Movie Review - "42" (2013) ***1/2

     I love baseball. Sports in general are probably my biggest passion, or hobby, but baseball stands above all others. In the past decade, I have not been a fan of many of the changes made in baseball. Call me a purist I guess. But one of the things that was mandated that I really love, is the fact that the number 42 has been retired by all major league baseball teams and one one day each year, every player in the majors wears number 42 for that game. There's just something special about seeing all the players lined up for the national anthem and all you see is number 42's on the back of the jerseys. That is done in honor of Jackie Robinson, who on April 15, 1947 started a game for the Brooklyn Dodgers, effectively breaking baseballs long standing color barrier. He was the first black player given the opportunity to prove he was among the best players in the game...not just one of the best black players. The fact that he is considered one of the greatest second basemen to play the game proves he was the right man for the job and paved the way for black athletes everywhere. 42, written and directed by Brian Helgeland, and starring Chadwick Boseman as Robinson, is a new film detailing the events that lead to Robinson's introduction to the major leagues and the trials and tribulations that he endured along the way. While not the greatest film ever made, or even one of the best baseball films, I considered it a film everyone should see.

     The film is as much a story about Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey as it is about Robinson. As the movie opens, Rickey (Harrison Ford) has made a decision to risk being an outcast in his own profession and bring a black ballplayer to white baseball within the next year. He and his assistants pour over the files of players in the negro baseball leagues and settle on Robinson, a multi-sport star at UCLA. Rickey knows that Robinson has teamed with white players before while at UCLA and he feels that will give him a better chance of fitting in and being comfortable with what is likely to be an uncomfortable situation. Robinson is summoned to Rickey's office where he is told of the plans and Robinson is thrilled with the opportunity to be the man who breaks the color barrier. Rickey tells him, in one of the better scenes of the film, that he is looking for someone who has the guts NOT to fight back when faced with adversity. Robinson has a bit of a reputation for sticking up for himself, but Rickey wants him to keep quiet and accept the abuse that will come. Robinson marries his girlfriend, Rachel (Nicole Beharie), after finding out the news and it isn't long before the two are expecting their first child. The movie follows the first two years of Robinsons' career, the first with the minor league team in Montreal, and the second with the Dodgers. Jackie faces many coaches, teammates and opponents along the way who refuse to associate with him, and even try to hurt him on the field. The primary antagonist of the story is Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk), who constantly berates Robinson with derogatory statements. It's these scenes, including one where Robinson has a breakdown in the hall leading to the clubhouse, and another where teammates stick up for Jackie, that the movie really shines.

     While the movie does have it's moments that are great, overall something just felt lacking, and I wanted more. Oddly enough, I felt the same way about Red Tails last year, another film about African-Americans being accepted in situations where they generally have not been. I felt that movie should have went for it more, and taken itself more serious. I feel the same about 42. That was a tough time and I can't imagine what Jackie Robinson suffered through. The hatred for him was overwhelming and death threats were a common thing. That is touched on here but it's almost like it was handled with kiddy gloves. It has a family movie-of-the-week vibe to it, and perhaps that is what it was going for to make it accessible to all age levels. But I think the movie could have been great if it went deeper into the hate he experienced. For that reason, I have to knock its rating down a bit. But don't get me wrong, I do recommend this movie, especially for younger black people. I was happy to see that on a Tuesday night, when the movie has already been playing for a couple of weeks, that I was in a theater with about 20 other people, 3/4 of whom were black. There should be more films like 42 and Red Tails which are there to inspire young people. Hopefully this trend will continue.