While I am by no means a sports aficionado, I do love learning about its' history. The film 42: The Jackie Robinson Story expresses in great detail the aspects of Jackie Robinsons' life and career that most people might not know about. It is one of my favorite films in the past several years.
42: The Jackie Robinson Story chronicles Jackie Robinsons' life and career from 1945 to 1947. What makes this movie so brilliant is that it touches on key historical moments with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization that are an important part of sports history. While Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball is absolutely the driving force in this film, and executed to perfection, the other historical moments help you realize that the Brooklyn Dodgers orginization could have cracked and crumbled at any time. These moments also help you realize that what Jackie Robinson was doing was actually important for many people. One example of this is when Leo Durocher (Christopher Meloni) gets suspended for adultery, and the Dodgers need to hire a new manager. Yes, the Dodgers do have Jackie Robinson, but without someone to be the captain, the team would have fallen apart. Another moment is when Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black) puts his arm around Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. While this moment has been disputed among sports historians, I am glad it is in the film. This is an important moment for Reese because he is letting his family, friends and everyone else know that he does not care what they think. He supports Robinson and what he is doing for the sport. Obviously, the most important thing about this film is the story of Jackie Robinson. I love that the movie begins with Robinsons' start in the Negro Leagues with the Kansas City Monarchs, and that it shows his rise to the Major Leagues. While Robinson is famously known for playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers, I personally feel that showing how he got started is an important piece of history that the general public might not know about before seeing this film.We also see that, obviously, Jackie Robinson had a tough start to his career. Crowds booed, yelled racial slurs, and there was even a petition signed by certain members of the Brooklyn Dodgers that said that they refused to play with Robinson. Still, Robinson remained strong. However, there is an important sequence in the movie that I want to talk about. What makes it even more important is that this actually happened. There is a sequence in the film where Philadelphia Phillies Manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk) is constantly insulting Jackie Robinson and yelling racial slurs at him. This scene is important because it shows that Robinson has just about had enough, and that it was extremely hard for Robinson to turn the other cheek at times. The next scene in the hallway under the dugout between Robinson and Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) is incredibly emotional to watch because Rickey tells Robinson that he has to endure and let this all go because if he does not, then nothing that he has done in his career will have ever mattered. As excellent and inspiring as this film is, there are a couple of minor discrepancies that I have with it. First, Jackie Robinson calls his girlfriend, Rachel (Nicole Beharie), and proposes to her even though they are opposite sides of the country. That's all fine, but where did he get the ring and where did they get married? Those details were not clear. Also, I would have preferred to see this film end with the Brooklyn Dodgers going to the World Series instead of with them winning the division pennant. As much as they talk about going to the World Series in this movie, it seems fitting that that is how the movie should have ended. Other than these two minor flaws, this is one of the best sports history films I have ever seen, and I am proud to have it in my collection.
Chadwick Boseman plays Jackie Robinson. Robinson is cocky on the field and smooth with his lady, and Boseman captures those particular aspects of Robinson perfectly. Bosemans' acting chops particularly shine when he is expressing Robinsons' attitude towards segregation. Robinson walks into "white" bathrooms without hesitation, and never lets the people get to him. The way Boseman smiles after Robinson almost getting hit by a pitch just oozes an "Is that all you got?" attitude. Robinson resents segregation, and because of that he does not see what he is doing for sports as that big of a deal. He just wants to play baseball. This is an incredibly fine performance by an actor who got my attention immediately when I saw this movie in the cinema nearly four years ago.
Harrison Ford turns in a downright brilliant performance as Branch Rickey. Rickey is a man who, like Jackie Robinson, not only resents segregation, but shows incredible determination in bringing the first African American into Major League Baseball. He also offers reassurance and encouragement to Robinson when he needs it. Ford steals every scene he is in in this movie, and damn near runs away with the whole thing. His scenes with Boseman are fantastic, and the scene where Rickey listens to Robinsons' home run that solidifies their pennant win is incredibly emotional. In my opinion, he should have gotten an Oscar nomination for his wonderful work in this film.
Brian Helgeland is the director of 42: The Jackie Robinson Story. I love what Helgeland did with this film. The costumes, the historical baseball fields, and the classic baseball jerseys are all a sight to behold. What is important to note in this film is that every scene is about something. The story progresses in every frame, and that is a testament to Helgeland, who also wrote the screenplay. There is also a specific look to this film that makes it feel authentic. Helgeland created true art when he made this movie.
Since I first saw this movie nearly four years ago, it has since become a favorite of mine. I love learning history by watching movies. If you are a fan of sports, and/or sports history, you will definitely love this film.
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