42

Cast of Characters:

Jackie Robinson - Chadwick Boseman

Branch Rickey - Harrison Ford

Rachel Isum Robinson - Nicole Beharie

Leo Durocher - Christopher Meloni

Wendell Smith - Andre Holland

Pee Wee Reese - Lucas Black

Hamish Linklater - Ralph Branca

Dixie Walker - Ryan Merriman

Director - Brian Helgeland

Screenplay - Brian Helgeland

Raged PG-13 for thematic elements including language

      On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first black baseball player to join Major League Baseball, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Throughout his career, Jackie won the 1947 MLB Rookie of the Year, 1949 NL MVP, 1949 Batting Title, was a 2x NL Steals Champion (1947, 1949) and a 6x MLB All-Star (1949-1954). He appeared in six World Series Contests against the New York Yankees (one of the most historic MLB rivalries of all time), and won the World Series in 1955 near the end of his career along with other Dodger legends such as Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, and - at the time - rookie pitcher Sandy Koufax. Now in 2013, Jackie is finally getting the bigscreen bio-pic treatment with 42.

      Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), having previously served his country in World War II, is a shortstop for a Negro League ball club. At the time, Major League Baseball was exclusively white until Brooklyn Dodgers team executive Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) gives Robinson offer to play with his team's affiliate, the Montreal Royals. If Robinson can prove himself as a player there, he'll have a spot waiting for him in the Dodgers' lineup. Rickey's idea of bringing in a black ballplayer is met with some hesitation from others in his organization that fear a backlash from the league. Rickey states though that there are many black baseball fans in Brooklyn. Baseball doesn't know black or white. It only knows the color great - the color of money. So things seem to be looking up for Jackie. He not only is given the opportunity of a lifetime from Rickey, he also marries his girlfriend, Rachel Isum (Nicole Beharie). Rickey warns Jackie, though, that he faces insurmountable odds entering an all-white sports league. He'll face jeers from the crowds, taunts and curses from fans, players, coaches, maybe even his teammates, and rejection from the naysayers. It's up to himself to be the better man. "I'm not looking for a man with the guts to fight back. I'm looking for a man who has the guts not to fight back.", quotes Rickey. Branch wants Jackie only to prove two things to those opposed: That he's a fine gentleman and a great baseball player.

      Well, like Branch predicted, the moment Jackie steps out onto Ebbets Field, the curses, booing, racial taunts, you name it, come flying. Hell, even beforehand, some of Robinson's own teammates threaten to boycott with a petition sent to Rickey. Despite all those against him, Robinson's not alone. Along with his executive and wife, his first team manager Leo Durocher (Christopher Meloni) and teammate shortstop Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black) stand by his side, pointing out the color of his skin shouldn't matter if he can help the team obtain the ultimate prize - a World Series Championship.

      I'm a big sports fan, and while not my favorite sport (basketball), I still love the game of baseball. I love the history behind it, the stories of the many great baseball legends, and the Sabermetrics of the game. One historical inaccuracy aside (Leo Durocher was not suspended by the MLB for an adulterous affair. It was for gambling), this is still a well made sports bio-pic of the great Jackie Robinson. Chadwick Boseman, who up until this movie I had not heard of, gives a terrific performance as the hall of fame legend. A slightly unrecognizable Harrison Ford goes all in with the cigar chomping and furry eyebrows as the Hall of Fame Dodgers' executive Branch Rickey. It's a performance that almost borders on over the top at times, but Ford knows when to go all in and when to hold back at the right moments. It's roles like these that prove Ford's capable of more than just donning a Fedora hat and steering the Millennium Falcon. The lovely Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, Lucas Black, and Andre Holland all turn in some solid supporting work, and John C. McGinley does a great job in a small role as Dodgers' broadcaster Red Barber. The one criticism I had with this film is we don't see as much as we could into the pressure and adversity that Robinson had to face. Aside from one very effective meltdown scene involving Robinson leaving the dugout to smash his baseball bat in frustration after enduring some racist chants from Phillies' Manager Ben Chapman, we don't really get much more than that. I find it hard to believe that all the adversity Robinson faced in just the first week of his first season alone boiled down to just one bat breaking incident. We do get one scene involving Branch Rickey showing shortstop Pee Wee Reese the death threat letters given to Robinson, but we never see Robinson's reaction to receiving them. Why not? It's an effective scene, mind you, as it's Branch's way of showing an anxious Reese that what he's going through is hardly anything compared to what Jackie's dealing with. An even better scene, though, would've been Robinson and his wife reacting to them.

      In spite of my criticism I'm still giving this a solid recommendation because along with the strong performance work, writer/director Brian Helgeland manages to make an effective and moving sports drama that avoids heading into sentimentally syrupy territory. Could this have been better? Of course, but is it still worth seeing? Absolutely. While not quite the gut punch of an impact we could've gotten in terms of what Robinson truly went through, there are still some moments that will genuinely leave an impression on you. It's amazing that in spite of all that Robinson went through, he didn't see himself as a "hero" or "Black Savior" for baseball. He saw himself as just another ball player - black, yellow, white, or striped like a Zebra - that wanted to win. His athleticism and skill as a hitter (He certainly wasn't a Home Run blaster like a Ruth or Aaron or Mays) and base stealer as well as an exceptional fielder made him a great ball player. His ability to "turn the other cheek" in spite of his adversity made him a great man. It's not quite at the level of say Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, The Natural, and The Pride of the Yankees; however, this baseball bio-pic is still definitely worth your time. I give 42 a B+ (★★★½).