft rather than how new teams get new players.
For those who love the NFL it is a big day. College kids are ranked and rated, analysed, scouted and reviewed to see if they are any good. (Something to do with an NFL combine, I have no idea!)
The teams each year need to fill spots on their team where players retire, leave or are injured. The new college players want to get into a great team to achieve a legendary status within the sport. (There are many famous examples of teams drafting the wrong choice, the year Payton Manning was drafted is an example. Two QB's of similar stature but one has gone on to be great the other disappeared. I could look up his name but it really is unimportant).
Draft Day revolves around just that. The day where the Manager of Cleveland Browns has to make his picks for this years team to help strengthen and improve what he has. Costner plays this role of Manager (but again I am confused as there is the Owner of the team, the manager of the team and then the coach of the team. I'm not sure why you need a manager when the coach could also be the manager as he runs the players and team, much like we have in the UK with football/soccer).
The reason this film works so nicely is the fact it plays on the many aspects of Sony Weavers (Costner) life in one day and how he deals with a high stress season. He trades his 7th round pick for the first pick, meaning he can take the new wonderkid (who is a QB) but is torn by what is expected of him, and what he wants to do with the history and feelings he gets from the player he would have taken in his initial 7th round draft slot. To get his trade he gives away a large portion of the future draft power, as in this process you can trade draft picks. Again here is where I get a little hazy on how these work but he basically gives away there first round picks for three years.
As the film develops we see his family life push and pull him as he deals with the shadow of his father legacy hang over his head. An ex-wife, a pushy mother and his new girlfriend all work into how he is expected to make his decisions.
The crux of his problems is his current QB had a bad season, so with the new prospect an exciting temptation for every one around they can solve the issue they think they have. In the off season, QB has trained hard and claims to better than ever. Sonny like loyalty, but also has pressures from the owner and coach on what they think he should do.
The cast is strong with Jennifer Garner, Chi McBride, Frank Langella and Dennis Leary with other big names making appearances throughout the movie.
It leads you on Sonny Weavers struggles with what to do and doing the old cliche of is it better to do what is right or what is easy.
I don't want to go into the what actually happens as that is the fun part of this film (I mean essentially it is the entire film)!
It is a fun film that you don't need to like sport to enjoy, although it would help to have a certain level of interest in it. I keep re-watching the conclusion to the film as I think it is handled really well and in a very enjoyable way. This film is a good to sit down and turn off too. It's not a mindless action film but there is still very little that needs much processing in the process. It is all laid out for you in arguably very obvious beats that many films like this do follow, but this one does it better. It may be cliched and expected in parts, but it is also charming and interesting and enjoyable. I am not always a fan of sequels but I want to see what happens in the season after this draft has taken place. Does the team go from strength to strength? Are the decisions made ones that change the Browns future forever. Here is the difference in this movie compared to others of its type. It's not based on a real life event outside of the premise of the entire thing. It's not Moneyball where that has actual events that can be followed up for you to see what really happened before and after. This is a work of fiction set around the real world events of a manger and the NFL draft.
This does not hinder the film at all, but it did leave me wanting more from it at the end.
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