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If you were offended by the supposedly profligate use of the n-word in “Django Unchained,” it stands to reason you’ll be outraged by a scene in “42” in which Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman climbs out of the dugout and spews cruel racist epithets at Brooklyn Dodgers rookie Jackie Robinson.

You can see the pain and rage on Robinson’s face as he tries to concentrate on his at-bat, knowing if he goes after Chapman, the headlines won’t be about the hateful manager — they’ll be about the first black player in the major leagues “attacking” the opposition.

It’s a tough scene to sit through, with the likable character actor Alan Tudyk bravely portraying this real-life embodiment of pure, ignorant, racist hate, and Chadwick Boseman doing equally fine work as a the fiery, intense Robinson, who must perform with the weight of instant history on his shoulders — while racists such as Chapman (and some of Jackie’s own teammates) are hectoring him every step of the way. (Sadly, the Chapman character wasn’t the least bit fictionalized. The ’47 incident really happened. Before that, as an All-Star outfielder with the Yankees, Chapman reportedly taunted Jewish fans with anti-Semitic slurs and the Nazi salute. What a guy.)

The sliding moral scale of major league baseball at the time was such that Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher was suspended for an entire season for having an affair with a married actress — but Chapman was just told to knock it off with the racist taunts and to pose for a publicity photo with Robinson.

That this all happened in 1947 — history recent enough there are people around who remember it — might come as shocking news to younger generations who know little about Jackie Robinson other than that his number 42 being universally retired because he broke baseball’s shameful color barrier. For this reason alone, “42” is a valuable film — a long overdue, serious big-screen biopic about one of the most important American pioneers of the 20th century.

But this is more a ground-rule double than a grand slam.

As written and directed by Brian Helgeland , “42” is competent, occasionally rousing and historically respectful — but it rarely rises above standard, old-fashioned biography fare. It’s a mostly unexceptional film about an exceptional man.

Boseman is a fine actor, and he looks like a baseball player in the spring training and game-time sequences, but other than one bat-breaking meltdown that takes place out of sight of fans and teammates, we rarely get that visceral, punch-to-the-gut true feeling for the pressure Robinson surely must have felt when he took the field in 1947 as a pioneer. (As “42” reminds us, black Americans fought and died for their country in World War II — but they returned home to a country with separate drinking fountains and a ban on Negroes in the major leagues.)

To be sure, there are scenes of racist fans heckling Robinson and many of his own teammates signing a petition demanding Robinson not be allowed to join the Dodgers — but “42” falls short in giving us a full measure of the man himself. The Jackie Robinson of “42” is a high school history lesson, lacking in complexity and nuance. Even the domestic scenes with the beautiful Nicole Beharie as Rachel Robinson paint an almost too-perfect picture. The real Rachel Robinson was also a hero, but in “42,” she’s portrayed as a near-saint, patiently counseling Jackie to hold his temper, and looking like a movie star as she quietly endures the morons in the stands behind her.

We’re told Robinson was chosen over other major league-ready players (and future teammates) such as Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe because he wasn’t as “nice,” i.e., soft, and would be better equipped to deal with the hate and intolerance.

In “42,” Robinson is indeed pragmatic. When he gets the offer to sign with the Dodgers, he’s more excited about the pay increase than the historical implications.

Harrison Ford is all eyebrows and speeches as Branch Rickey, the Dodgers executive determined to break the color barrier. It’s a rather remarkable performance by Ford in that he goes for it whole hog, scowling and barking and delivering sound bite-sized life lessons. Whether Rickey’s lecturing young whippersnappers in his sun-dappled office (which looks like it was borrowed from “ The Natural ”) or observing his ballclub from the sidelines, he’s filled with one-liner wisdom and perfectly timed punch lines.

John C. McGinley delivers a gem of a performance as the great announcer Red Barber, and Andre Holland is solid as Wendell Smith, a black sportswriter who’s more of a baby-sitter and travel guide for Robinson than an objective journalist.

From the soundtrack to the speechifying to the subject material to the script’s somber tone, “42” has the uniform of an Oscar contender, but it falls short of Hall of Fame status. Jackie Robinson was great. “42” is good.

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Rated PG-13 thematic elements, including language

115 minutes

Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson

Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey

Christopher Meloni as Leo Durocher

Jon Bernthal as Ralph Branca

John C. McGinley as Red Barber

T.R. Knight as Harold Parrott

Directed by

• Brian Helgeland

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Common sense media reviewers.

Feel-good Jackie Robinson biopic is simplistic but positive.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

In addition to its anti-racist message, 42 promote

Jackie Robinson, as portrayed in 42, demonstrates

42 centers around an important moment of progress

A pitcher throws a baseball at someone's head and

Several kisses, a few more passionate than others.

The "N" word and "boy" are used several times, par

Dodge car, Budweiser ad, and a few other fleeting

Adults drink in a couple of scenes. Smoking, parti

Parents need to know that 42 is a feel-good biopic about the two years in which Major League Baseball legend Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) broke the sport's color barrier. It's not a complete biography, just a snapshot of the 1946 and 1947 seasons. Expect many (many) instances of White characters using…

Positive Messages

In addition to its anti-racist message, 42 promotes the idea that it's worth being considered an outcast to stand up for something important.

Positive Role Models

Jackie Robinson, as portrayed in 42 , demonstrates exceptional courage and self-control in the face of virulent racism. He doesn't engage people who ridicule him, nor does he ever instigate any conflicts. Branch Rickey is shown as a man of faith and wisdom who knew he was breaking the "color line" in his desire to integrate Major League Baseball. Rickey calls people out on their racism and makes the other players see why whatever inconveniences they faced pale in comparison to the abuse and the threats Jackie faces. Dodgers Pee Wee Reese, Ralph Branca, and Eddie Stanky come around to be supportive of Robinson, and at least some of the characters who exhibit racism are punished/penalized.

Diverse Representations

42 centers around an important moment of progress in American civil rights history. Black actor Chadwick Boseman shines as Robinson, even if the script does make him out to be more "perfect" than human. But the film is written and directed by a White man, and White saviors populate the story to varying degrees -- most notably manager Branch Rickey, who "discovers" Robinson and spends most of his screen time heroically defending the Black player against racists. Overall, the film's take on racism is shallow and takes too many pains to ensure that its viewers come away feeling good about this moment in time rather than curious about how racism still exists in major league sports. In other areas of representation, Robinson's wife is a cookie-cutter housewife who exists solely to root for her husband from the stands, get pregnant, have a baby, give her husband endless emotional support, and look immaculate while doing it.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

A pitcher throws a baseball at someone's head and hits him (no lasting injury). Teammates nearly go fist-to-fist but are stopped by their fellow players. A White man threatens Black men by saying that he and a group of other White men will cause "trouble" if they don't leave town. One player spikes another in the calf; the wound is later shown being stitched up by a doctor (no blood visible). A character screams in frustration and breaks his bat against a wall. Almost all of this violence is racially motivated, which adds psychological distress to these physical acts of harm.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Several kisses, a few more passionate than others. Two different scenes of couples in a bedroom or in bed together, talking and embracing (men shirtless, women in chemises). It's later revealed that one of these couples was having an extramarital affair.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

The "N" word and "boy" are used several times, particularly in a game against the Phillies, in which a White team manager incessantly ridicules Robinson and calls him epithets like "coon," "monkey," and many others. "Negro" and "colored" are used as neutral terms to describe Black people. Also a couple of uses of "s--t," "a--hole," "hell," "son of a bitch," "damn," "goddamn," and "ass." Ableist language includes "What are you, deaf?"

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Dodge car, Budweiser ad, and a few other fleeting ads in baseball parks.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink in a couple of scenes. Smoking, particularly cigars.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that 42 is a feel-good biopic about the two years in which Major League Baseball legend Jackie Robinson ( Chadwick Boseman ) broke the sport's color barrier. It's not a complete biography, just a snapshot of the 1946 and 1947 seasons. Expect many (many) instances of White characters using the "N" word and other racial slurs, including "boy," "monkey," and "coon"; other language includes "s--t" and "a--hole." A White man threatens Black men by saying that he and a group of other White men will cause "trouble" if they don't leave town. A calf injury is shown being stitched up by a doctor (no blood visible). Fistfights nearly break out; a man is hit in the head with a baseball (no lasting injury). Several kisses, a few more passionate than others. Couples shown in a bedroom or in bed together, talking and embracing (men shirtless, women in chemises). Adults infrequently drink and smoke.The movie spotlights an important moment in American and civil rights history. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (25)
• Kids say (78)

Based on 25 parent reviews

It shows how money and talent can make some people overlook racism.

What's the story.

In 42, in the aftermath of World War II, Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey ( Harrison Ford ) decides the time is right to recruit the first Black baseball player into Major League Baseball. After going through the stats on various noteworthy Negro League players, Rickey targets Jack "Jackie" Robinson ( Chadwick Boseman ), a 26-year-old player for the Kansas City Monarchs. Rickey offers Robinson a spot on the Dodgers' minor league team, the Montreal Royals, and then in 1947 officially gives him a place at bat with the Brooklyn Dodgers. With the support of his devoted wife, Rachel ( Nicole Beharie ), Robinson faces the racism of everyone from fellow players to umpires to opposing teams -- not to mention fans. But as he proves he's got what it takes to steal bases, hit homers, and score runs, teammates and fans have a change of heart.

Is It Any Good?

This isn't a perfect film, but it's entertaining and, by most accounts, historically accurate. But director Brian Helgeland definitely pulls a bit too hard at the heartstrings with slow-motion shots of little children and audiences watching Robinson play. As a result, 42 frequently teeters on the brink of being overly sentimental. Still, Boseman gives a wonderful performance as an amazing athlete, a loving husband/father, and a man who knows how to respond to racists and critics on the field, not with his fists.

Ford's performance is over the top and gets more screen time than strictly necessary for a biopic about a Black icon, but he believably portrays what drove Rickey's desire to integrate Major League Baseball: his business savvy (a Black player meant more Black fans) and his Christian principles (he's a Methodist who often compares Robinson's trials to those of Jesus). Ultimately, the biopic is about both men, perhaps to its detriment. Crowd-pleasing and uncomplicated, 42 isn't likely to win awards, but it's a great pick for families -- whether they love baseball or not.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about 42 's themes and messages. Why are Jackie Robinson's accomplishments so significant? Can you think of other athletes/public figures who've faced similar challenges?

How have profesisonal sports in the United States changed since the 1940s? Are some of the issues raised in the film still present?

Talk about the difference between a biographical film that covers an entire life and those that concentrate on one time period of a historical figure's life. Which do you prefer? Why?

Does this film have a " White savior complex" ? If so, how could the filmmakers have avoided this pitfall?

How does Jackie demonstrate courage and self-control ? Why are those important character strengths ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : April 12, 2013
• On DVD or streaming : July 16, 2013
• Cast : Alan Tudyk , Chadwick Boseman , Harrison Ford
• Director : Brian Helgeland
• Inclusion Information : Black actors
• Studio : Warner Bros.
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Sports and Martial Arts , Great Boy Role Models , History
• Character Strengths : Courage , Self-control
• Run time : 128 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : thematic elements including language
• Last updated : February 17, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

The Jackie Robinson Story

A League of Their Own

Field of Dreams

The Natural

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While it’s not a perfect film, it’s yet another example of how this great sport is fertile ground for quality storytelling.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 20, 2022

42 is more than just a baseball movie but the story of a hero.

Full Review | Nov 5, 2021

It's as if the film is trying to meet a quota, doling out emotional moments, enough adversity for any underdog, and a touch of manipulation.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Dec 3, 2020

42 is a fine tribute to a man's ability to endure for the better off all and the insightful visionary who put it all in motion.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 10, 2020

Chadwick Boseman has been around Hollywood for a few years, mostly in television, but this should be the role that allows the young actor to blossom.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Sep 7, 2020

Boseman delivers a strong performance, particularly during a scene where he endures a relentless string of N-word taunts. Boseman chose this scene for his audition piece, smashing a plastic wiffleball bat against a chair in the audition room.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 29, 2020

Brian Helgeland depicts how agonizing the struggle is for any despised minority to get their foot in the door. 42 climaxes at the apex of baseball legend Jackie Robinson's first season in a Brooklyn Dodger uniform.

Full Review | Jun 19, 2020

Director Brian Helgeland's "42" (2013) is a moving biopic about Jackie Robinson.

Full Review | Apr 2, 2020

Boseman and Ford are outstanding in their roles. Boseman captures Robinson's inner struggle, while Ford delivers his best performance in a while.

Full Review | Apr 10, 2019

In his most challenging role to date, Boseman's Robinson is suitably charismatic and earnest, giving us a human portrayal of an icon that's easy to get behind.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 2, 2019

42 explains eloquently how and why Jackie Robinson became an enduring American hero, with extraordinary baseball prowess perhaps the least notable of his accomplishments.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jan 26, 2019

Just go. That's really all I have to say. A Jackie Robinson biopic was long overdue and this is an A+ effort. It's a 9.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Nov 1, 2018

42 manages to capture everything I know of Robinson and put it on the big screen so everyone can appreciate exactly what that number truly means.

Full Review | Original Score: 8.50/10 | Oct 10, 2018

It may not be a cinematic grand slam, but "42" does a fine job sharing and celebrating Robinson's legacy, which makes it a solid win.

Full Review | Aug 7, 2018

This story is a tough one to hit the right notes on, but Oscar winning screenwriter of LA Confidential, Brian Helgeland, does just that.

Full Review | Jun 22, 2018

Director Brian Helgeland's 42 may not be the greatest baseball movie of all time ... but it may tell baseball's most important story.

Full Review | Nov 29, 2017

Mythic material, beautifully done, the winning performances and telling (true) incidents make this one not just for baseball devotees.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 5, 2017

The game sequences are riveting, not only when Jackie slams a homer or steals a base, but also in the jubilance of him overcoming the negative atmosphere in which he was playing.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Aug 18, 2017

This honorable and enlightening film pays due respect to Jackie Robinson -- a sports legend and courageous American hero.

Full Review | Mar 7, 2017

The Jackie Robinson story has always been more than deserving of a gaudy big-screen telling, and Helgeland is happy to oblige.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 8, 2016

Film Review: ‘42’

A relentlessly formulaic biopic that transforms one of the most compelling sports narratives of the 20th century into a home run of hagiography

By Scott Foundas

Scott Foundas

• Film Review: ‘Black Mass’ 9 years ago
• Film Review: ‘The Runner’ 9 years ago
• Film Review: ‘Straight Outta Compton’ 9 years ago

The Jackie Robinson who titled his 1972 autobiography “I Never Had It Made” — and meant it — is scarcely present in “42,” a relentlessly formulaic biopic that succeeds at transforming one of the most compelling sports narratives of the 20th century into a home run of hagiography. Thick with canned inspirationalism and heroic platitudes, but only occasionally pushing past the iconic to grapple with the real human drama of Robinson’s life, this personal passion project for Legendary Pictures chairman-CEO Thomas Tull should enjoy a decent first inning with audiences, but won’t surpass Robinson’s famed jersey number in box office millions.

Robinson also wrote in his memoir that, even two decades on from his historic achievements on the baseball diamond, he couldn’t bring himself to salute the American flag or stand for the National Anthem, knowing that he remained “a black man in a white world.” So it comes as no real surprise that a film of Robinson’s struggle was long pursued by two directors with a keen feel for the underside of the American dream: Spike Lee and Robert Redford (who envisioned himself in the role of Robinson’s impresario, Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey , here played by Harrison Ford ). The “42” of writer-director Brian Helgeland , by contrast, remains largely on the surface of things, pitting its Robinson (relative newcomer Chadwick Boseman ) against a succession of cartoonish racists and Southern good-old-boys who are either softened by the first baseman’s towering nobility, or completely drowned out by composer Mark Isham’s incessant fanfares.

That Robinson emerged as a divisive figure in a Jim Crow America — where even some supposedly progressive northerners felt there were clear limits on what a black man could hope to achieve — is something only fitfully acknowledged by Helgeland’s film, which instead traffics in carefully delineated heroes and villains of the sort one might find in a comicbook treatment of Robinson’s life (one of which was actually printed in the 1950s). The first hour, in particular, rarely stops reaching for the mythic as it depicts Robinson’s rise from the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs to the Dodgers’ triple-A Montreal farm team and, finally, in 1947, to Ebbets Field itself — all part of Rickey’s “noble experiment” to integrate Major League ball. Boseman, who bears a striking resemblance to the real Robinson, has an innately appealing screen presence and a wide, beaming smile, but can do only so much with a part that asks him to act impervious or indignant, but rarely anything in-between.

A far greater gamble comes in the casting of Ford, who has never before attempted this sort of “character” turn, appearing under heavy makeup and padding as the avuncular Rickey, and donning a vocal inflection somewhere in the neighborhood of W.C. Fields. It’s a big, boisterous performance that verges on caricature at times, but ultimately captures the spirit of a man given to self-dramatizing airs and guided by a sense of his place in history. By any measure, it’s one of the few legitimate risks in a movie otherwise averse to taking them.

“42” improves slightly in its second half, which focuses on Robinson’s rookie season with the Dodgers and benefits from the lively presence of John C. McGinley as legendary Dodgers play-by-play commentator Red Barber, whose wry observations help to energize the film’s enervating pace. In the most affecting episode, lifted more or less verbatim from his own account, Robinson is mercilessly taunted with racial epithets by Phillies manager Ben Chapman (well played by Alan Tudyk) during an away game in the “city of brotherly love,” all the while managing to maintain his famous cool. But Robinson’s Herculean suppression of temper took a heavy toll on his psyche (Hank Aaron was among those who speculated it may have contributed to Robinson’s death at the age of 53 ), a simmering inner tension carefully elided from this telling of the tale.

Helgeland, a fine screenwriter (“L.A. Confidential,” “Mystic River”) with a patchy career as a director, doesn’t even try for any of the irreverent stylistic touches here that he brought to his earlier “Payback” and “A Knight’s Tale,” framing the action in the same, unwavering procession of medium shots and closeups whether we’re on the field, in the dugout or in the locker room. Shot by regular Robert Zemeckis collaborator Don Burgess, the images have the overly lit, diffuse halo effect that seemed to attend Redford every time he stepped up to plate in “The Natural,” while the entire movie bears the too-new look of certain period films, with every freshly pressed costume and vintage automobile gleaming like it just came off the assembly line. A movie about Robinson isn’t obliged to be dark or edgy, but for all of “42’s” self-conscious monument building, the cumulative effect is to render its subject markedly smaller and more ordinary than he actually was.

A handful of familiar faces dot the “42” infield, including Christopher Meloni as the cantankerous Leo Durocher, though only Lucas Black as legendary shortstop (and Robinson confident) Pee Wee Reese registers with anything more than trading-card depth.

Reviewed at Warner Bros. screening room, New York, April 3, 2013. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time:  128 MIN.

A Warner Bros. release presented with Legendary Pictures of a Legendary Pictures production. Produced by Thomas Tull. Executive producers, Dick Cook, Jon Jashni , Jason Clark. Co-producers, Darryl Pryor, Jillian Zaks.

Directed, written by Brian Helgeland. Camera (Technicolor, HD, widescreen), Don Burgess; editors, Kevin Stitt , Peter McNulty; music, Mark Isham; music supervisors, Peter Afterman, Margaret Yen; production designer, Richard Hoover; supervising art director, Aaron Haye; art director, Dennis Bradford; set decorator, Cindy Carr; costume designer, Caroline Harris; sound (SDDS/Dolby Digital/Datasat), Jeffrey S. Wexler; supervising sound editor, Jon Johnson; re-recording mixers, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Chris Carpenter; visual effects supervisor, Jamie Dixon; visual effects producer, Lori J. Nelson; visual effects, Hammerhead Prods., Shade FX, Avery FX; second unit director, Allan Graf; second unit camera, Michael Burgess; assistant director, Eric N. Heffron; casting, Victoria Thomas.

Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, Ryan Merriman, Lucas Black, Andre Holland , Alan Tudyk, Hamish Linklater, T.R. Knight , John C. McGinley.

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Here's to You, Mr. Robinson.

Chadwick Boseman makes a big impression as baseball legend Jackie Robinson in the respectable, but conventional biopic 42, also starring Harrison Ford in his crustiest old man role yet.

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Movie Review: 42

Reviewed by kevin finnerty.

“You want a player who doesn’t have the guts to fight back?,” asks Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) “No. I want a player with the guts NOT to fight back,” replies Rickey in the dramatic film 42 . 42 tells the life story of Jackie Robinson and his history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the late 1940s.   In 1946, General Manager Branch Rickey shocked baseball and the world by bringing up Jackie Robinson from the minor colored leagues and eventually signing him to play with the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking Major League’s infamous color line. Facing racism from the fans, members of the press, other teams, and his own teammates, Jackie had to find a way to bury his emotions and not respond to insults and bigotry knowing that any incident would ruin his hopes – along with Rickey’s – of being accepted. Instead, he had to let his amazing talent on the field speak for itself.   Having only his loving and devoted wife, Rachel (Nicole Beharie), to lean on and Rickey to trust, Jackie Robinson slowly began to win over some of the fans and a few of his teammates with his incredible talent and drive to win.   Crowd-pleasing and the first feel-good movie of 2013, 42 is sure to have the audience applauding and cheering in their seats. This is a fun, inspirational film with a stand-out performance by Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey. At times almost disappearing into the role of Brooklyn Dodgers owner Rickey, Ford delivers one of his best performances as the gruff, determined and visionary baseball owner who was committed to changing baseball forever by introducing an African-American to the league – just because it was the right thing to do. He not only steals every scene he’s in but is absolutely the best thing about the picture.   Chadwick Boseman delivers a solid performance as Jackie Robinson, the young great ballplayer who was known for his base-running and at times his quick temper. Boseman does a great job of re-creating some of the famous base-stealings that Robinson became so well known for in the world of baseball. Nicole Beharie is pitch-perfect as Robinson’s loyal and loving wife Rachel and has some very sweet and tender scenes with Boseman as well as good chemistry.   The film’s production design is fantastic and captures wonderfully the look and feel of the late 1940s in America. The cars, clothes, roads, and radio broadcasts all bring back to life an era lost so long ago.   Although at times coming close to being too sweet and nostalgic, 42 is a film that tells the true story of an American icon with just the right mixture of charm, drama and emotion and will have the audience standing and applauding as the credits roll.   GRADE: B   42 hits theaters on April 12, 2013 and is rated PG-13 for thematic elements including language.  

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• DVD & Streaming
• Drama , Sports

Content Caution

In Theaters

• April 12, 2013
• Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson; Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey; Nicole Beharie as Rachel Robinson; Christopher Meloni as Leo Durocher; Andre Holland as Wendell Smith; Lucas Black as Pee Wee Reese; Hamish Linklater as Ralph Branca; Ryan Merriman as Dixie Walker; T.R. Knight as Harold Parrott; Alan Tudyk as Ben Chapman

Home Release Date

• July 16, 2013
• Brian Helgeland

Distributor

• Warner Bros.

Movie Review

In 1945, the Allies celebrated their victory over the Axis powers of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Back home in the Allied superpower of the United States of America, however, a battle for freedom on another front still raged: the battle against racism.

President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation 82 years before. But segregation still separated blacks from whites in large swaths of our land. African-Americans were forced to use separate restrooms in many places; to sit at the back of buses; and to stay away from designated hotels, restaurants and businesses—not to mention enduring bruising verbal slurs as well as threats of violence … or actual assaults.

White baseball players, for instance, competed in Major League Baseball. Black athletes, meanwhile, were relegated to the Negro League. Never did the two worlds intersect.

Until, that is, one brave team owner decided it was time for a change. Time for an end to segregation on the ball field. “I don’t know who he is,” Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey tells his front office management team in the spring of 1945, “or where he is. But he’s coming.” The he in question? MLB’s first black player—a player Rickey was determined to recruit.

On the surface, Rickey’s motivation seems driven by money. “New York’s full of negro baseball fans,” he explains. “Dollars aren’t black and white. They’re green.” But it turns out there’s more to Rickey’s barrier-shattering decision than that.

A year later, the Dodgers have found their man, a base-stealing slugger from the Negro League’s Kansas City Monarchs. His name is Jackie Robinson. When one of Rickey’s men points out that Robinson was court-martialed and dishonorably discharged from the Army, Rickey counters that it was because Robinson refused to submit to unfair treatment. “If he were white,” Rickey says, “we’d call that spirit.”

Spirit is something Robinson will need as he faces resistance at every turn. On the field. In hotels. In airports. Even on his own team (first as a player for the minor league Montreal Royals in 1946, then as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947). It’s a barrier-busting role that will demand courage, Rickey tells Robinson at the outset: the courage not to retaliate.

“You want a player who doesn’t have the guts to fight back?” Robinson demands.

“No,” Rickey says. “I want a player who’s got the guts not to fight back.”

“You give me a uniform, you give me a number on my back, and I’ll give you the guts,” Robinson promises.

And in so doing he becomes one of the most decorated soldiers ever to fight in that homegrown battle against prejudice and racial hate.

Positive Elements

Robinson and Rickey both exhibit tremendous amounts of courage. Robinson has to endure prejudice from players and fans. He’s repeatedly demeaned with the n-word, has baseballs thrown at his head, has to flee from a mob, etc. Rickey, for his part, comes in for criticism too. But he never backs down, and he threatens to trade any player who can’t deal with Robinson’s presence. (When a ballplayer comes to Rickey with a threatening letter that’s been written to him, the Dodgers’ owner pulls out three huge files of similar letters that target Jackie.)

Rickey wisely coaches Robinson’s response to racist attacks. The owner knows Robinson will be subjected to a different set of rules, namely that he can’t retaliate. “Your enemy will be out in force,” Rickey advises, “and you cannot meet him on his own low ground.”

When Robinson laments his critics’ slurs, Rickey responds, “These men have to live with themselves.” Robinson hints at quitting, and Rickey tells him he can’t, because of all the people who “need you, respect you and believe in you.” And, slowly, Robinson’s grit, integrity and athleticism win him allies on the team and in the broader culture.

Standing with Robinson in his struggle are his devoted wife, Rachel; and a young, black Pittsburgh Courier sports reporter named Wendell Smith. Rachel flinches when Robinson is intentionally hit with a pitch, but—despite tears—she never back away from the bigger struggle to desegregate pro baseball. Wendell tells Robinson about his struggles with segregation, namely that he’s not allowed to sit in the press box. “You, Mr. Robinson,” he says, “are not the only one with something at stake here.”

Manager Leo Durocher defends Jackie’s right to play ball. And a teammate named Pee Wee Reese publically puts his arm across Robinson’s shoulders as a statement of solidarity. Reese says of his racist fans and family in the stands, “I need them to know who I am.”

Many other inspiring moments turn up throughout the film. A white man tells Robinson, “I’m pulling for you to make good. If a man’s got the goods, he deserves to get a fair chance.” Rickey tells Robinson a story about seeing a white kid emulating some of Robinson’s trademark actions. “He was pretending to be you,” Rickey says. “A little white boy was pretending to be a black man.”

Jackie Robinson isn’t just brave when it comes to baseball, by the way. He tells his newborn son, “My daddy left us flat in Cairo, Ga. I was only six months older than you are now. I don’t remember him. Nothing good. Nothing bad. Nothing. You will remember me. I’m gonna be with you until the day I die.”

[ Spoiler Warning ] Rickey eventually tells Robinson that what motivated him to bring an African-American into the Majors was the fact that he’d failed to defend a black player from being treated unfairly many years before, and that the guilt of it had haunted him ever since. “It was something unfair at the heart of the game I loved,” he says, adding that he pushed the thought of it away until “time came when I could no longer ignore it.” Then this: “You helped me love baseball again.”

Spiritual Elements

References to God and Scripture turn up regularly. Some are lighthearted: Rickey says, “Robinson’s a Methodist. I’m a Methodist. God’s a Methodist.” And he tells Robinson, “Run those bases like the devil himself. Put the natural fear of God in them.” Rickey also lobs, “For the love of Peter,” “Judas priest” and “What in Satan’s fire does he want!?”

Others are deeply felt: Rickey tells Robinson, “Like our Savior, you’ve got to have the guts to turn the other cheek.” Later, Rickey suggests to Robinson that he’s a living, breathing sermon illustration in his willingness not to retaliate against those who taunt him.

With Robinson at the plate, a boy in the stands prays to God that Robinson can show everyone “what he can do.” Near the end of the film, we hear Sister Wynona Carr’s song “The Ball Game,” which describes a Christian’s journey through life in baseball terms.

Sexual Content

A suggestive comment is made about Robinson sleeping with white players’ wives. He’s not. But Durocher is having an affair with an actress. They’re shown in bed. (He’s shirtless, she’s wearing a bra.) Then, in a phone conversation with Durocher, Rickey says, “The Bible has a thing or two to say about adultery.” And the man ends up losing his job for his indiscretion when a Catholic organization threatens to boycott baseball.

Men are shown in boxers. Locker room scenes show players in showers (from the shoulders up) and with towels wrapped around their waists. Self-conscious stammers accompany a moment of gracious magnanimity when a white player invites Robinson to shower with the rest of the team. There’s talk of periods and pregnancy.

Robinson tenderly (quickly) kisses the middle of his wife’s chest while she’s wearing a camisole.

Violent Content

Robinson’s knocked out when he gets hit in the head by a pitch; a bench-clearing brawl ensues. Another player intentionally spikes Robinson’s leg with his cleats; we see Robison getting stitched up. A white man comes to the house where Robinson is staying during spring training and tells him there’s a mob organizing. As Robinson and Wendall are leaving town, a group of men walks menacingly out of a bar toward their car.

Robinson and other teammates receive hostile letters—including death threats. After being repeatedly called a “n-gger,” Robinson walks into the tunnel behind the dugout where he privately breaks a bat in frustration.

Crude or Profane Language

One use each of the s-word, “a‑‑” and “b‑‑tard.” God’s name gets paired with “d‑‑n” four or five times. We hear “b‑‑ch” about that same number of times.

At games, fans and opposing players hurl the epithet “n-gger” at Robinson so many times it’s hard to keep up with a count; a conservative estimate would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 50. Other racist slurs are said as well. And a guy makes a racist comment about Jews.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Rickey always has a cigar in hand. Several scenes show men drinking beer.

I always knew Jackie Robinson was an important figure in the history of professional baseball. But before watching 42 , I don’t think I really grasped just how trailblazing Robinson’s presence was. His willingness to endure taunts, threats, intimidation and violence, all without responding in kind, was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Similarly remarkable, in a behind-the-scenes kind of way, was Branch Rickey’s willingness to recruit Robinson in the first place, then stand behind his man the whole way, coaching and encouraging him not to give up.

Indeed, 42 is drenched in inspiration, in part because it doesn’t shy away from realistically depicting the kind of resistance Robinson and Rickey were up against. There’s a downside to that kind of approach, of course. Casual profanity ebbs and flows through the narrative, and a bit of suggestive sexual material is included too. But the film’s many uses of the n-word aren’t unleashed loosely or lightly, and they land like the stinging crack of a verbal whip, a wince-inducing reminder of racism’s harsh history in our country. Especially heartbreaking is a scene when a man in the stands starts spitting the slur at Robinson … encouraging his young son to do the same. Robinson’s ability to bear up under such abuse seriously reinforced my sense of just how heroic his perseverance really was.

And the litany of this film’s teachable moments doesn’t stop there. Robinson is a loving and faithful husband, a father who wants to do better than his own dad did and someone who relies on his faith to make it through. The latter is also true in Branch Rickey’s case, whether he’s quoting Scripture, alluding to Jesus or telling an adulterous manager to reconsider his immoral ways. In the end, these two men’s faith and fortitude forged a path for others to follow, forever ending segregation in baseball and challenging racism in the culture at large along the way.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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Movie Interviews

'42' gets the story of jackie robinson right.

Brooklyn Dodgers first baseman Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) acknowledges the crowd in 42 . Warner Bros hide caption

Brooklyn Dodgers first baseman Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) acknowledges the crowd in 42 .

As we close out 2013, we're returning to some of the year's films that were "inspired by a true story" and taking a look at the true-to-inspired ratio. Turns out, 42 — a biopic that portrays Jackie Robinson's 1947 integration of Major League Baseball — gets a lot of things right.

Arnold Rampersad, a professor of English at Stanford University who wrote a biography of Robinson , says the film really rings true.

"Fundamentally, the story is accurate, in my estimation," he tells NPR's Robert Siegel.

Interview Highlights

Harrison Ford plays Brooklyn Dodgers manager Branch Rickey in 42 . Arnold Rampersad says Rickey "wanted to intervene in the moral history of the nation." D. Stevens/Warner Bros. hide caption

On the motivations of Branch Rickey, the baseball executive who brought Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers

In the movie, Rickey presents himself as a pragmatist — "I want to win games, I want to make money" — but then at other times he says, "I'm a Methodist; Robinson is a Methodist; God is a Methodist." So he suggests that there are sort of religious reasons. But I would say, above all, he wanted to intervene in the moral history of the nation in the way that Lincoln had — to some extent.

On Wendell Smith, a black sportswriter who was assigned to cover Robinson

He was, in fact, retained by Branch Rickey to follow Robinson around. He does stand in for a number of figures in the press, and their names are not mentioned ever in the movie, and to some extent that's unfortunate — people like Lester Rodney of the Daily Worker , the Communist press, had been arguing for a long time, vociferously, about the need for integration. But Wendell Smith was crucial, and he does a wonderful job in the movie bringing a certain perspective to the story.

Watch Clips From '42'

'You're Looking For Your Locker'

Credit: Warner Bros.

'Get Me Up'

'Why Did You Do This, Mr. Rickey?'

On Brooklyn being a good place to begin MLB integration

Branch Rickey had been in charge of the [St. Louis] Cardinals for 20 years before coming to Brooklyn in 1942 — I don't think he could have tried this with the Cardinals. ... Brooklyn was the ideal place, and the time was right, too, particularly because of the changes that had overtaken America during World War II.

On Rickey encouraging Robinson to "turn the other cheek"

Rickey did, in fact, virtually sign Robinson to a nonaggression pact, but he put a time limit on it of three years. ... Rickey was well aware of the fact that Robinson had been court-martialed [for fighting segregation while he was in the military] ... so he knew he was hiring someone who was a fighter.

More On Jackie Robinson

Movie Reviews

Earnest '42' buffs up a golden baseball moment.

In '42,' A Young Star Suits Up For A Hero's Role

Sweetness And Light

The pitch for more no. 42s.

Author Interviews

Integrated baseball, a decade before jackie robinson.

On what might have happened if Robinson had failed

I don't think [MLB integration] would have stopped. For one thing, Rickey had already virtually signed up at least two other black players, so from the beginning he saw Robinson as simply the first of several players who would come to the Dodgers. And I think also we should recognize, in looking at Robinson, that many people thought that he would fail physically as a ballplayer. It was never his greatest sport — his greatest sport was probably basketball, if it wasn't football. It was astonishing how well he succeeded, really, given those facts.

On the few liberties taken with the story

I am a bit of a stickler for accuracy of representation. There are elements in the movie that are invented. ... [For example] there's a figure of Ed Charles, who later starred with the Mets, as a little boy in Daytona Beach. [In the film] Robinson tosses him a baseball, and he puts his ear to the train tracks as Robinson's train goes away. And Ed Charles himself [said]: Well, that wasn't true, but everything else was true. I was deeply inspired by Robinson. I did go to the ballpark to watch him practice.

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Movie review: “42” gives baseball great jackie robinson, but also heroism, its due.

Harrison Ford plays Dodgers owner Branch Rickey.

The movie "42," with Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson, is bringing the ballplayer's inspiring story to a new generation.

Monday marks the 66th anniversary of the day Jack Roosevelt Robinson walked onto Ebbets Field to play first base for the B rooklyn Dodgers, the first black man in Major League Baseball.

For more than three decades there has been clamoring for a major motion picture that honored the man and the milestone.

For a spell, sports freak and maverick director Spike Lee was attached to a Robinson pic project. (His first child is named after Satchel Paige for heaven’s sake.) So, too, was director Robert Redford, star of “The Natural” (ranked No. 7 on an all-time best baseball flicks list by Baseball America).

It’s been a long time coming, but writer-director Brian Helgeland’s “42” has arrived to give the hero and heroics a big-screen treatment worthy not just of the game-changer himself but also mindful of the major (and minor) acts of decency required to bring about social change.

The film isn’t a sweeping bio-pic, and it’s better for it. Instead, Helgeland focuses on the time right before and during Robinson’s rookie season.

Which doesn’t mean it’s a modest outing. “42” is an old-fashioned movie swinging for the fences. It intends to stir our emotions and our belief in this nation’s better angels. Yes, this is a sentimental journey. But it’s one definitely worth taking.

It has an emotionally hued (at times too much so) score by Mark Isham. Don Burgess’ cinematography bestows a sturdy aura not just on the film’s central protagonists but also those ballfields of yore.

“42” boasts a fine roster of actors doing the kind of utility-player duties that make a movie better. Lucas Black gives a sweet, laconic turn as shortstop Pee Wee Reese. Alan Tudyk is chilling as Philadelphia Phillies’ foul-mouthed manager Ben Chapman. Andre Holland brings ballast to the role of Wendall Smith, the savvy black sportswriter — and future legend himself — whom Dodgers owner Branch Rickey hires to chronicle Robinson’s arrival to the show. “I’m your Boswell,” he tells the young, slightly suspicious ball player.

“42” also has a movie star giving one of his best star turns. Padded to look stout and calling on a croak of a voice, Harrison Ford portrays Rickey, who had the bold idea to break baseball’s color barrier.

When asked by the team’s secretary (T.R. Knight) why Robinson — why not, say, the Negro baseball league’s legendary pitcher Satchel Paige — R ickey answers, “We need a player with a future, not a past.”

Most important and moving, “42” has an inspired love story at its core, with relative unknowns Chadwick Boseman and Nicole Beharie portraying and empowering the couple Jack and Rae.

They have an extraordinary chemistry that offers a portrait of a special marriage. There’s a deep, abiding romance to be had in a clear-eyed, loving partnership.

Rachel Robinson, now 90, was a consultant on the film. After her husband’s death in 1972, she founded the J ackie Robinson Foundation, dedicated to assisting minority students seeking higher education.

It’s no surprise then that the opening salvo about the return of the “greatest generation” from the battlefields of WWII has the feel of a history lesson — albeit an often nuanced and graceful one.

Indeed this is a movie about a kind of racial parity. Helgeland and company aim for audiences to come together to experience our shared (ongoing) national saga of civil rights.

A black mother takes her son to see Jackie play for the Dodgers’ minor league affiliate, the Montreal Royals. The boy endures the slurs thrown at his hero from the segregated stands.

A later, pivotal scene finds the Dodgers playing the Reds in Cincinnati near Pee Wee Reese’s old Kentucky home. In the span of seconds, a white father goes from sweet chaperone to his excited son to frothing bigot. It’s less heavy-handed than it sounds. Because Helgeland lets the kid’s face tell the conflicted story of his love for his father and his confusion about Reese’s embrace of Robinson on the ball field.

Much like the movie’s hero, the civil rights movement was in its rookie season. What lies ahead would require even more fortitude from people whose names we never knew, who didn’t wear a number.

Almost 15 years before Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his best-known speech on the Washington mall, there was Jackie Robinson, undeterred and unbowed by vitriolic racism: “I have a field of dreams.”

Not quite, but this story inspires and entertains with a vital chapter in this nation’s history.

Lisa Kennedy: 303-954-1567, [email protected] or twitter.com/bylisakennedy

“42.” Written and directed by Brian Helgeland. Photography by Don Burgess. Starring Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni and Andre Holland. Rated PG-13. 122 minutes. At area theaters.

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42 – review

T he week's other sporting true story – how, in 1946, Jackie Robinson became major league baseball's first African-American player – will have had greater resonance across the Atlantic; its small, optimistic UK release is like distributors asking audiences in Poughkeepsie to gather for The Laurie Cunningham Story . Writer-director Brian Helgeland has given it a faultlessly sincere treatment, sounding a few pragmatic notes – dramatising how Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) was initially recruited by Brooklyn Dodgers chief Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford, blustering) to tap an emergent black fanbase – before charting Robinson's trial by, and triumph over, racist crowds, team-mates and opposition managers; rousing climaxes, mostly well-earned, arrive every half-hour. Amid a roster of valuable supporting players (Christopher Meloni, Lucas Black, Alan Tudyk), Boseman hits his key scenes out of the park, making a swell couple with Shame's Nicole Beharie, while Helgeland stages Robinson's signature base-stealing with undeniable aplomb.

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Movie Review: 42 (2013)

• Greg Eichelberger
• Movie Reviews
• 7 responses
• --> April 13, 2013

Breaking the color barrier.

Making a film based upon an iconic figure, such as Lincoln or Gandhi, forces one to walk a thin line between legend and humanization. How do we show the warts (no pun intended in Honest Abe’s case) and foibles and yet still uphold the impeccable character of the subject. Such was the task of writer/director Brian Helgeland (“ A Knight’s Tale ,” screenwriting credit for “ L.A. Confidential “), in the newest Warner Bros. release, 42 , a movie based on two years in the life of professional baseball player Jack Roosevelt Robinson.

Known better as Jackie Robinson, he became the first black player in the Major Leagues, breaking the longtime color barrier in 1947 (other African-Americans such as Josh Gibson, Roy Campanella and Satchel Paige were considered, but nixed for various reasons, although the latter two eventually joined the Majors).

Starring relative newcomer Chadwick Boseman (“ The Kill Hole “), who bears enough of a resemblance of Robinson to make his performance passable, if not workmanlike, along with ancient Harrison Ford as Brooklyn Dodger General Manager Branch Rickey, Helgeland has created an earnest and sincere biopic that deserves telling (even though Robinson himself starred in the first biography of the man in 1950). Unfortunately it runs a bit long in the tooth and takes little, if any, chances.

It plays out like the director was trying to film Mt. Rushmore by splicing in scenes from “ The Natural ;” it works on a fundamentally laudatory level, yet seems almost detached at times because the outcome is a known quantity. Little dramatic license was exhibited, so there were really no surprises for the audience. The film “ Titanic ” had the same problem, yet James Cameron was able to add some interesting moments here and there, enough to keep the project afloat for more than two hours.

42 runs about 128 minutes (although at times it seems to go on a lot longer), and contains more than enough examples of blatant race-baiting that seems strangely foreign to today’s viewers, but were very real at the time. Alan Tudyk (“ Transformers: Dark of the Moon “), for example, has the thankless task of playing the redneck manager of the Philadelphia Phillies who’s every other utterance is the “n” word and has a cracker accent that comes straight from central casting.

But Robinson is not only verbally abused, he’s also beaned, spiked, spit on, boycotted, thrown at and degraded in other various and sundry ways. And except for a meltdown in an Ebbett’s Field tunnel, he maintains the grace reserved for a demigod. Boseman’s clenched jaw and stern demeanor is given a rest — ever so slightly — when he interacts with wife, Rachel (Nicole Beharie, “ The Last Fall “) and black reporter Wendell Smith (Andre Holland, “ 1600 Penn ” TV series).

Reflecting.

Harrison Ford, as the man who signed Robinson, once again goes into his gravelly-voiced curmudgeon mode that he seems to have been stuck in since 2006’s “ Firewall ,” but at least his Rickey has passion and heart. He pushes the often-reluctant star to forget the catcalls, insults and slurs and just play the game, to beat his oppressors on the field. His scenes with Boseman are the best in the picture. Robinson’s teammates, though, are not given much to do but either stare angrily at the colored interloper or gush in wonderment at his amazing diamond skills. Two exceptions to this are pitcher Ralph Branca (Hamish Linklater, “ Battleship “) and Kentucky-bred shortstop Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black, “ The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift “), the former a bumbling but sincere admirer, while the latter actually puts his life and reputation on the line to befriend the black ballplayer.

For slight comic relief, Max Gail (of the old “ Barney Miller ” TV series) plays doddering manager Burt Shotton, who comes out of retirement to replace the suspended skipper Leo Durocher (Christopher Meloni, “ Law & Order: SVU “).

Ultimately, 42 is inspiring, but not as entertaining as it could have been. Had the deity’s nose been tweaked, 42 could have been more like “ 61* ,” the Billy Crystal homage film about Roger Maris and the 1961 home run chase: True to life, but a lot of fun with more drama and more human interest.

Tagged: athlete , baseball , racism

I have been a movie fan for most of my life and a film critic since 1986 (my first published review was for "Platoon"). Since that time I have written for several news and entertainment publications in California, Utah and Idaho. Big fan of the Academy Awards - but wish it would go back to the five-minute dinner it was in May, 1929. A former member of the San Diego Film Critics Society and current co-host of "The Movie Guys," each Sunday afternoon on KOGO AM 600 in San Diego with Kevin Finnerty.

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'Movie Review: 42 (2013)' have 7 comments

April 13, 2013 @ 1:59 am William Diaz

Good movie but I think the Jackie Robinson story warrants a great movie.

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April 13, 2013 @ 12:21 pm Andrew Abbott

I really wanted to like this however the melodrama is so unecessarily thick it chokes the movie.

April 13, 2013 @ 2:04 pm Phoebe

Such a wonderful film.

April 13, 2013 @ 10:44 pm Janet

The audience cheered at the end especially when the fitting fate of Ben Chapman was announced.

April 13, 2013 @ 3:49 pm PajamaTop

Very sugarcoated. Good for the kids to see to understand the times and significance of what Robinson did.

April 13, 2013 @ 5:09 pm CtrlAltDel

Sentimental crap.

April 13, 2013 @ 6:20 pm Shelby

I took my 11 year old to see this this afternoon. It was an eye-opening experience for him.

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42 (United States, 2013)

42 tells the (mostly) true tale of how Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) broke the Major League color barrier in 1947, becoming the first black player to appear in a Major League baseball game since 1884. Robinson's story is inspirational, and there are times when Brian Helgeland's conventional narrative evokes powerful emotions. Unfortunately, the generic bio-pic structure of 42 prevents it from ever becoming something great. The film takes no chances and does nothing bold. It's a competent chronicle of Robinson's life from 1945 through 1947 but it doesn't do much more than a documentary could do. Instead of being the definitive cinematic interpretation of Robinson's turbulent clash with baseball's deeply embedded culture of segregation, it offers a rote account of events. It's worth seeing because the film is competently presented and the story is inherently important, but I couldn't help be disappointed that the result wasn't more fresh or visionary.

42 tells of Robinson's year in the minors and his first campaign with the Brooklyn Dodgers. While not doing an especially good job of capturing Robinson's personality - he's more of an icon than a fully developed character - it effectively realizes the wall of racially-motivated resistance that greeted him upon his inauguration as a player in what was a white man's game. When Dodgers' GM Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) tells Robinson "I want a player with the guts not to fight back," we understand what he was up against in 1947.

Helgeland's biggest problem is that he tries to do too much with the film. There are really three separate stories vying for screen time: Robinson's personal tale away from baseball, which includes his romance with wife Rachel (Nicole Beharie) and his relationship with his children; Robinson's struggles against often violent forms of racism on and off the field; and the way in which Robinson influenced not only baseball but society as a whole. We get bits and pieces of all three, shaken together and blended into something that a times feels incomplete. An argument can be made that there's no way to effectively narrow down the movie's scope without impacting its themes, but the same contention could have been made about Spielberg's Lincoln, and look how that turned out. If Helgeland's intention was to tell Jackie's story in a linear, paint-by-numbers fashion, he has achieved that goal.

The most compelling scenes in 42 happen on the baseball field. That's where Robinsion shows off the dynamic athleticism that made him Branch Rickey's choice to break the color barrier. In one sequence, he reaches first, steals second, steals third, then comes home on a single. That's more dramatic than when he hits a home run. The centerpiece of 42 recounts Robinson's real-life verbal excoriation by racist Phillies manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk). Although Chapman wasn't the only opponent to hurl epithets at Robinson, his tirades are by far the most persistent and vicious. Chapman's assaults, while humiliating to Robinson in the moment when they occur, have unintended consequences; not only do they hasten Robinson's acceptance by his teammates but they help to turn the tide among moderate baseball fans. Chapman's words are widely reported in newspapers and many whites are appalled.

TV actor Chadwick Boseman provides an effective Robinson. There's not a lot of depth in his performance but he's convincing on the bases, in the field, and at-bat, and shows enough emotion to give the historical figure an element of humanity. Harrison Ford's physical resemblance to Branch Rickey is impressive but the performance skews toward making the Dodgers' GM into a candidate for sainthood. There's little doubt that there was an element of idealism in Rickey's decision to integrate baseball but the film presents him as a man with few (if any) character flaws. Outside of these two actors, no one has much to do. Alan Tudyk's Chapman is suitably nasty, providing a capable antagonist (if only for a few scenes). Nicole Beharie is attractive fulfilling the "stand by her man" role. And Lucas Black's Pee Wee Reese becomes the only non-anonymous Dodger player not named Robinson.

For those unfamiliar with Robinson, his era, or his struggles, 42 represents a solid introduction to what the man meant to baseball and the civil rights struggle. The movie works better as a teaching tool than as a pure drama, although its weaknesses as the latter are in part counterbalanced by the compelling nature of the story it tells. For baseball fans, there's the added benefit of excellent recreations of 1940's era stadiums and play. Their authenticity and the lack of grievous mistakes in the way the game is represented, make this a worthwhile sports movie that's about more than winning and losing.

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Dove Review

This remarkable movie deals realistically with the racial prejudice that Jackie Robinson endured when the General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), gave him a contract to become the first African American minor league and then major league player in history.

The acting is superb in the film with Chadwick Boseman as Jackie, Nicole Beharie as his wife Rachel, and Ford as Rickey hit it out of the park. Ford is often funny as he makes observations such as telling one man that, by mistreating Robinson because he is a Negro, may not be a sufficient reply when God asks why he treated him that way. Ford’s crusty, Bible quoting businessman is a pleasure to watch. In one scene which reflects what really happened, the Phillies manager, Ben Chapman, heckles Robinson from in front of the dug-out, constantly giving him a barrage of the word “nigger”. In one dramatic scene which takes place earlier in the film Robinson asks Rickey why he chose him–was it because he had the courage to stand up and fight? “No,” replies Rickey. “I want you because you need the courage to take it and NOT fight back.” One of the interesting aspects of the movie is to see some of the players and fans begin to accept Jackie when they see what a terrific ballplayer and fine man he really is.

The movie finishes with Robinson’s rookie season and his winning the Rookie of the Year Award and helping the Dodgers win the pennant by hitting a big homerun to help clinch it. It also shows that his number, 42, is the only uniform number retired by all of Major League baseball. Unfortunately, four strong uses of “GD” prevent us from being able to award this film the Dove “Family-Approved” Seal. It is a shame that language spoils what otherwise is a fine movie.

Dove Rating Details

Player hit in head with ball and requires stitching; player spiked and requires stitching; verbal abuse toward African American ball player; man breaks bats in anger; archive footage shows white cop shove black man.

Kissing by husband and wife; manager has an affair with a married woman but plans to marry her after she is divorced although he is suspended by the league for his actions.

GD-4; Oh Lord-1; H-13; SOB-4; A-4; S-1; D-2; B-1; Judas Priest-1; Ni*ger-a countless number of times; Porch Monkey (Toward Robinson)-1

Cigar smoking in some scenes; cigarette smoking; drinking in a few scenes; beer; one man is asked if he has been drinking and he replies no, but that "I wish."

Shirtless men; men in shower from waist up; cleavage.

Racist and prejudice remarks; man cannot use toilet but when he is going to have bus leave gas station he is allowed to use it; a woman's "monthly" time is mentioned.

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