Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) had the vision and young Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) had the talent to transform the game of baseball and make it a more inclusive place in writer/director Brian Helgeland's new movie 42. Of course, the film is named after the number Robinson wore on his jersey (and has since been retired in his honor), but it also focuses on Rickey's efforts to allow the players with the most talent to have a shot at the big leagues, regardless of their color. Rickey is brought to live by Harrison Ford, who chews the scenery and drops memorable one liners that would make Tommy Lee Jones envious. Led by his faith and belief in a higher power, the extremely likable Rickey is a rare example of a someone who practices what he preaches.
Indeed, you cannot tell Jackie Robinson's story without also telling Branch Rickey's, so both men receive a great deal of screen time. Rickey believed in Robinson and spent time behind the scenes making sure that the youngster was treated fairly and given the same chance as every other player. However, it was Robinson who endured the scathing remarks from fans, other players and even managers, while trying to concentrate on playing the game. When verbal remarks were not effective, then an opposing teammate would resort to spiking Robinson and causing him physical pain. Many people wanted to see Robinson fail and they tried their best to bring him down, but he turned the other cheek, for the most part, that Rickey encouraged him to do, and rose above it all.
The film is set from about 1945-1947, when Jackie Robinson was signed by Rickey to play for the Dodgers' minor league affiliate in Montreal and then would eventually work his way up to the big leagues. During this time, a sportswriter, Wendell Smith (Andre Holland), offers to provide transportation for Robinson from time to time, including spring training in Florida, where racial tensions were running high. Smith also serves as narrator on occasion and was afforded the opportunity of a lifetime to see baseball's color barrier broken firsthand.
Jackie Robinson's personal life is touched upon with his marriage to Rachel (Nicole Beharie), who appears to have the same internal strength as her husband. I enjoyed the rapport between them and was initially annoyed that Rachel was off screen for long periods of time. However, during baseball season, much time is spent traveling, so it makes sense that she would not be seen regularly. The aforementioned talented actors are ably supported by Christopher Meloni as Leo Durocher, who is fierce and commanding, both on the field and off, Lucas Black as Robinson's easygoing teammate Pee Wee Reese, and John C. McGinley as legendary announcer Red Barber, who certainly had a way with words. Even minor characters are portrayed by talented actors, including Max Gail, T.R. Knight, Alan Tudyk and James Pickens Jr.
One of the most startling aspects of 42 is depicted in the changes that Jackie Robinson's teammates undergo as they see firsthand the horrors of racism. Those players are not coaxed by Robinson or Rickey, but many of them change their minds through shared experiences and the desire to have a winning team with the best players, Robinson included. In one scene, Helgeland focuses on the hateful rants of a father whose young son soon imitates his behavior, which is very disturbing, but also eye-opening, as the cycle of racism is repeated from one generation to another.
While I am not old enough to know what life was like in the 1940s, 42 felt realistic to me, which is a credit to Brian Helgeland, who has crafted a fast moving, well acted and thoroughly enjoyable film that pays attention to detail and seems to get everything just right. 42 is also the type of film that parents should take their children to see. It has the power to teach those young minds some important lessons about treating others with respect, turning the other cheek, and also serves as a history lesson about two of the greatest men to be associated with the beloved game of baseball.
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