A Surprisingly Good Football Film!

Rating: 9/10 (13 March 2015)

As someone who is starting to gain appreciation for football and someone who completely ignores the draft for all sports, I wasn't sure how I was going to take this film. For one, I found the movie to be educational in regards to teaching me basics about the draft and the drama behind the draft. Secondly, I found this to be an oddly sentimental film with a high level of characterization when it comes to our main character, both personally and professionally. In short, I must happily confess that Kevin Costner created another winner.
Ivan Reitman's film is about the general manager of the Cleveland Browns named Sonny Weaver Jr who gets a chance to rebuild his team when he seizes the opportunity to trade for the number-one pick. But he must deal with people such as his unhappy head coach and an owner who is threatening to replace him unless he makes a big splash.
Kevin Costner is known for his roles in sports films and it is no surprise he is in this one. I thought he did a very good job and he had some tense scenes, especially when the draft began. Jennifer Garner was solid as the salary cap analyst and Sonny's lover. Denis Leary had some good scenes as the head coach and Frank Langella likewise as the team's owner.
Overall, Draft Day was a fun sports film to watch as we see Sonny change his team around with pressure from all sides. In my case, this film proved to be educational and I can truly see how passionate NFL fans can be about the draft. The story was very good as it focused on the character of Sonny and how his personal life threatens his professional life. This is a different kind of sports film, but I liked it very much.
My Grade: A-