'Draft Day' with Kevin Costner and a lot of divas

Last Saturday afternoon we went to see 'Draft Day', the new movie starring Kevin Costner as Sonny Weaver, the manager of the Cleveland Browns.  The movie covers the time from when he leaves his home in the morning until he finishes celebrating his picks in the NBA draft.  During the day, he has to deal with one diva after another: the Browns egotistical owner (Frank Langella); the Browns arrogant new coach (Denis Leary); his recently-widowed, demanding mother (Ellen Burstyn); his needy girl-friend (Jennifer Garner) who is also a lawyer in charge of the Browns salary cap (can that be a real job?); an entitled, Heisman-winning quarterback and prospective first round draft pick (Josh Pence); his smoothly over-confident agent (Sean Combs); numerous members of the Browns coaching and management staff; numerous managers of other NFL franchises; several other potential draft picks; several NFL officials and network sports casters playing themselves.  

Original 'Draft Day' Poster with Kevin Costner and various NFL paraphernalia

Much of the movie is told through phone conversations, which use ingenious split-screen effects to relieve the tedium.  There is also a lot footage devoted to NFL product placement footage -- Radio City Music Hall on 'draft day', various NFL venues and stadiums.

Costner is the deft, agile, mostly calm center of this on-going maelstrom of egos, opinions, demands, tantrums and diatribes.  It is a wonderful role, wonderfully played.  He makes you aware of his guile, subterfuge, humor, and befuddlement .

The rest of the cast plays various types of wood -- hard, soft, light, dark, exotic, common -- but all wooden.  It's like watching Kevin Costner walking through a forest desperately trying to make sense of these encounters, but there's no one else there.