Draft Day

Rating: 6/10 (21 June 2015)

I really am amazed that Costner is still right out there as the star of films and not instead settled into the supporting actor parts that typically begin to collect in his career at this point considering his age. Star power is star power, charisma is charisma, I guess. You know, for a guy who never "overreaches" as an actor, he just remains so watchable and compelling to me. Draft Day really held my attention. I was rather surprised it did. Think of it as a few days in the life of a manager of a football team, a struggling-for-ages football team with a fanbase dying for success. He has to endure intolerance from the owner, his new coach, current quarterback (who returned from injury and is not happy with his "fall from grace"), and learning of a pregnancy from his current lover (and "numbers cruncher"). His father recently passes (a legend in Cleveland), he has only been in Cleveland two years fresh off managing San Francisco to a Super Bowl, has a mother even questioning why he'd trade three #1 picks for a "could be great" star collegiate, Heismen winning quarterback, and a radio station calling for his resignation. Yeah, a lot going on in this busy plot. Costner is like this anchor, doing so without overstepping dramatically. He is just Costner.
Key casting includes Jennifer Garner as Ali, Tom Weaver, Junior's (Costner) love interest, Patrick Esprit (as GM of Seahawks) a fun rival of Weaver's, Chadwick Boseman as a potentially strong defensive player who is able to steer Weaver into looking harder at the presumed "next sure thing" (Josh Pence), Ellen Burstyn as Weaver's mom, Sean Combs as Bo Callahan's agent, and a feisty, opinionated Dennis Leary as Weaver's head coach. Frank Langella, as owner Anthony Molina, really has this persistent need to run things without much approval from Weaver, which causes some serious friction between the two. The film hinges on the various dramatic dynamics on display between Costner and the cast of characters that make his life difficult.