42
Tags: historical

Plot synopsis:
The film tells the story of Jackie Robinson and, under the guidance of team executive Branch Rickey, Robinson's signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers to become the first African-American player to break the baseball color barrier. The story focuses mostly on the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers season and somewhat on Robinson's 1946 season with the Montreal Royals, which emphasize his battles with racism.
In 1945, after sportswriter Wendell Smith suggests that Rickey consider Robinson as the black ballplayer Rickey is looking for, Robinson and his team, the Kansas City Monarchs, stop by a gas station. When the attendant refuses Robinson entry to the washroom, Robinson says they will find another station at which to fill up the team bus, and the attendant relents. As Robinson steps out, a scout for the Dodgers sent by Rickey approaches him and invites him to Brooklyn. He is offered a $600 per month contract and a $3,500 signing bonus, which Robinson accepts after being warned by Rickey that he must control his temper if he wants to play. Robinson proposes to his girlfriend, Rachel, by phone and she accepts.
During spring training, Robinson earns a roster spot with the Montreal Royals, the AAA affiliate of the Brooklyn farm system. After a great season there and spring training in Panama, he advances to the Dodgers. Most of the team soon signs a petition, stating they refuse to play with Robinson, but manager Leo Durocher insists Robinson will play with the main team. When Durocher is suspended by Happy Chandler, the Commissioner of Baseball, for actions in his personal life, leaving the Dodgers without a manager to start the regular season, Burt Shotton agrees to manage the team.
In a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, manager Ben Chapman taunts Robinson, causing him to go back to the dugout and smash his bat out of frustration. With encouragement from Rickey, Robinson then returns to the field and hits a single, steals second base and advances to third on a throwing error, and scores the winning run. When Chapman's behavior toward Robinson generates bad press for the team, the Phillies' owner requires him to pose with Robinson for newspapers and magazine photos.
Later, Robinson's teammate Pee Wee Reese comes to understand what kind of pressure Robinson is facing, and makes a public show of solidarity, standing with his arm around Robinson's shoulders before a hostile crowd at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, silencing them.
In a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Enos Slaughter "accidentally" spikes Robinson on the back of the leg with his cleats while running the bases.
Robinson's home run against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Fritz Ostermueller, who had earlier hit him in the head, helps clinch the National League pennant for the Dodgers, sending them to the World Series, which they would lose to the New York Yankees. A concluding postscript describes how Rickey, Robinson, and many of his teammates went on to have distinguished careers, including inductions into the Baseball Hall of Fame, besides Chapman, who was fired and forbidden to join an MLB team forever due to his racism. (This was not, in fact, entirely true: Chapman was fired in the 1948 season due to the Phillies' losing record, but he later resurfaced as a major league coach with the Cincinnati Reds.) The notes also describe the entrance of other African Americans into the Major Leagues, beginning with the season after Robinson's debut.

Review: I absolutely wouldn't have taken the risk of playing a game while people threatened my wife and child.When Jackie finally got angry enough to smash his bat against a wall, that was the ONLY thing I could relate to - then to realize he had to go back out there because it was about MORE than just him - I was flabbergasted by his courage.This is more than a film about baseball.
The nuances like watching people in second class seating still turning out to support Robinson in full-on "Sunday church service" dress was poignant to me.This movie ain't just about Jackie.My mom is from New York, and she was 7 years old when Jackie joined the Dodgers.
Jackie Robinson.Writer/Director Brian Helgeland (s/p for L.A. Confidential and Mystic River) takes a look at what occurred in 1945-47, when Brooklyn Dodgers President and GM Branch Rickey (played by Harrison Ford) made the business decision to integrate baseball.
He settles on Jackie Robinson after their infamous 3 hour meetings where Rickey confronts Robinson with his need for a black player "with the guts NOT to fight back".Chadwick Boseman portrays Jackie Robinson as a man thoroughly in love with his wife Rachel (played by Nicole Beharie), and one who says he just wants to "be a ballplayer", while at the same time taking pride in his world-changing role.
Of course as a baseball fan, I enjoyed the all too brief antics of Brooklyn manager Leo Durocher (Christopher Meloni) whose place in the Robinson story would have been much more profound had he not succumbed to the weakness of the flesh (so to speak).Filmmaker Helgeland provides a tale of morality and social change, and provides a glimpse at the character and strength required by those involved.
He's one of the only people in the movie who actually treats Jackie like a human being from the beginning.The other actors were good too.With almost every sports movie, you can pretty much tell were the story was going.
Writer-director Brian Helgeland manages to artfully mix elements of drama, baseball action, humor and romance[!] while telling an important story about recent American history.I thought it was wise for the film to focus on just a few years of Robinson's career, so that more time could be given to important scenes both on and off the field."42" is not called the "Jackie Robinson Story" for a reason.
The film shows the roles that Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), Robinson's wife Rachel (Nicole Beharie), and journalist Wendell Smith (Andre Holland) played in Robinson's career and life.
You ask anyone who follows baseball they know the name, the number, what it meant to the sport, and this country.Luckily the film doesn't try to do too much by telling the life story of Jackie Robinson, instead it focuses on Robinson's days in the Negro League in 1945 to his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
At a time when the society in America was still segregated based on race, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American Major League Baseball player.
Harrison Ford is unforgettable in his supporting role as Branch Rickey, the legendary General Manger who took great risks in signing Jackie Robinson.
The acting overall is wonderful, and I give credit to a great supporting cast.The film is a true inspirational story of how a baseball player helped change a sport, and how sport can change a country.
But we also see Robinson get some support from his wife, Rachel (Nicole Beharie), a fellow African-American reporting on him named Wendell Smith (Andre Holland), and especially, Brooklyn Dodgers head Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford).
With the support of journalist Wendell Smith (Andre Holland), Rachel Robinson (Nicole Beharie) and Dodger's owner Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), Jackie proves he has what it takes to make it.I really love this film.
However, film does not actually follow the whole story of Jackie, it more tells a story of racial revolution in baseball, which escalated after one bold decision of Brooklyn Dodgers executive - Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford).
And since every of them, regardless their skin color paid money to see Robinson playing, this new transfer to the team could be successful.Brian Helgeland wrote a pretty interesting and engaging script, with really good dialogues (well, he has a great experience of it from LA Confidential and Mystic River).
The release date of April 12th coinciding with the start of the baseball season, as well as Jackie Robinson Day on April 15th (when every MLB player sports #42 in his honor), felt appropriate and was clever marketing.In case you live under a rock and/or you happened to go to one of the few elementary schools that didn't require its students to write a report on a famous black person for Black History Month, Jackie Robinson was the first African American Major League Baseball player, who played first and second base with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947 through 1956.
Then of course, there's the legendary Harrison Ford as Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, the man who helped break the color barrier by deciding to sign Robinson.
Chadwick Boseman's attention to detail and firm grasp on Robinson's control as well as Harrison Ford's masterful portrayal of Rickey's unapologetic force create a dynamic energy that pushes the film forward in every single scene.
The Rocky formula was nicely dropped on the Jackie Robinson story as this legendary player had to go up against layers of racism within the sport of baseball while also dealing with his team's tough pennant race.
He was there with his wife, Rachel, and as brief as out encounter was, I came away remembering two things: I had just met a great man and I had just met a great woman who was in love with him.Now, in 2013, we can all learn about Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color barrier in major league baseball.
McGinley played the Red Barber I remember growing up (although he had moved on to other teams by then), and look for an Oscar nomination for Harrison Ford as Dodger owner Branch Rickey.Do yourself a favor and head for a theater near you and see why this movie gets a perfect 4 out of Fordyce.Credit Check: Nothing happens after the credits..
"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.
Instead of a hard-hitting look at all the extremely powerful, emotional, and impactful events that surrounded Jackie Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodgers and MLB as a whole, we are given a PG "everything is roses in the end" cream puff of a movie.
The most pivotal statement in that movie takes place between Harrison Ford's character Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson played by Boseman.
"42" about Jackie Robinson, the first African American major league baseball player, is a beautiful, inspirational, must-see movie.
Jackie Robinson was a true hero, as was Branch Rickey, the white man who decided to break the color line in baseball.
Baseball executive Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) selects Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to be the first African American player on a major league team.
My tale only amplified the film, a revelation to her, for not only did she not know the Jackie Robinson story, she did not understand the pervasiveness of racism that existed throughout America at the time, in so many levels of society.The bravery of Robinson, as well as Dodgers' owner Branch Rickey and others came as news, and for only the second time that I remember, she enjoyed "a baseball picture" ("Moneyball" was the first.)Harrison Ford turns in a surprisingly good performance (to my surprise), and the rest of the cast is marvelous, including, of course, Chadwick Boseman as Robinson and Nicole Beharie as his wife.
My mother told me he did something important in baseball, better than a winning home run.Thank God what he did was open the doors to talented black and other ethnic players to play baseball, it changed the game forever.This movie depicts this feat done by this man as well as the audacious Branch Rickey, general manager of the Dodgers.
All of the Dodgers portrayed were actually members of the team at the time: Ralph Branca, Eddy Stanky, Pee Wee Reese, Dixie Walker, and Kirby Higbe (Higbe was 2-0 with Brooklyn before his ill-fated trade to Pittsburgh, where he was 11-17).Ben Chapman was indeed the manager for the Phillies, and Fritz Ostermueller was a pitcher for Pittsburgh.There were also pretty realistic images of Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds, even though those ball parks have been long ago torn down.I especially like the guy who played Leo Durocher, by the way, though I believe the real reason for his suspension from baseball for one year was due to his association with gamblers and some shady underworld characters, not for his running around with women.
It is, for much of the time, a rather sensitive portrayal of racism, how to combat racism, and - of course - of Jackie Robinson's struggle against racism as he makes his way to the major leagues.As a baseball movie, this is very well done.
Brian Helgeland wrote and directed a solid hit with a fine cast, but this is a painful film to watch on the one hand, and a celebration of one of the first cracks in the racism veneer of this country.Briefly the story can be summarized as follows: 'In 1946, Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) is a Negro League baseball player who never takes racism lying down.
This movie, though we associate the number 42 of Jackie Robinson's Dodgers' uniform with baseball, is a film about far more than baseball; in fact it has not that much to do with the game as it does with the character of the man himself, as well as another man, Branch Rickey, and the truly important mark these two men made on American history.I shudder to think what would have happen, how longer things would taken to change the course of civil rights and integration in the U.S. if someone with a lesser character and strength had been the one chosen by Rickey, or any other professional sport league owner.The movie will once again depict the ugly state of relations and of racism in the years the preceded his final acceptance by the fans.
And it was returning US Army veteran Let. Jackie Roosevelt Robinson, Chadwick Boseman, who was the person chosen by Brooklyn Dodger owner Branch "Rick-a-Dink" Rickey, Harrison Ford,to do it!
Though it is probably hard to watch for a 2013 audience who is much more experienced in a culturally diverse world, the film actually could have used some more grit and racial circumstances showing how rough this long baseball season was for Robinson, his wife (Nicole Beharie) and all the African American supporters during this time.For anyone who has never heard of Jackie Robinson or this story, 42 might be worth while for some.
While the film is mostly accurate and captures the truth of racism in baseball during the years 1945, 46, and 47, it is cliché-ridden and falls short of transferring Robinson's greatness to the screen.Played by the excellent Chadwick Boseman, Robinson signed with the Dodgers organization after a search of "suitable" black players by team President and General Manager Branch Rickey.
"If Robinson can help us win and everything I have seen says yes he can, then he is going to play on this ball club." On opening day at Ebbets field before a large crowd, half of whom were black, Robinson became the first African-American to play in the major leagues since the 1880s.One of the dramatic highlights of the film is Robinson's barely restrained stoicism in the face of the nonstop slurs delivered by Phillies Manager Ben Chapman using the word "nigger" probably more than any other time in the history of cinema (I haven't seen Django Unchained).
In spite of its shortcomings, 42 is an engaging and highly entertaining sports movie.Though it largely ignores the fact that the integration of baseball was part of a larger political movement in which progressive unions, civil rights organizations, activists, and other protest groups fought for a decade to eliminate discrimination in housing, jobs, and other sectors of society as well as baseball, the film will help to introduce Jackie Robinson to a new generation.
The full review of this can be found on slashcomment:Jackie Robinson's journey from the buses of Negro league baseball to becoming the first black player to play in the all-white Major Leagues is a story on much the same level as that of Neil Armstrong's one giant leap for mankind 22 years later.
Harrison Ford's character is more like Mickey in Rocky and the nobody who played Jackie Robinson clearly took no acting lessons.Also this movie focused too heavily on the game of baseball instead of developing Robinson's character.
"Maybe tomorrow, we'll all wear 42, so nobody could tell us apart."42 is a wonderful and inspiring sports movie based on the life of Jackie Robinson, the first colored baseball player to make it to the Major Leagues.
The Brooklyn Dodgers team executive, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), decides its time to shake things up a little and decides to contract Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), the first African American to sign for the Major Leagues.
It's the age of Jackie Robinson – the man who changed America's Pastime and changed American attitudes about race.Harrison Ford plays Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers' General Manager who made the bold decision to bring an African American into the Major Leagues in 1947.
Chadwick Helgeland plays Jackie with a spare naturalness and Harrison Ford is a serviceable Branch Rickey, the Dodgers executive who handpicked Robinson for the daunting task of playing good ball while facing unbelievable racism, especially from the likes of the Philadelphia Phillies' manager at the time, Ben Chapman, depicted here very accurately, according to The New York Times.
Dealing with racism and class prejudice, a good-triumphs-over-evil element and the feel-good factor of an underdog story, 42 will satisfy most viewers and adequately fill a couple of hours without knocking your day out of kilter.42 is based on the true story of Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) who, in 1946, became the first African American to play major league baseball when he was recruited by club president and GM of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), and wore, unsurprisingly, the number 42 shirt.
Last night I saw "42", the new bio-pic about the great Dodger ball player Jackie Robinson, who was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era.Usually I don't like sports films because the actors are always not really athletes and their athletic shortcomings distract me from enjoying the film.
The heroism of Robinson is summed up by the film "42" which is also credits the man who decided to allow the first African-American baseball player to don a uniform of a team in the White Major Leagues, Branch Ricky.
To understand what Robinson endured and still be able to compete in professional baseball at the highest levels, is no less than an extraordinary achievement in the human drama of any age of history, according to Wills.The story is presented from three perspectives: mostly from Jackie Robinson's eyes, occasionally from his wife's (played by Nicole Beharie), and from the perspective of the man who made the controversial move, Branch Rickie, played by Harrison Ford in possibly the finest performance of his career.
The film covers the first year of Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) as he tries to fit into baseball, which is an all white sport and many don't want that to change.
Written and directed by Brian Helgeland, a white guy who is more known for his script writing abilities than his directorial prowess, "42" tells not so much the life story of Jackie Robinson (even though it has the ostentatious runtime of 128 minutes) but more so the story of Robinson's historic breaking of the color barrier in baseball, due to the signing by Branch Rickey, the team executive of the Brooklyn Dodgers at the time.Even though I am giving this film a recommendation, maybe the best way to describe it would be with the term "hokey entertainment".
42 tells the story of famed baseball player, Jackie Robinson, and his becoming the first major league black ballplayer for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Chadwick Boseman does a fine job as Jackie Robinson, but the real standouts in the cast are Alan Tudyk as racist Philadelphia Phillies' manager Ben Chapman and Harrison Ford as Dodger's owner, Branch Rickey.
Though a nice film in its own right, "42" truly captures the poignancy of the story using Hollywood drama.For a basic plot summary, "42" recounts how Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), with the help of Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The film provided an outstanding setting of the time period of racial discrimination and segregation that African Americans were dealing with daily, Chadwick Boseman did an amazing job at providing the viewer a full understanding of the life of Jackie Robinson and his career, including the role of the character.
42 is the biopic of Jackie Robinson, who we all know as the first African American to play Major League Baseball.
"You want a player who doesn't have the guts to fight back?" Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) asks of Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), the man who dared to put him in a Major League uniform.
Chadwick Boseman does a great job of portraying Jackie Robinson, as do the other actors playing their roles.