Draft Day Movie Blurb by Shale April 11, 2014 Why did I go see this movie? I pretty much hate football and that is all this drama is about, the back dealings to make NFL picks by all the teams on draft day. During football season I get pissed because it dominates the broadcast channels and bumps regular programming starting with the news cast as 6 p.m. I have only been to one football game in my life and that is because I knew all the disturbed boys on the team (and I drove the bus). And, gotta admit, when one little boy on our team got the ball and ran the whole field for a touchdown, it was exciting - I was jumping up and down. I guess that is the feeling football fanatics have with their home teams. So, that is not to disparage the movie. I actually did enjoy it as did 62% of the aggregate critics on Rottentomatoes and 70% of audiences. Their overall opinion was: "It's perfectly pleasant for sports buffs and Costner fans, but overall, Draft Day lives down to its title by relying too heavily on the sort of by-the-numbers storytelling that only a statistician could love." While not a sports buff or statistician, I did enjoy seeing the behind the scene portrayal of a totally alien activity. And there was the drama. Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner) is the general manager of the Cleveland Browns who is having a bad day from the very early start. His girlfriend Ali (Jennifer Garner) has just told him she was pregnant and his non-reaction has got her miffed. And, we find out his GF also works with him in the accounting end of the team. So we get to see that drama play out during this very stressful day. Sonny & Ali at Odds He makes a choice to trade for a prime player, Bo Callahan (Josh Spence) from Seattle at great cost, then finds out some subtle character flaw in the player. He also has to consider several other players from around the country who want to be picked and whatever he picks gets the ire of his Coach (Denis Leary) and the team owner Anthony Molina (Frank Langella), who might just fire him. Coach Penn & Sonny at Odds Complicating matters, his father, Sonny Weaver Sr. the former beloved coach whose place he took, just died a week earlier and he has to deal with his overbearing mother Barb Weaver (Ellen Burstyn). I enjoyed the movie; enjoyed Costner's and Garner's presence onscreen and the visuals of aerial, "chamber of commerce" shots of all the major ball stadiums and their respective cities on bright, sunny days (including Seattle). Also enjoyed the way they did the split screen overlaps during the cell fone conversations (which is where most of the action took place). So, if you are a football fanatic you may enjoy this movie but it is not a requirement.
I want to see this because... 1) I'm a Kevin Costner fan 2) The Seattle Seahawks 3) I'm a new football fan Most movies I wait until it comes out on pay per view or BluRay because I really dislike theaters. But this is one I might buy a ticket to see.
