Kevin Costner’s Overlooked Sports Movie Is #1 On Streaming
Kevin Costner's Draft Day is one of the most-watched movies on HBO Max.
Although right now he’s primarily recognized for his role as Dutton family patriarch, John Dutton, on Taylor Sheridan’s smash-hit Paramount series, Yellowstone, Kevin Costner’s fan-favorite football feature, Draft Day is currently scoring touchdown after touchdown on streaming. According to FlixPatrol, the star-studded 2014 sports drama has nabbed a coveted spot on HBO Max’s Top 10.
Directed by the legendary Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters, Twins), the Kevin Costner-led feature would be the iconic filmmaker’s last project before his death just last year. In the movie, Costner stars as the fictional Sonny Weaver Jr. who proudly wears the title of the general manager of the Cleveland Browns. After his team nabs the top drafting spot at the upcoming National Football League draft, Sonny is faced with a mounting set of decisions when debating who will stay, who will go, and most importantly, who will sign on as rookies.
Along with Kevin Costner, the film boasted a killer lineup of names including Jennifer Garner, who starred as Cosnter’s on-screen love interest. Filling out the ensemble cast are Denis Leary, Sam Elliott, Ellen Burstyn, Chadwick Boseman, Frank Langella, Tom Welling, and Terry Crews as well as a handful of notable names from the NFL universe such as Roger Goodell, Bernie Kosar, Jon Gruden, Chris Berman, and Rich Eisen.
Sitting on Rotten Tomatoes with a 60%, Draft Day didn’t necessarily tackle the critics with delight but the general consensus was if you’re a Kevin Costner fan, chances are you’ll enjoy the film. Not the greatest box office grosser of the Open Range star’s career, the film would only manage to rake in a worldwide total of $29.5 million against its $25 million budget. Part of that was due to poor release timing as the second weekend of showings coincided with the highly anticipated release of Captain America: Winter Soldier.
When it comes to Kevin Costner, fans know that the actor has a special place in his heart for two genres – Westerns and sports dramas. Prior to his time in Draft Day, the actor turned heads for his portrayal of a baseball fan and farmer Ray Kinsella in 1989’s home run hit, Field of Dreams. Perhaps one of the most notable sports films of all time, the Phil Alden Robinson (The Sum of All Fears) film told the story of Kinsella who builds a baseball field in his cornfield that draws the attention of some very famous spirits from the world of baseball led by the late Ray Liotta’s Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Although Field of Dreams may be Kevin Costner’s most remembered sports drama, the actor has appeared in a slew of films about the love of the game(s) over the years, even cutting his teeth with 1982’s Chasing Dreams. Beyond that, he’s appeared in titles including American Flyers, Bull Durham, Tin Cup, For Love of the Game, and Play It to the Bone. While it’s clear that the actor’s favorite sport is baseball, some of these titles see him celebrating the skill of other pastimes.
On the other side of his career, Kevin Costner’s name is synonymous with Western productions. After his successful run in The Untouchables and Field of Dreams, Costner would go on to produce, star, and direct Dances with Wolves. In what would be the actor’s critically celebrated directorial debut, the film gave audiences a taste of what was to come with Costner’s passion for telling stories of the Old West and the wars fought over it.
With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that the actor took audiences by storm when he first appeared as John Dutton in the Western series Yellowstone back in 2018. Over the last five years, Kevin Costner and the rest of the cast behind the Paramount series have found their way into the hearts of millions of viewers who are now eagerly awaiting more news on when they can expect the show’s fifth season to return.
Beyond the brim of John Dutton’s hat, Kevin Costner is already eyeing up his next project which is yet another Western titled Horizon. Again standing at the helm of this title as the star, director, and co-writer, Yellowstone fans are beginning to get anxious that because of scheduling issues, this next batch of episodes may be the last time we see Costner in the saddle at the ranch. With no release date yet set, it’s anyone’s guess when the series will return for the second half of the fifth season.
