Kevin Costner’s Underrated Sports Movie from ‘Ghostbusters’ Director Comes to Netflix
Director Ivan Reitman, known primarily for his comedies like Stripes, Twins, and Ghostbusters, ventured into new territory with his 2014 sports drama, Draft Day. The movie, Reitman’s final directorial project prior to his death in 2022, focuses on the NFL’s Draft Day, when professional American football teams pick the best new players to join their franchises through a dramatic drafting process
Kevin Costner, in one of his most underrated movies, stars in the lead role as Cleveland Browns’ General Manager Sonny Weaver Jr., whose Draft Day is thrown into chaos when the Seattle Seahawks trade him their number one pick. The opportunity to get star quarterback Bo Callahan on his team (played by Josh Pence, a real Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from the University of Wisconsin), is too big to pass up. What follows is a drama-filled day as Sonny makes decisions that upset his current team, the Browns’ owner (Frank Langella), the head coach (Denis Leary), and the city of Cleveland. He’s under immense pressure to live up to his family’s legacy as his father, the Browns’ beloved coach Sonny Weaver Sr., died just days earlier.
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Draft Day creates a sense of authenticity by including real footage from Radio City Music Hall in NYC on Draft Day 2013 and casting recognizable football faces in the movie — including ESPN radio hosts Tony Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer, NFL announcers, and several cameo appearances from current and previous players. In fact, Draft Day was the last film appearance of Cleveland Browns alum, civil rights activist, and actor Jim Brown before his death in 2023. The movie also boasts a solid cast with the late Chadwick Boseman playing the role of Vantae Mack, a linebacker who is trying to get drafted to the Browns, and brief appearances by other A-listers like Sam Elliott, Terry Crews, Ellen Burstyn, and Rosanna
