So, Draft Day was a bit of a surprise. When I saw the preview, I thought, "That could be good," and then promptly forgot about it. Probably not the reaction the filmmakers were hoping for when they did the trailer. I noticed it again when I was out one night and said, "Why not? I'll check it out." Again, probably not the rabid enthusiasm hoped for. After all, not being one of the biggest sports fans in the world, I am baffled at why so many people love watching the NFL draft as I think it is a HUGE waste of time. But, who am I to criticize? I have stupid stuff I love, too. That said, Draft Day is a surprisingly solid film.
It is the fictional story about the wheeling and dealing of the NFL draft. It opens with the GM for the Cleveland Browns, Sonny Weaver, Jr. (Kevin Costner) being pitched a deal for which he's on the losing end. The movie then follows him throughout the day through the draft. That's pretty much it. There are some subplots including a fairly dumb romantic situation that feels shoehorned in so the guys can bring their dates, something about Weaver's estrangement from his family, dealing with hopeful players and fights with his staff and the team owner.
But this movie is all Costner. It is anchored by his very likable performance. The movie resembles Castaway, but Wilson is substituted with real people. A lot has been made of Costner over the years, especially that he is a bad actor and has made some of the worst, over-bloated stink bombs in cinematic history. And while the vitriol is not as intense as that against Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner for some inexplicable reason seems to be universally loathed by movie fans. Frankly, I don't get it. Sure, he may not be DeNiro or Olivier, but that doesn't really matter. His movies don't really require those kind of acting chops. What they do require is a likable guy, and Costner does have an easygoing charisma that is pleasant to watch time and again. The movie also has great drama in the sense that it portrays a very stressful, and usually unheralded or even reviled job at its most intense. It proves edge-of-your-seat drama does not always have to be rooted in brainless action sequences.
This doesn't mean the movie is free of flaws. The movie is suffering from some post production editing. The aforementioned subplots are all examples. None of them give any sufficient backstory to invest the viewer with any sense on why they should care. In the case of the players, both seasoned pros and hopeful draftees, there are some good bits of story there. They are all archetypes from other movies, but yet they are compelling. But this movie functions in the time space it occurs, and much like real life, there isn't exposition and unfortunately that leaves a lot of unanswered questions. That is the biggest problem with Draft Day. It is a collection of templates we have all seen before in better sports movies like Any Given Sunday. In fact, most of the subplots in Draft Day are told better in Any Given Sunday, but since it casts a fairly negative portrayal of pro football, the NFL would not sponsor it. My second biggest complaint is the romantic subplot. Weaver is having a tryst with one of his executives, played by Jennifer Garner. Let's just dismiss for a moment the workplace dynamics of a superior having a sexual relationship with one of his subordinates; this is another example of Hollywood catering ridiculous expectations for men and insulting ones for women. Kevin Costner is currently 59 and Jennifer Garner 42. He is literally old enough to be her father. The movie opened with the aftermath of her telling him she is pregnant. The movie then keeps cutting to them trying to work out their relationship in the middle of all the chaos of draft day. Does this strike anyone else as a bit creepy and unsavory? Just a thought.
So, Draft Day is surprisingly fun to watch if you don't think too much about the subplots. But you may want to wait for video.
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