Draft Day

I am obsessed with football.  I am also love movies.  So when I get a chance to see an advance screening of a movie about football, I am excited.

Draft Day is the fictionalized story of a day (specifically draft day hence the title) in the life of an NFL general manager, Sonny Weaver (played by Kevin Costner).  Sonny manages the Cleveland Browns and has to find balance between the owner (Frank Langella), the fans, the veteran players and the new coach (Denis Leary) while at the same time keeping both his widowed mother and girlfriend (Jennifer Garner) happy.  Sonny's father was the original coach and has passed on leaving a legacy that is hard to match up to.

In the movie, the Browns have the first pick of the draft because they were the worst team last season.  The highly touted prospect is a Heisman winning quarterback from the University of Wisconsin.  Side note, this reinforces that this is fiction as usually the UW is known more for running backs and offensive lineman.  Double side note--GO Badgers!

While watching the movie, I was a bit turned off by the lack of chemistry between Kevin and Jennifer. It also felt like they should be more father and daughter than romantically inclined.  In reality, there is 17 years difference so make your own judgements.

Jennifer Garner's character hit home as a knowledgable  female in the male-dominated NFL world.  To digress, it's like when a couple of guys are talking about a player, play or other NFL issue and I make a comment--at first they look at me like I'm a "dumb chick" but then they realise I know football and it is a fun conversation.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie as it got me back into my beloved football obsession.  It is best when dealing with the NFL front office wheeling and dealing and draft day behind the scenes.  I don't know how true it is to real life but it makes me appreciate all that Ted Thompson, Mark Murphy and Mike McCarthy go through making the GREEN BAY PACKERS the beloved team that they are on and off the field!

I give this one and a half thumbs up pointing to all the legendary NFL coaches and players looking down at us from Heaven.