My son plays High School football and I am a football fan so the family went to see Draft Day despite the mediocre reviews. I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it.
Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner) is the General Manager of the Cleveland Browns. The team is struggling and there is tremendous pressure on Sonny to draft well in order to turn the team around. He is considering either a linebacker or a running back with his 7th pick in the first round of the draft.
The team Owner (Anthony Molina-Frank Langella) tells Sonny that he needs to “make a splash” with the pick and if he doesn’t he will be fired.
The Seattle Seahawks call Sunny and offer him the coveted #1 first round pick in exchange for his #7 first round pick this year and his #1 first round pick for the next two years. Everyone’s #1 pick for this year’s draft is a “can’t miss” quarterback Bo Callahan (Josh Pence). Sunny doesn’t want to make the deal but he agrees to it in order to appease the Owner.
Sunny then starts investigating Bo to make sure there isn’t some tragic flaw that nobody has discovered yet that could make Bo a bust (which would also get Sunny fired for making a bad pick). Sunny and the Head Coach (Vince Penn-Denis Leary) also disagree on the picks.
Numerous situations come up during the day that Sunny has to negotiate. It’s like a 24 episode only its cerebral instead of violent. Every GM is trying to outsmart their rivals. Trade offers come in for the Browns” #1 pick from numerous other teams and Sunny has to decide whether to take them or not. The movie is very suspenseful as the deadline for making the pick approaches. One gets a good sense of the tension and maneuvering that goes on in these types of situations. Sunny gets guidance and support to handle all the day’s pressure from his co-worker/lover (Ali-Jennifer Garner).
Will Sunny end up making the right draft pick choice? Will he outsmart his GM rivals and turn the Browns into a winner? Will he keep his job?
See it and find out.
Rating 7.5- good movie worth a trip to the BS ( It will also work fine as a rental.)
Dave
