42 (2013)

“No. I want a player who’s got the guts *not* to fight back.” – Branch Rickey

Number of Times Seen – 1 (30 April 2013)

Brief Synopsis – Biopic of baseball’s first negro player, Jackie Robinson and how he made it to the big leagues

My Take on it – As many of you already know, I’m a big fan of baseball and baseball movies. This one was quite moving for me because it gave me the feeling of what it must have been like to see a game live in the 40’s.

The story was well done, many of the characters are inconsequential, but what they do and how they react is whats important. It still amazes me today in 2013 that in the 1940’s there was still segregation in the North 80 something years after the Northerners went to fight the South in the civil war. I guess there is a difference between fighting for other peoples right sand actually wanting those rights to be changes in your own home town.

It isn’t a secret that Branch Rickey made the decision to integrate baseball for the same reason most things happen in the world; to make a buck.  He saw it as an opportunity to make money for the team and baseball in general and not solely for the sake of human rights and human dignity, but sometimes when you do something for one reason, something happens and it leads you to do something for other reasons also. That’s what it seems like happened here, but all the same, a financial discussion caused the greatest change in baseball history.

Another thing I liked about the movie is it wasn’t “flashy” no big named stars to try and use their celebrity to sell the movie. Jackie Robinson is played by Chadwick Boseman and Branch Rickey is played by an unknown actor named Harrison For…. wait a sec, that was Indiana Jones as Branch Rickey? (I actually knew that before I saw the movie, but he wasn’t really recognizable, so it’s possible to forget that fact).

One of the things that I really liked was the Jackie Robinson wasn’t a home run hitter, so the action on the field is more dramatic. He hits a single, steals 2nd and 3rd and then makes it home. Much better than watching his trot around the diamond after hitting one out of the stands.

Wasn’t as great a biopic as 61* (2001) or The Rookie (2002), but a very well done baseball biopic.  Still waiting for one about Hank Aaron

Bottom Line – Great movie, strong premise, great baseball scenes. Recommended

Rating – Oscar Worthy