Director: Ivan Reitman
Writers: Scott Rothman and Rajiv Joseph
Cast: Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Chadwick Boseman, Denis Leary and Terry Crews
Studio: Summit
“Draft Day” is reason enough to always review movies on time. I’ve been sitting on this one just in time for today. But, the movie has disappeared from most theaters, so you won’t really get a chance to double-dip on NFL Draft Day. The film centers around the Cleveland Brown’s attempts to revitalize their team. Hell, the movie team seems pretty damn close to the real life counterpart. However, the usual romantic comedy stuff starts to seep in. Jennifer Garner is revealed to be pregnant with Costner’s child. That way Costner appears virile enough to the audience that was in diapers when he starred in “Bull Durham”.
Kevin Costner is having a so-so movie revival. I can’t say that I dislike the recent slate of films he has put out. It’s just that these are roles for an older actor slumming it and hoping to still pull down the matinee crowd that he did in his youth. The days of Orion Pictures, Costner epics and old white guys carrying movies are long gone. What we have here is a football movie that treats football like set dressing for a rather tired dramedy. If this is the best that can be offered up, then Ivan Reitman needs to take a step back. You created “Meatballs”, dude. Where is that guy?
Ultimately, the film works on the levels that it needs to hit for middle aged women that want to be reminded of a time when Costner turned their crank. Leary, Crews and Boseman all work their asses off in supporting roles and they get no love for it. Hell, why is that? Why do movies like this always get amazing supporting casts and terrible movies are always left to dangle? It’s just not fair.
RELEASE DATE: 04/11/2014