If you’re not bothered to read the whole review and just want a wholesome, uplifting sports comedy you can mindlessly watch without exerting too much energy then I highly recommend Undrafted. It’s effortlessly entertaining and very heartfelt and you won’t regret watching it (I’m like 60% sure).
You know the Vine that goes, “Just a couple of guys being dudes”? Well, that’s basically this whole movie. This has been in my watch list for quite some time and I’m so mad at myself for waiting this long to watch it because it was really good (I want to watch it at least three more times good). I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t think I’d be writing a review for it because I just watched it for the fun of it and it didn’t seem like it would be that intriguing, but I noticed something along the way that changed it for me and here we are.
The events of Undrafted take place during a baseball game on the day of the Major League Baseball draft. One of the boys on the team who was up to be drafted didn’t make the cut, and that brings down the morale of the whole gang. This seemingly unimportant game with his menacing teammates turns out to be a cathartic experience to come to terms with his not-so-ideal reality. As per usual I didn’t do a well enough job putting the plot into words but trust me, this is a movie you want to watch. We all love a good team sport movie where the underdogs rise up to the challenge (at least I do) but combine that with some pure crackhead energy and undistilled chaos and you get Undrafted. Check out the trailer below:
If you think this sounds like every other sports movie ever made, you’re not wrong. It’s very predictable and has so many generic tropes from the genre. But, it’s based on a true story which is told from a very personal perspective. The undrafted player in this movie is John Mazzello, and his brother Joe Mazzello wrote, directed, and starred in this. You may know him from Bohemian Rhapsody where he plays John Deacon or from the @oneminutemen Instagram where he, Will Malnati and Sebastian Stan (yes, Bucky Barnes) post crack videos for no apparent reason. I mean he has a more impressive filmography, but this is just where I know him from.
Anyway, I saw in the opening credits that Joe Mazzello was directing and I didn’t think much of it until there was a role call of the players and I heard his last name. I thought it would be too strange to be a coincidence and I looked it up and saw that he was the older brother of the protagonist (John Mazzello, played by Aaron Tveit). I think their connection is a big reason why I wanted to write this review because I literally know nothing about baseball, nor do I care for it but I do know and care about family. Joe Mazello took a pivotal moment in his brother’s life, which could have easily turned bad and told it from his point of view; giving a whole new light and depth to the characters. I thought that was quite wholesome.
There are of course other reasons to put this on your watch list. For starters, it has a very familiar cast. This is usually my number one reason to watching a movie but it’s a bad habit that I’m trying to break. It’s just that when you know who is in it, it’s easier to get invested. If you have seen any mainstream TV show in the past few years the chances of you recognizing someone from this cast is very likely: Tyler Hoechlin (Teen Wolf), Aaron Tveit and Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl), Manny Montana (Good Girls), and Jay Hayden (Station 19) just to name a few.
Another reason why I took to this movie is because it happens in the course of a day so there’s nothing else to focus on; no side stories, no love triangles, no complications: just a bunch of dudes hyping each other up, playing baseball and figuring things out. Sometimes less is more and this movie delivered it perfectly. Also, I don’t know if it’s just me but movies that take place in just one day or a mere few hours are more compelling because anything could happen; you don’t know what you’re in for (here’s a list). I’m also quite fond of the way that I can resonate with most members of the D’Backs.
I do think that some of the performances were over the top but given that Aaron Tveit was very subtle it worked well. There was a good balance; it was hectic and calm, it was happy and sad, it was satisfactory and disappointing. It just felt very real and I loved it. I think I might sign off here because this wasn’t a planned post so I wasn’t really paying adequate attention to write more. All I can say is I really like this movie and I’ll probably keep watching it in the years to come and that’s always a good sign.
Put this under sports movies I went into with no expectations but walked out loving.
Wrestling and Other Things 