"42" is a class act

Rating: 8/10 (15 April 2013)

This country has been racist and prejudice for years to minorities. But in that "great American pastime" baseball, it was just a "white-only" club. "Negroes" as we were called back then (and still now)who had talent could never get a chance to play in the big league , had the Negro baseball league. to play in.
Then on April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American baseball player. to be on the all white Brooklyn Dodgers. "42" tells the story of Jackie Robinson being signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers by team executive Branch Rickey and how it was a real challenge during his rookie season as a Brooklyn Dodgers player.
I felt the film was done well with good directing by Brian Helgeland who also wrote the screenplay. He let his cast act and it shows in their performances. I liked Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson. Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey. Nicole Behanie as Rachel Robinson, and Andre Holland as Wendell Smith. These four were real standouts and I just enjoyed watching them do their roles.
I felt the performances of Lucas Black, Christopher Meloni, Ryan Merriman, Alan Tudyl, John C. McGinley, T.R. Knight, James Pickens Jr., Gino Anthony Pesi, and Matt Clark were good ones that added to the film.
"42" for me was a powerful and superb film that everyone should see, even if you are not a baseball fan. It looks at a period in our country where stupidity was running amuck in not treating people with respect, fairness, and looking at their color first. Two men started something that would change our lives for the better and thank God that that!!!!!