Review of Draft Day (2014) by Everett J — 26 Aug 2014

"Draft Day" is much the NFL's fictional version of "Moneyball". A general manager wants to put together a team, and everyone is questioning what he is up to. Is he crazy? Will he fail or succeed? Kevin Costner plays the general manager of the Cleveland Browns and has traded away the next 3 years of 1st round draft picks for the 1st overall pick.

From there it follows the craziness that is draft day in the NFL. This movie has a lot going for it, but it also has quite a bit going against it. When it deals with football, it's very compelling.

When it turns towards the melodrama of Costner's personal life(father's death, girlfriend pregnant) it feels forced and unnecessary. I get why it's in here, but it didn't need to be. Having said that, the movie has a lot of great performances and it never drags or gets boring.

I will say though that being a fan of the NFL, the way the draft plays out is so unrealistic. It's like watching one of "Rocky's" boxing fights. It would never ever play out like that.

But, it's a movie, what do you expect? Football fans should like it, and non fans should probably watch with a fan, because they may have a question or two about the inner workings of the draft. Decent flick.