You Can Enjoy This Even If You're Not A Football Fan

Rating: 7/10 (24 October 2014)

Be warned off the top: this movie is a little bit niche-ey. It's about the pressures and the wheeling and dealing that takes place on NFL draft day. You don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy this, but it does help a little bit. I'm not much of a fan of the NFL to be honest, but I am a hockey fan, and draft day for the NHL has a similar feel to it, so I could easily get into this. My wife, on the other hand, isn't a sports fan at all, but she enjoyed the movie, periodically asking me questions about the draft and how it works. So, this being a bit of a niche-ey movie, my advice to a non-sports fan who watches it would be to watch it with someone who knows a bit about how draft day works and can explain a few points now and then.
The story itself revolves around Sonny Weaver, Jr., played by Kevin Costner. In the context of the movie, Weaver is the general manager of the Cleveland Browns. He's got a high draft pick, but not the top draft pick, when an unexpected opportunity arises to trade for the top pick. He has doubts, but he's pressured by an owner who wants him to make a big splash at the draft, and he's pressured by a head coach who wants to win now and not build for the future. In the midst of it all he's also dealing with his girlfriend, who's pregnant and also works in the Browns front office, and he has his mom on his back, with his father (a former Browns coach whom Sonny, Jr. actually fired) having recently died. So, while this is mostly about the ins and outs of the draft, there's also some personal melodrama involved.
It's a good movie. It presents a realistic look at exactly what goes on in a team's "war room" on draft day as decisions are made regarding young players who are about to become very wealthy young men. It also has a really good (and even exciting) ending as Sonny works on the big deal and makes his final decisions. It's a bit niche-ey, perhaps, but it still has enough for everyone to enjoy. (7/10)