Draft Day

Draft Day
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ivan Reitman
Written by	Rajiv Joseph Scott Rothman
Produced by	Ivan Reitman Ali Bell Joe Medjuck
Starring	Kevin Costner Jennifer Garner Denis Leary Frank Langella Sam Elliott Ellen Burstyn Chadwick Boseman
Cinematography	Eric Steelberg
Edited by	Sheldon Kahn Dana E. Glauberman
Music by	John Debney
Production companies	Summit Entertainment OddLot Entertainment Montecito Picture Company
Distributed by	Lionsgate
Release dates	April 7, 2014 (2014-04-07) (Los Angeles) April 11, 2014 (2014-04-11) (United States)
Running time	110 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$25 million
Box office	$29.8 million

Draft Day is a 2014 American sports drama film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner. The premise revolves around the fictional general manager of the Cleveland Browns (Costner) deciding what to do after his team acquires the number one draft pick in the upcoming National Football League Draft.

The film premiered in Los Angeles on April 7, 2014 and was released in the United States on April 11, 2014. It received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office failure grossing only $29 million against its $25 million budget. The film was Reitman's final directorial effort and Jim Brown's final acting role before their deaths in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

Plot

The movie opens in New York City, where it is almost 13 hours until the Draft officially begins. ESPN sports announcers talk about the future of potential picks on NFL teams who will have their lives forever changed. Directly followed by a shot to Seattle Washington where we see one of the Seattle Seahawk owners discuss with the general manager (Tom played by Patrick Esprit) the top pick for this year's draft. Directly after we head to Cleveland where the general manager (Sonny played by Kevin Costner) of the Cleveland Browns watches the tv which talks about Sonny's top picks for the draft. We then see Sonny and Ali (Sonny's love interest/intern) talk about family plans and a potential pregnancy. While watching ESPN reports on top prospects he writes down something on a yellow note, and then puts it in his pocket. Sonny then talks on the phone with Tom about their picks for the draft, potentially the option of trading picks. Bo Callahan (the top pick for the Seahawks) is considered against Sonny's top picks for the next year as well as his third for the third year, Sonny however turns down the offer. An overhead voice then talks about the history of football and how it came from Canton Ohio, like it is part of who Cleveland's identity is while simultaneously showing different locations of the city and historical clips of the Browns. We then see Sonny talking to Vontae Mack (one of the picks played by Chadwick Boseman) talking about the picks and pay rates as he is currently driving to Virginia with who we presume to be his kids. Sonny then talks to Earl Jennings (played by Terry Cruz), about his son Ray Jennings (played by Arian Foster) in getting him to be one of the top picks for the draft as Earl had previously played for the Browns. The scene then cuts to Tom and Anthony (owner of the Browns played by Frank Langella) at a waterpark discussing how to increase ticket sales and threatens to fire Sonny if he can't as well as one of his coaches who previously coached the Cowboys, as he hasn’t been doing the best as of recent. Tom then talks to Sonny about the previous deal but changes the last third pick to the first pick, Seeing as how Sonny is in a dilemma he decides to go with the deal. At the training facility of the Browns we see some of the scouts discussing Jennings, Sonny then breaks the news about the deal he made to everyone's dismay he sees his choice as the ideal one. Anthony then calls about his reaction to the pick and heads to the draft ecstatic.

9 hours till the draft Sonny talks to Cris Crawford (Bos agent played by Sean Comes) about his new pick Bo, and to Bo about how he feels about winning, he then says that ‘everyone says that’ and gives condolences on Sonny's father. Sonny and one of the coaches get in an argument about his past from coaching the Dallas Cowboys and Sonny's father which hits a nerve. Sonny later talks with Vontae about his Twitter tweet on Bo Callahan as well as the amount of sacks he took on Callahan, proving that he is a better candidate. We then see Sonny and one of the training coaches talking about the progress his players have made during the off season. Sonny's then tries to find flaws in Callahan as he describes other players that seemed weaker than they really were. Sonny and Tom talk again about their deal while some protesters are seen going on a tangent against Tom. Sonny addresses Ali about his faults as he wants their relationship to work as well as Allis flaws when it comes to parenting, but they both have a passion for football. Tom Welling (one of the players of the browns played by Brian Drew) argues about Sonny’s pick on Callahan as he has played for the team for 8 seasons. We then cut to Kansas City, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Pete Begler (general manager of the Chiefs played by Wallace Langham) about taking Brian Drew for the Chiefs quarterback position. Ali and Coach Penn talk about attempting to get the previous picks back since Ali can sway Sonny’s decision. Sonny talks to Ralph (a Browns background checker) about Callahan, he comes to find out that Callahan had a 21st Bday dinner and none of his teammates showed up to the dinner which had a robbery incident. Sonny's talks to coach Moore (University of Wisconsin where Bo was from) about his 21st Bday incident, and follows up with Bo Callahan doesn’t have any friends. We then head to Buffalo New York (home of the Buffalo Bills) where we see Max Stone (general manager of the Bills) about trading Callahan for their first two year picks and running back. Sonny argues with coach Penn about him going behind his back to talk to the bills coach.

3 hours till the draft we cut to New York where the owner of the Browns is seen entering the complex and seeing the commissioner. Sonny and Ali talk about the Bills trade deal and the fact that he only gets back draft picks, and can’t make a pick for the next year. They also talk about the 1989 super bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals about the play that made the 49ers win the super bowl, the importance of being how the great ones ‘find a way to slow down’. The next scene shows Sonny's and the others watching the footage between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Wisconsin to see what Vontae talked about earlier where he got the ball and won a touchdown, to later sign it and give it to a fan. Ali and Sonny discuss their affair and that Ali doesn’t want it to be a secret. Sonny and Ralph talk about Washington's playbook (where there is a 100 bill at the end to see if players read it) where Bo never read the whole playbook and lied about reading it. Brian Drew later sent the bill back hoping he'd win the super bowl. We then cut to Houston Texas (home of the Houston Texans) where general manager Bill Zoti (played by Patrick Breen) talks about Vontae as he wants him as a pick. Sonny's mother Angie (played by Ellen Burstyn) talks about his father where he wants his ashes spread on the 50 yard line. Sonny and Ali talk about Sonny firing his father, where it was really his mothers ideas as his doctors warned of his health.

An hour until the draft and Bo Callahan arrives in New York for the draft as well Ray Jennings. Backstage Sonny talks to Bo on the phone about whether or not Bo’s teammates came to his party, Bo responds with the fact that he doesn’t remember anything from that night, to which Sonny replies “to be honest, I don’t remember mine either”. Ali and Sonny talk about what feels right for the pick, bringing up that Tom Brady wasn’t on anyone's radar.

Finally the 2014 Draft season officially kicks off as everyone is watching, putting the Browns on a 10 minute timer where if they don’t pick who they want in time other teams can steal. Sonny decides to send the pick alone, without anyone's opinion or intervention. The commissioner then reads out Vontae Mack as the pick, as everyone is in shock we see him throw the paper he previously had stating, “Vontae Mack no matter what”. They then find out that Callahan is being rejected by other teams. We then cut to Jacksonville (home of the Jacksonville Jaguars) where Sonny talks to Jeff Carson (general manager of the Jaguars) about Arizona's pick, he then digs into Callahan being a bust and false character. Sonny wants to trade his 2nd pick for the next three years for Jeff's 6th pick, He decides to take the offer. Sonny then talks to Tom and flips the script where he wants to make an offer where he wants his number ones back, also brings up the fact that Seahawk fans were upset over Tom's decision. He also bargained for David Puttney (as a punt returner), the deal being set. Ray Jennings also gets drafted by the Browns. Cutting back to Cleveland everyone celebrates the results from the draft, Ray, Brian, and Vonate all hold hands and cheer. Sonny and his mother reunite as well as break the news that Sonny and Ali are going to become parents. We then cut to the season kickoff where the Browns the team gets ready for a super bowl winning season, the film ends with the newly formed team running onto the field.

Cast

• Kevin Costner as Sonny Weaver Jr., the general manager of the Cleveland Browns
• Jennifer Garner as Ali, Browns' finance manager and Sonny’s love interest
• Denis Leary as Coach Penn, head coach of the Browns, replacing Sonny's father
• Frank Langella as Anthony Molina, owner of the Browns
• Sam Elliott as Coach Moore, head coach of Bo Callahan at the University of Wisconsin
• Sean Combs as Chris Crawford, sports agent representing #1 draft prospect Bo Callahan
• Terry Crews as Earl Jennings, retired Hall of Fame Browns player
• Ellen Burstyn as Barb Weaver, Sonny’s mother
• Chadwick Boseman as Vontae Mack, a top draft prospect, linebacker from Ohio State University
• Rosanna Arquette as Angie, Sonny’s ex wife
• W. Earl Brown as Ralph Mowry, the Browns' Director Of Security
• Kevin Dunn as Marvin, the Browns' chief representative at the NFL Draft
• Arian Foster as Ray Jennings, draft prospect, running back from Florida State University, Earl's son
• Brad William Henke as Tony 'Bagel' Bagli, the Browns' strength and conditioning coach
• Chi McBride as Walt Gordon, team president of the Seattle Seahawks
• Griffin Newman as Rick the Intern
• Josh Pence as Bo Callahan, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from University of Wisconsin
• David Ramsey as Thompson, member of the Browns' draft day war room
• Patrick St. Esprit as Tom Michaels, general manager of the Seattle Seahawks
• Timothy Simons as Marx, member of the Browns' war room
• Tom Welling as Brian Drew, the Browns' starting quarterback from the previous year
• Wade Williams as O'Reilly, member of the Browns' war room

As well, a number of NFL players, executives and sportscasters had cameo appearances as themselves, including: Chris Berman, Russ Brandon, Jim Brown, Rich Eisen, Roger Goodell, Jon Gruden, Bernie Kosar, Ray Lewis and Alex Marvez.

Production

When the idea was first made public, the film was to be centered on the Buffalo Bills, but the studio subsequently changed it to the Cleveland Browns because of cheaper production costs in Ohio.

Crowd reactions of fans at the actual 2013 NFL Draft, as well as Cleveland Browns fans at local bars, were filmed. Cameos with real-life NFL figures such as league commissioner Roger Goodell and ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman were filmed before and after the draft took place. The rest of the film began filming on May 8, 2013.

2014 NFL Draft

As in the film, the Cleveland Browns made splashes at the draft, trading up to select quarterback Johnny Manziel with the 22nd pick. The team also made several deals, trading away their fourth pick to the Buffalo Bills for their ninth pick, as well as their 2015 first round pick. They later traded up to the eighth pick to draft Justin Gilbert. Finally, after watching Manziel drop farther than projected, they again traded up for the 22nd pick. Chris Berman, who played himself in the fictionalized draft, commented at the 2014 NFL Draft that the events surrounding the Cleveland Browns were more exciting than the film. Unlike the film, the Browns selected the much-hyped Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, as opposed to passing on Bo Callahan, the fictionalized first pick favorite.

Marketing

The first poster and trailer for the film were released on December 23, 2013.

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 60% of 160 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "It's perfectly pleasant for sports buffs and Costner fans, but overall, Draft Day lives down to its title by relying too heavily on the sort of by-the-numbers storytelling that only a statistician could love." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.

Chicago Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper gave the film a "B", stating the film is "a sentimental, predictable, sometimes implausible but thoroughly entertaining, old-fashioned piece."

Ian Rapoport, an NFL Network Insider who held multiple brief cameos throughout the film, admitted that there are “plenty of things that aren’t exactly the way it goes” within the actual drafting process. And then goes on to praise the film on how NFL general managers “do talk about trades as they did during the movie,” and the honest discussions real people may have.

On the contrary, Jack Hamilton of Slate was harshly critical. "The 'filmmaking' here consists of making sure the camera is pointed at people who are explaining the film's plot to one another, preferably while they are wearing logos and standing in front of more logos," he wrote. He suggested the NFL's involvement had made the film too upbeat. "[It] isn't so much a movie as a movielike infomercial for the kinder, gentler NFL ... In the wake of labor strife, off-field scandals, and the ongoing CTE concussions crisis, the NFL is doubling down on its fantasy of paternalism, and Draft Day is that fantasy's porn film."

Former Green Bay Packers vice president Andrew Brandt criticized Draft Day as "lacking any true depiction of how an NFL team operates leading up to and during the draft", and less realistic about the business of sports than Jerry Maguire and Moneyball. Riley McAtee, writing for The Ringer, noted that the Browns burdened themselves with an additional $7 million in annual salary (as stated by a Seahawks executive in the film) to the fictional Mack – a player who would have been lucky to be drafted 15th overall, compounded by the fact that the Browns have also deprived the fictional Callahan of $7 million in annual salary that he, not Mack, should be making: McAtee also notes the complete ineptness of the fictional executives of the Seahawks and Jaguars, making bad deal after bad deal, calling the latter the equivalent of "a kid who just wet his pants".

The screenplay was the number one script on the 2012 Black List survey of unproduced screenplays. Writing for WhatCulture, David Hynes listed it as the 10th best script of the 2010s, arguing that it "follows one of the central tenets of screenwriting which is, 'thou shalt make things as hard as possible for your protagonist'". However, he was felt that the film's execution failed to deliver on a script that was "as good as it gets."

Box office

Draft Day grossed $28.8 million domestically (United States and Canada) and $1.0 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $29.8 million, against a budget of $25 million. It spent its first two weeks in the Top 10 at the domestic box office.

See also

• List of American football films

External links

• Draft Day at IMDb 
• Draft Day at AllMovie