Film Review: ‘Draft Day’ Starring Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Denis Leary

For the vast majority of people, football is just a form of entertainment to watch on the weekends and discuss during the week. It’s considered a macho sport filled with testosterone and brutal collisions. Conversely, though, Draft Day does its best to avoid this stereotype, instead aiming to shed light not only on the business side of the sport, but the personal. The players on the field aren’t invulnerable machines.

– Drew spends the day and evening of the draft fearing for his job and future financial security.

– Top linebacker prospect Vontae Mack (Chadwick Boseman) worries he’ll fall too far in the draft to be able to take care of his family. Instead of attending the draft, he stays at home with his grandmother and family.

– Running back Ray Jennings (played by real-life running back Arian Foster) hopes to play for the Browns, as his father (Terry Crews) did, and cement his family legacy as legends in Cleveland.

For every player coming out of college, this three-day event is a time of hope, an opportunity for them to realize an opportunity, a dream they’ve been working towards for years. It’s these moments that are far and away the best moments in the film.

It’s apt to compare Draft Day to another sports management movie that came out a couple years ago, Moneyball. One of my friends was hesitant to see the film because she thought this might just be the football equivalent to the Billy Beane-centric film, and it’s not entirely inaccurate. Despite the subject, there’s very little football actually shown. Instead, the film is meant to bring the focus on the men who are simultaneously behind the scenes and the faces of the franchise. Costner turns in an excellent performance as a man dealing with his professional and personal life at the same time. Once considered a superstar, Costner’s career took a couple of hits in the 90’s with some spectacular duds such as Waterworld and The Postman, but he has rebounded strong within the last few years, and he plays the role of a conflicted leader well here.

In addition to the aforementioned Garner, the rest of the supporting cast is solid as well. Denis Leary is believable enough as Vince Penn, the exasperated Jon Gruden-esque coach hired by Weaver to turn things around. Football fans will spot several cameos by former football players throughout the film as well.

This is not to say that the film is perfect. As the film wears on, it becomes increasingly obvious what path Sonny’s going to take, and in fact I whispered the exact plan to my friend Krisden as we watched. The big reveal as to who the Browns select turns out to be a bit of a minor dud. It also goes without saying, but the realms of reality are probably stretched a bit for the conclusion. As a whole, though, the film as a whole is executed well enough to forgive this. I’ve sat through many films that were predictable, yet thoroughly enjoyable. I may know how a medium-rare steak topped with bleu cheese butter is going to taste, but I’ll be damned if I won’t still enjoy it.

It’s not a summer blockbuster action sports movie, but it does serve as a reminder that the sports we love and watch every week are, in fact, a product of business and passion. I’m not sure I’ve met a sports fan that didn’t try to be an armchair GM, and Draft Day is a solid romp through one of the most exciting days in the business.

Draft Day gets a B.