Home Run

Rating: 7/10 (29 January 2014)

Jackie Robinson is the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball player who became the first black man to play in the then all white major league.
Robinson who was regarded as a hot-head is played by Chadwick Boseman, who over time has to control his emotions as he encounters deliberate provocation and casual racism from those around him.
This is not a bio-pic of Robinson but his rise to the big leagues from the black leagues and the struggle he went through.
Of course this film follows a line of sports film that goes back the last 15 years that deals with the struggles of black or mixed sports team whether its football, basketball or baseball.
It might look odd now, almost 60 years later that a black baseball player being booed by his own supporters and disliked by many of his team mates solely because of his colour and not his abilities.
I heard about this project some years ago when Robert Redford was lined up to play Branch Rickey, a part now played by Harrison Ford in this film.
At least Ford is less grouchy in this film than some of his other recent roles and we get some understanding why he went out on a limb to have a black player in his team.
There is able support from other actors although only Lucas Black, Alan Tudyk and Nicole Beharie stand out.
The film is a nice, well made drama. It keeps you entertained but looks and feels rather old fashioned. You feel even with the racism shown, it is pulling its punches.