Draft Day

“Draft Day” is an action-packed drama that captures the excitement of Draft Day in NFL football. General manager Sonny Weaver Jr. of the Cleveland Browns has to choose the draft picks for the 2014 season. No matter what decision he makes, someone is going to be upset—putting careers and relationships on the line. What will Sonny do?

“Draft Day” does have some moral messages, but it is not without offensive material. Profanity is frequent throughout the movie, with several uses of God’s name in vain—not unexpected in movies of this genre. G** d*** is used 11 times, Jesus’ name is used in vain 8-10 times, God’s name (6), Christ (2), h*ll (9). F***er is used once, s*** (16), a** (4), p*ss (1), b*tch (1), and b*stard (2).

Violence is moderate. One character throws a laptop in anger, and another character trashes someone else’s office. Also, there is mention of a gang fight and someone being hurt so badly he is in the hospital.

There is mention of a character’s 21st birthday party where he claims he doesn’t remember anything.

There is also a lot of sexual misconduct in this film. Although we do not see anyone having sex, a woman’s back is seen in the shower. We later find out that this woman, Ali, is Sonny Jr’s girlfriend and she is pregnant. While it is a relief that Ali does not plan to abort the baby, the Bible warns against fornication (Mark 7:20-22; Galatians 5:19). To make matters more sinful, Sonny was previously married and now divorced. Therefore, even if he marries Ali, he has committed adultery and will continue to do so (Matthew 19:9; Matthew 5:32; Mark 10:11-12). It should also be noted Ali is about 20 years younger than Sonny Jr, which some people may find offensive. She also wears tight skirts. Men are heard gossiping about another sleeping with multiple girls in a week (and uses the derogatory term “smack” for having sex) and talking about their past experiences. Again, we are reminded of the sin of fornication. Male genitalia is referred to as b*lls and d*cks. One character tells another to perform incest with his mother. An athletic trainer hits multiple characters in the buttocks. There is also potty humor.

Another issue in the movie is worry. Many characters are worried about keeping their jobs and making ends meet. Jesus tells us not to worry (Matthew 6:31). Christians can see the stress the characters are putting themselves under and remember that we have a choice and can avoid such stress by trusting the Lord God. Idolizing work is also a problem, because one character says she “devoted her life to football,” and we should only devote our lives to God.

Despite the distracting offensive material, the movie has overtones of standing up for what’s right, even while risking angering others. Jesus tells us we will face persecution for doing what’s right and that He will bless us for doing so (Matthew 5:10). I will not say any more as that may spoil the ending of the movie.

Several characters admit when they were wrong. Christians could learn from this because we are expected to make peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ (Matthew 5:23-25) and also to confess our wrongdoings to one another (James 5:16).

Overall, “Draft Day” is a drama that keeps viewers on their toes. There is some objectionable content, but there is some good as well. It’s up to you.

Violence: Mild / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Mild to moderate

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.