Starring: Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Denis Leary, Frank Langella, Tom Welling, Chadwick Boseman, Ellen Burstyn, David Ramsey, Terry Crews, Sean Combs, Josh Pence, Kevin Dunn, Rosanna Arquette
Directed By: Ivan Reitman
This movie would have been great in the 90′s, when Kevin Costner was still popular, and sports movies were a more common part of the film release landscape. That’s probably why Draft Day isn’t doing so well here, 20 years later. They attempt to recreate the magic of the 90′s by pairing Costner with someone who is 17 years younger than him. The odd age difference between Costner and Garner in the film is never actually discussed. In fact, when Garner reveals that she’s pregnant, Costner’s character has all sorts of qualms about it, but none of them are being a first time parent at 59. They’re actually trying to make Costner younger than he is.
Aside from that, the film literally takes place on Draft Day. There isn’t any extra time leading up to it, or after it. It does a good job of spanning the day, but for a film directed by Ivan Reitman, I did expect it to be a bit funnier. The ensemble cast does a good job, and Costner is basically Costner. It’s a perfectly harmless film, the kind you’d catch on Netflix later. I definitely wouldn’t rush to see this in theatres, but if you’re interested, you can catch it at home.
