"42" Review

As the great #42 himself once said, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

Any self-respecting baseball fan knows that the life of Jackie Robinson is one with tremendous impact; perhaps the most of any American athlete in history. The guy didn't just live up to his own words. He practically dwarfed them, and unless you consider yourself a fan of the game, you may not be entirely familiar with Jackie's story.

Warner Brothers is now offering audiences the chance to learn all about Robinson's rise to prominence as the first African American player in, what was then, all-white Major League Baseball. After seeing 42, I can confidently say, whether you consider yourself a fan of the game or not, everyone needs to see this movie. The story of #42 is an inspiring one that still resonates 70 years after the fact, even if the film itself suffers from a few sports drama clichés.
Director Brian Helgeland (A Knight's Tale) manages to put a nice focus on the production design, which makes the audience feel like they've stepped out of a time capsule. Baseball fans salivating for a chance to see what it was like to witness a game in classic ballparks like Ebbets Field, Crosley Field, the Polo Grounds, and Forbes Field won't be disappointed.

In fact, 42 resonated deeply with me in this way. As a lifelong fan of the Cincinnati Reds and a native of the area, I've learned a thing or two about the team's history. I've learned that we were the first ever professional baseball organization, we owe our 1919 World Series win to a group of guys in Chicago infamously known as the "Black Sox", and that anyone with 4,256 career hits deserves a spot in Cooperstown. I also know about Crosley Field, our old stadium at the intersection of Findlay Street and Western Avenue. In the past, I've wondered what it would be like to take in a game there, and 42 finally granted my wish. I mean, they've got the Hudepohl Beer and Young & Bertke signs. The details are unprecedented, and I'm thrilled that so much care went into faithfully recreating the classic settings, down to every last banner advertisement.

Aside from stellar production value, 42 also boasts strong acting performances. Harrison Ford gives the first great supporting performance of the year as Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, perfectly evoking the gruff, cigar-chewing spirit of a character who seemed to wake up one morning and decide to change baseball forever. What's more is newcomer Chadwick Boseman's portrayal of Jackie Robinson. Boseman's performance succeeds not just because he's essentially Robinson's doppelganger, but because his anonymity eliminates any predisposed, star-powered expectations about Robinson's portrayal. If Jamie Foxx had played Robinson, audiences would've just said, "Oh, God, why?" and likely not given the film a chance. 42 is clearly Boseman's movie as he comes out of nowhere to hold his own against the heavyweight chops of Harrison Ford. Like Robinson himself, Boseman is up for the challenge and exceeds expectations. He's deeply affecting and easy to root for. The chemistry between Boseman and Nicole Beharie who plays Robinson's wife, Rachel, is also impeccable, making the scenes involving Jackie's life off the field that much more entertaining.

What I didn't care much for was a failure to show Robinson's true come-up. I guess 42 is more about his relationship with Rickey and his rise with the Dodgers, but I would've liked to have seen a young Jackie Robinson showing his potential as a child playing stickball in the streets before seeing him thrown into the fold with fully developed skills, attracting the attention of big league ball clubs.
There is also a bizarre scene where Jackie stops at a gas station with his Negro league Kansas City Monarchs that's juxtaposed with a scene in which Branch Rickey tells one of his scouts to go find Robinson. The very next scene shows Jackie exiting the gas station to see a man from the Dodgers asking his teammates where he is. I guess the space-time continuum had a glitch because that guy apparently got from New York to Louisiana in the time it took Jackie to take a piss.

But continuity issues and missing backstories aside, 42 soars out of the park thanks to impeccable production design and acting performances that deserve to be remembered this Oscar season. It's an important story about an important man that will leave you moved. The audience clapped and cheered on the way out of the theater; appropriate behavior for both a baseball game and a sports film of this caliber. Hey, the food prices are essentially the same anyway!

8/10