Summit Entertainment

PG 13 110 min

To those of you who are not football fans I would imagine Kevin Costner's latest sports film draft day would probably hold precious little interest.it is basically a pseudo insiders look into the machinations that go on behind the scenes in the National Football League.

In case you weren't aware the process leading up to the NFL Draft is going on as we speak and probably no one in the league is more involved in controversy than our own Cleveland Browns.

Even those of us who regularly listen to sports talk and argue on the message boards really have a tiny idea of what actually goes on inside a team headquarters. Rumor has it that draft day was originally written with various other NFL teams in mind but, as it should be, the producers realized that the Browns are blessed with the greatest fans in the league if not the greatest win loss record over the last few decades.

It may seem strange but I find myself watching this movie with the same mindset as when I watched NOAH. First of all is this an accurate depiction of how the inner circle of the team works? And second is it an entertaining movie regardless of that. Here's what I am guessing. I'm sure there are some similarities but the basic deal, which I won't reveal here, is something that most experts agree would never ever happened in the real world.

Right off the bat (from the kickoff?) I will tell you that there's no doubt this will be more interesting to those of us in Northeast Ohio that it will any of the other 31 cities that host a pro football team. Second a couple similarities are quite striking, whether or not they are coincidence. In the film the quarterback oddly enough named Brian had a bad knee injury this season previous to the draft and the team is considering drafting a quarterback very very high. As we bicker about Teddy Twatwater Johnny Manziel Derek Carr and Blake Bortles there are many who hope that Brian Hoyer will come back from his injury and lead the team to the promised land.

There are also many who are on the fence about drafting a high profile quarterback with our first pick.

I'm not sure if that element was filmed quickly before the release or just chance.

Still since most people in America are not Browns fans, even though they should be, the main point is entertainment value. I'll admit my grade is probably a letter grade higher just because it's the Brownies.

Basically Sonny Weaver is on the hotseat as GM who needs to put together a draft that will be successful as well as make headlines. He’s also the son of a Cleveland coaching legend.

I think draft day falls a little flat because Kevin Costner is not a particularly sympathetic character. He seems a little abrasive and bitter about being expected to follow in his famous fathers footsteps. I personally didn't get the chemistry between Weaver (Costner) and his girlfriend nor did I completely understand the animosity he held against his mother. There is a scene in which his hostility overrides his fathers last wishes concerning the crematory ashes is a character flaw I never truly got over.

Most football fans would honor the old man IMO.

As for the ending? Sure it was fun but if you know anything about football realize it's ridiculous. I won’t get specific. Not a chance in hell that would happen. So I give this movie a B-. Had it not been my Cleveland Browns I’d have given it a C. It was, after all, fun hearing Tony Rizzo and seeing some Browns players and shots of Cleveland.

B-

WSS