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Rating: 7/10 (20 January 2015)

n the most recent of Kevin Costner's sports-based movies, here Mr. Costner plays Sonny, an age-appropriate General Manager of the lowly Cleveland Browns. The movie is set entirely in the day of the annual college draft. Despite the distractions of a recently deceased father (and beloved former Browns coach), a mother who chooses draft day as the only day to hold the memorial service, and a relationship with a office colleague who tells Sonny of her pregnancy on draft day, the film wisely minimizes those tangential subplots (they could have been lost entirely in my opinion) and focuses on the pressures of the wheeling and dealing and the last minute decision-making of the General Manager. Even more wisely, the film lets Mr. Costner do what he does best – serve as the center point for calm amongst all the chaos.
Most of the characters are fictional although some notable cameos are made by players, sportscasters and the commissioner all appearing as themselves. I was a little concerned when I learned that it was the first film endorsed by the NFL (as evidenced by the commissioner's ample screen time) but the endorsement seemingly did not impact the storytelling to any real degree. I suspect if the NFL endorsement had not been obtained, some of the players may have had some more negative traits (PED history, crime and the like) which would not impact the story anyway. While there are no dirty tricks played, there are some wilely negotiations that ring mostly true in style and spirit. The excitement and pressure of being "on the clock" are wonderfully portrayed.