Good movie, with flaws.

Rating: 7/10 (30 September 2017)

There are some holes in the story, such as the owner, Molina, being able to travel almost instantaneously hundreds of miles, and having an unexplained change of mind regarding Weaver's moves, but all in all, this is a good movie. Kevin Costner gives an excellent performance as a football general manager who has to weigh loyalty versus expediency as he tries to put together a winning team. The movie does a good job in conveying the sense of pressure as teams compete with each other to parley draft picks. The movie shows how a mere rumor can effect the draft, and the critical role of the general manager in trying to separate fiction from fact when determining who to select. The movie also does a good job in dramatizing what happens when confidence in the general manager erodes. The movie shows the general manager, Weaver, making some really questionable moves, such as trading away THREE future number one draft picks for a number one draft pick that the GM has not fully vetted. Also, other stuff that's pure Hollywood is the quarterback trashing the GM's office (never would happen), one GM calling another GM an expletive, the GM's mother berating her son while he's deal making, the head coach negotiating behind the GM's back, and the GM having a sexual relationship with the team's financial officer (who just so happens to be a young and attractive lady). Nevertheless, the movie's basic story line, a general manager operating under pressure to make decisions that effects an entire football team, remains intact. For that reason, this is a movie that is worth watching. Just remember, however, that this movie is fiction.