A Grande Escolha

With another season of the National Football League about to get underway, I thought it would be the perfect time to sit down and watch the Kevin Costner film, Draft Day. The plot isn't anything special here but, it does give a nice look at what might be going on behind the scenes during these drafts. This is my review of Draft Day.

The story here is fairly basic as it follows Cleveland Browns General Manager, Sonny Weaver Jr.(Kevin Costner) as he is testing the waters in the NFL(Nation Football League) draft. Some trades and exchanges happen throughout the lead up the their pick in the draft, and some twist and turns happen throughout the story. There is some boring downtime in the film but, with the run time being fairly small, it doesn't hurt the film all that much. This story was written by Scott Rothman and Rajiv Joseph. While this is the first writing credit for Rothman, Joseph has done some writing on a couple television shows like Nurse Jackie. Sure its a completely different story than what he is use to writing but, it seems both gentleman got the basics of the game locked down. For the sake of a good story some of the General Managers are made to look completely dumb, not to say all General Mangers in the NFL are smart. With a fairly basic story and nothing glaring in terms of this story, both Rothman and Joseph get a barely above average grade for their work on this film.

The film was directed by Ivan Reitman who is a legendary director known for the classic Ghostbuster films. While his efforts haven't been so successful in recent memory, this film is a nice addition to a solid overall filmography. With some high rise shots of major cities like Seattle, Buffalo, Cleveland, and others, Reitman brings an enjoyable atmosphere that is the NFL draft. With a different type of film like this it can be hard to know how it will turn out and received by the fans. Without legendary actor Kevin Costner, I really don't know how well the film would have been portrayed. With a lot of secondary actors popping up for smaller roles, there is a lot to focus on but, with the script being otherwise barely above average, and Reitman not bringing much in way of helping the script, it doesn't leave us with a great film by any means. With this film being different as it follows the events of the NFL, it can be a good film for fans like myself but, those who do not follow the NFL likely won't get much from this film. Reitman does a manageable job directing this film, and since the acting is nothing special, and minus some nice shots from Reitman, this was not one of his best outings as a director.

In closing, fans of the NFL will likely watch this film and mostly enjoy it. Those who really don't follow the league or the sport that much should likely just pass on this film for the time being. Maybe a rental or stream down the road is the best option but, there is no need to rush and watch this film. If you are an NFL fan, this might be a good watch as the new season starts this upcoming weekend.

7/10

"No one can stop a ticking clock, the great ones always find a way to slow it down." Sonny Weaver Jr. (Costner) is the GM of the Cleveland Browns and is getting ready for today's NFL draft. He isn't in good graces with the Brown's fans but that all changes when he makes a trade for the #1 pick. With pressure from the owner, his new head coach and his mother, Sonny isn't sure if what he wants is the same as what everyone else wants. His choices not only affect his job but everyone around him as well. I am a sucker for sports movies and I really like Kevin Costner so I was really looking forward to seeing this. Almost right away I was sucked in and enjoyed myself the entire time. This is very much like Moneyball so if you liked that movie you will like this as well. Costner is a perfect choice and there is just something about him and sports movies that is perfect. The movie is about the decisions people make when adding a player to their team, it may not seem like it but its exciting and keeps you guessing and wondering the entire time. You really root for Costner the entire time and want him to succeed. Again, it may be because I am a huge sports fan but I loved this movie and I highly recommend this. Overall, if you liked Moneyball you will love this one. I give this an A.

First of all don't confuse this for a "Sports" movie.

It revolves around the NFL Draft, an annual event where the NFL managers are selecting players to join their teams.

It is a USA football thing, so if you are living in another continent, it is rather difficult to understand the rules and even more the point of this whole charade.

About the rules is something of a Poker game. At least as it looks in this picture. The manager of team A is on the phone with the manager of team B and they talk things like "I am giving you 2 of my first picks of the second round to give me your first pick for the next 2 years..." and so on.

Again, this is NOT about who wins a game or a trophy. This is merely about picking players whom you think they might be useful to your team. In the actual games they may proved to be bad choices, or injured or whatever, and despite being happy about your choices in the NFL draft, eventually to lose games and the season.

Now as movie "Draft Day" is carefully designed.

The direction and editing are trying to be "edgy" with unique split screen effects during the numerous phone-calls between the team managers. You can see for example Kevin Costner (who plays the lead role as an experienced yet unconventional manager) in a split screen walking into the other side of the frame where the manager of the other team is.

The music has a certain triumphant feeling without being to much in your face and the whole production is carefully designed.

I point that out because in this movie you have constantly the feeling that you are seeing great things taking place. Like every little decision is something that could change the world. But in reality all these "decisions" are something of a micromanagement. In the end and if you actually pay attention, what is happening and what the characters are talking about is totally uninteresting...

...and for the rest of the world, outside the US, confusing and pointless.

Give Kevin Costner a good human-interest role and he can bring his unique star power making it both entertaining and compelling. As an adult I've grown less enamored with pro football and in fairness I'm from Alabama where college football is all it can be and pro isn't a factor. That said, it's the corporate money machine mentality that, in my humble opinion, soils the things I fondly remember of the ancient NFC/AFC of the sixties (where loyalty trumped money often for an entire career).

Well, this movie makes that big-business drama work as something much more human. Where the general managers struggle like desperate children for some kind of immediate better future. When even in the last hours those gilded picks are subject to human-error and wild scrambling per last minute decisions and deals. The kind of deals that come not just from statistics, but deeper beliefs. I'd say Draft Day brings this kind of tense drama to the screen with aplomb Is it a true representation? I'd say it doesn't matter because this is a movie and it's a good one.

With the NFL Draft season officially in full swing, if you haven't already, now's a great time to see "Draft Day" the movie! Even if it does stand to reason, foretelling whether or not it would be received more positively by non-football enthusiasts and resonate less with true football fans (as some critics have deduced), is nonetheless a rush to judgment.

In any case, the box office draw doesn't differentiate one over the other. The entertaining sports vehicle about the NFL draft not actual gridiron game play goes against formula.

We've seen football films that keep to standard rough and tumble field action, which fit the bill. However, the focus here in itself, is a good departure as a movie on the managerial side of the sport of interest for either group.

Being a non-fanatical Monday morning quarterback, I enjoyed watching a view from behind-the-scenes for a change of pace, and getting a crash course in the extraneous details of what occurs in a crucial 24-hour period-similar to TV series "24"-leading up to the draft day ceremony.

As for the question of is it realism or Hollywood hype? Co-star and former professional football player now actor Terry Crews, who said he was an 11-round draft pick in 1991, in a pre-release call-in interview to the Steve Harvey Morning Show, stated that "Draft Day" was the first movie endorsed by the NFL.

So would the League sign-off on a film that represents a 'day-in-the-life of' a general manager played by sports cinema veteran Kevin Costner, managing the real-life Cleveland Browns, if it didn't measure up? Most likely not.

Sure, football fans will probably have a better understanding than will others of the evolving events being dramatized on the big screen, but I believe that's meant to give the rest of the audience a microcosmic picture of the high-pressured inner-workings and how it all comes together.

It presents an intimate look at the level of intensity that comes when the selection process rises to fever pitch (forgive the baseball reference) and how the lives of the hopefuls looking to get picked, as well as their families, hinges on the manager's final decision.

The film works well at drawing you into the thought-provoking/judgment-making job of Costner's character Sonny Weaver, while also keeping you glued to the countdown timer. The spliced boiler room frames meld cohesively to sustain moviegoers' heightened curiosity for the anticipated outcome.

Jennifer Garner is low-key as Costner's girlfriend, though a far cry from her starring lead role in TV's "Alias." Hers, along with Ellen Burstyn's portrayal, brings necessary added value to balance out the storyline.

As the father of a potential student draftee, Crews delivers a meaningful, non-comedic performance. The elements put in play, overall, make for a finely crafted sports entertainment feature everyone can enjoy.