
Draft Day
2014, Drama, 1h 49m
159 Reviews 25,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
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. Read critic reviews
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Where to watch
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Sonny Weaver Jr.
Ali
Coach Penn
Anthony Molina
Coach Moore
Chris Crawford
News & Interviews for Draft Day
Critic Reviews for Draft Day
All Critics (159) | Top Critics (51) | Fresh (95) | Rotten (64)
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Plays like Moneyball-lite ...
October 5, 2014 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review… -
Air-punch inducing drama with Kevin Costner about the surprisingly fascinating sport of American Football player trading.
October 3, 2014 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… -
Quarterback scrambles forever muscle centre stage, leaving the human element scrimmaging on the sidelines.
October 2, 2014 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… -
The drama holds the attention throughout, even if the script never quite crackles as it might.
October 2, 2014 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… -
Kevin Costner, at his most stony-faced, making a whole bunch of time-pressured phone calls, and rallying with fists clenched to exclaim "I love this job!", and so on.
October 2, 2014 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review… -
Ivan Reitman's dull-witted movie about the flurries of player trading on N.F.L. draft day might be a commercial for professional football.
April 21, 2014 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Draft Day
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Jul 26, 2015Dramatic, exciting, and yet undeniably commercialized, Draft Day is a sort of poor man's Moneyball. As the name would suggest, it revolves around the exploits of GM Sonny Weaver as his team prepares for the much-hyped Draft Day. What I expected going in to Draft Day was something completely pandering to the NFL, a sort of 2 hour promo for the league and it's growing commercial power and branding. What I actually got was some of that, but also a rather interesting character drama, lead by the great Kevin Costner. His Weaver is a man of insecurity, uncertainty, and yet one of confidence and boldness. It's a perfect combination, and perhaps a rather accurate combination of modern-day NFL execs. Costner is, by far, the most capable actor on screen, and the most interesting. When the film stays with him, it succeeds, and fortunately director Ivan Reitman recognized that. There are clichés to be had, and many of the side characters didn't work for me, especially Jennifer Garner (whom I quite like), but it manages to remain relevant by surprising the viewer. There's a real heart to be had in the story, and a lesson to be learned. It doesn't redefine the sports movie genre, but it keeps us entertained. 3.5/5 StarsJeffrey M Super Reviewer
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May 23, 2015Costner seems to be the poster boy for Sports comedies and dramas and while this is far from his best I still fairly enjoyed it. The human aspect falls quite short but the football side is quite well done but this film is far from the quality of Moneyball! Garner and Leary are wasted in thankless roles and was surprised that Ivan Reitman couldn't have delivered a better film. Costner is the reason the film works at all and I am glad to see him back in movies on a regular basis. 05-23-2015Christopher O Super Reviewer
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Dec 06, 2014While I can enjoy a good alternate universe sports movie, I cannot, for some reason, appreciate Kevin Costner. He's just an emotionless sack on screen to me. I don't think he quite pulled off the commanding general manager role. The dialogue felt stilted and forced for most of the cast. There were a few cameos that some NFL fans will appreciate but overall, this average flick won't quite entertain or leave anyone thinking the outcome mattered.Lane Z Super Reviewer
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Oct 18, 2014One of the rare films where Costner's understated and wooden persona is actually effective. I enjoyed the film quite a bit.Christian C Super Reviewer
Draft Day Quotes
Sonny Weaver, Jr.: | Shall we give in to the trumpet's final call, to the banner that waves yet so freely? |
Coach Penn: | Upon the heart of man hath this dilemma wrought such consequence, from Melia to Argencourt. We ride, but I no longer know to which drum or to what end. |
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