Draft Day *Catching Up*

Are you actually ready for some football?

Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner) is at the end of his rope when it comes to drafting players for the Cleveland Browns. He is being threatened by his owner, his coach, and his girlfriend to make the right decisions in his career; as well as his personal life. With his back against the wall, he makes a choice that doesn't sit well with some, and makes him seem like a hero to others. He has a gut feeling that the deal he made will haunt him through the rest of his career, but the pressure is still on. With wolves at the door on either end he must choose to go with his gut, or go the route that has been chosen for him.

The big question that surrounds sports movies is: will the people that don't watch the sport get most of what is going on? The answer here is sort of. I make no notions that I am an expert when it comes to football, (my record in the fantasy league I am in is proof enough of that), so I think I can safely speak for the people that might not be into football. I know how the game works, and I know what the positioning of picks will mean in the long run. There is a lot of jargon that people who have no idea what the sport entails won't understand. Some words like "running back" or "special teams" won't mean anything to people who don't watch football or have no idea how it works. The person with the smallest knowledge of football (like myself) will have fun with this movie; but, as far as people that study the stats of players and have a biblical knowledge of the game go, I can't say if they will enjoy this.

With that in mind, we have to look at the story as a story, and not the end all be all football movie only intended for those who revolve their life around the sport. The story here is a very romantic notion on how we would like to perceive professional football as working. I don't think there are many players around that aren't looking at the paycheck when it comes to going pro. Players may hold one team above the rest, but when it comes to the actual "behind the scenes look" at how something works, this might be holding players a little higher than they actually are; than again, I am not in the industry so this is just my hypothesis. As far as the rest of the story goes, I can respect the tale. This movie is basically another form of Moneyball replacing baseball with football, replacing a new coach with an old one. The relationship with the girlfriend is a nice touch of cliche, but we all know that Jennifer Garner is a lot younger than Kevin Costner, and I would have liked them to at least comment on the gap. The relationship with the mother was nice, the relationship and loyalty aspect to players was better though. This movie is great at making it seem like lives are at risk of changing forever, and it gets you emotionally invested in the outcome. You hope that Kevin Costner will make the morally right decision, while hoping that he will be able to keep his job. The ending is great, albeit predictable and a little soft. Basically, you have to take this movie as a feel good story, and enjoy the ride.

Ivan Reitman has made some of the most iconic classics imaginable, while some of his recent movies have been a bit off I can safely say that he is one of my favorite directors. This movie is a shining example of his expertise, and why people should look at some of his movies a bit closer to see the great direction given to some bad stories. The phone conversation scenes in this movie were key to it's success and he knew that, so he spent a little more time getting that exactly right. He paid attention to the small details that a rookie director would have overlooked, and turned out a gem. My problems with the story in some places withstanding, I have to respect the amazing job he did here. The movies that he direct feel more alive, and this movie can stand proudly next to his other films as a mark of achievement.

The acting here was standard across the board, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Jennifer Garner acted in the same mode she always does, and Kevin Costner seemed as emotionless as his last couple of movies. Luckily, their parts called for this performance so I have no gripe. Denis Leary was another standard performance acting as angry and justified as ever, but again the performance called for that; so, I have to give credit for the casting director knowing exactly who to put in the role. Chadwick Bozeman gave a great performance I just wish I could have seen more from him, and the same with Sean Combs. In fact, every actor that was only in this movie for a small amount of time, I wanted to see more of. The acting didn't startle me at any place, and the places it had a chance of doing so left me wanting more.

Final Verdict: Rent It If you are tired of movies that don't give you a good feeling at the end, than this is the movie for you. It is a great watch in most places, and you won't regret spending a buck or two on it.