Kevin Costner has had tremendous success with sports themed films throughout his career. His latest effort, Draft Day with Director Ivan Reitman, isn't on par with Field of Dreams or Bull Durham, but is an amiable tale likely to win over non-critical audiences. Draft Day's conclusion is never in doubt. It's basically a giant commercial for the National Football League. The credit goes to Costner's twinkle-eyed performance for making it work. The audience at my screening actually cheered at the film's climax. That's a rare feat in my experience. We'll see if that reaction holds and Draft Day becomes the number one pick at the box office.

Draft Day takes place during the twelve hour period before the start of the NFL draft. Costner stars as embattled Cleveland Browns General Manager, Sonny Weaver Jr. The team is coming off a losing season. The team owner (Frank Langella) wants a big splash to sell seats. The coach (Dennis Leary) confronts him at every turn. His girlfriend (Jennifer Garner), also the team's salary cap expert, breaks the news she's pregnant. To top it off, he has to deal with his mother (Ellen Burstyn) and the legacy of his recently deceased father, who was the team's previous coach. The world comes crashing down on Sonny as he chooses the players that will be the future of the Cleveland Browns.

Draft Day is slickly directed with a script that ticks all the boxes. Director Ivan Reitman uses clever techniques to highlight the insanity and pressure of the draft. He skillfully uses split screen and wipes when the various general managers are talking to each other. He also uses overhead shots of the various teams stadiums with titles introducing the teams and their city. This onslaught of visual cues keeps the pacing frenetic and the audience updated, while a timer counts down to the first pick. Writers Scott Rothman and Rajiv Joseph are smart enough to understand that a pure football theme would limit their audience. The addition of the pregnant girlfriend, overbearing mother, and dead father adds a human element. This approach to the story widens its reach and makes Sonny more relatable. It all seems a bit contrived to me, but then this is a 'feel good' movie meant to leave you happy and off to buy your team's merchandise.

The NFL is clearly the sponsor and big winner in Draft Day. All of the teams, sports broadcasters, players, and facilities are on display here. There isn't a second of this film where any negativity regarding the NFL is explored. Not every film has to have a dark theme, but Draft Day does come off as the head cheerleader in an NFL marketing campaign. It would have been nice to see some real angst in this story, but I suppose we'll be happy with an aw-shucks, toothy grin from Kevin Costner.