DRAFT DAY
By: John ’Doc’ Strange
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Cast: Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Tom Welling, Denis Leary, Frank Langella
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for brief strong language and sexual references)
Selig Rating: FULL PRICE
Runtime: 109 Min.
In the NFL, Draft Day is the culmination of weeks and months of searching, researching, and investigating players who will make themselves available for contracting to the teams. To the teams and the people who worship those teams, draft day is the first vision of how their team may match up against the other teams in the league. What we don’t see are those long meetings where the final decisions are made and deals hatched.
Cleveland Browns General Manager, Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner), has the thankless job of finding the best players for his team. He is pulled from all directions. His team’s owner, Anthony Molina (Frank Langella), wants a flashy player. His head coach, Coach Vince Penn (Denis Leary) just wants someone to fill out the team in a way that will help them win.
Draft Day is one story of the twelve hours leading up to and the first few hours going into NFL Draft Day. Sonny begins his day by making a deal with the Seattle Seahawks to get their first round draft pick and the decision to draft the current Heisman Trophy winner. Arriving at the stadium, he makes his owner very happy but his head coach very angry.
Molina jets to NYC with a brand new jersey bearing the player’s name. But something is gnawing at the edges of Sonny’s thoughts. WHY? Why did Seattle really trade away this player, supposedly a franchise player? Sonny sets his staff to going back over the research. He also fends off a player who has set his heart on playing for the Browns, Vontae Mack (Chadwick A Boseman).
This film gave me a better feel for the deals and intrigue that surround and make up that hollowed day known simple as, Draft Day. It has suspense, love, family, and sports. As a man, I left the theater satisfied. Oh, and did I mention Jennifer Garner? She plays Ali, a member of the Brown’s staff. She is a lawyer who lives and breathes Browns football. And she’s Sonny’s girlfriend (though they hide this fact from the team). Guys, go see this film. And ladies, if you are football fans, you’ll love this film as much as the men!
Movie Site: http://draftdaythemovie.com/
The Selig Rating Scale:
FULL PRICE – Excellent movie, well worth the price
MATINEE – Good movie
DOLLAR – OK movie
CABLE – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
FREEBIE – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn't paid for it.
COMMERCIAL TV – Commercials and cutting to the allotted time will not hurt this one.
FORGET IT! – Bad. If you see this one, do yourself a favor and keep it to yourself.
GET YOUR TORCHES – BAD! – Burn the script, the writer, the director and maybe even the actors!
