Plot: Based on the real life of baseball legend Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), 42 tells the story of Jackie's attempt to become the first black player in professional baseball. Backed by innovative Brooklyn Dodger owner Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) and his wife Rachael (Nicole Baharie) Jackie overcomes the baseball establishment, vitriolic racism, and his own temper to become a true American legend.
Review: 42 is a solid if restrained telling of the story of Jackie Robinson, the first black man ever to play in Major League baseball. While it's hard to capture with absolute perfection one of the true iconic Americans of the 20th century, director Brian Helgeland and company do a passable job showing Robinson the legend if not always Robinson the man.
I have to say that even though I enjoyed 42 I was expecting so much more. For a man who has worked on films such as L.A Confidential and Mystic River, I was expecting a lot and was unfortunately left wanting. 42 had such potential to be a great film and instead became merely a good one. Helgeland's pacing is often sluggish and caused the film to lag in spots. There was also minimal reference to Jackie's life before 1945 where the film picks up. This is a guy after all who was a four star athlete at UCLA, fought in WWII, and beat a court martial....in Texas. There was a lot of fodder for Helgeland (who also wrote the film) to pull from and I really think he missed the boat on this one. Although to some extent I understand his motivations, being that this movie focuses on the Robinson breaking the color barrier.
The one thing that I think is unforgivable (although maybe that's too strong a word) is that 42 really pulled back on the racism. Don't get me wrong there is plenty of brutally racist moments in this film. The scene where Phillies manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk) berates Robinson with such vile racial epithets that he has a breakdown in the clubhouse was particularly moving. However, based on what's historically known, 42 didn't even skim the surface as to what Robinson endured. Consequently, the racism of 42 comes across as diluted and flaccid perhaps due to studio pressure.
This isn't to say that 42 is a bad film. It's not by any means. It certainly isn't up to the caliber of say The Natural but it's not the less than believable Trouble with the Curve* either. Mostly this is due to strong performances by the film's two leads, Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford. Despite the thin script, Boseman brings Robinson to life, delicately balancing a fiery attitude with quiet dignity. Boseman has been relegated mostly to small roles in television shows like "Castle" and "Fringe" but hopefully 42 will be his breakout role. I only wish Nicole Baharie would have had a larger presence as Jackie's wife because she's excellent and severely underused. Lucas Black was also good as Jackie's teammate and friend Pee Wee Reese. The scene where he puts his arm around Jackie in Cincinnati in a show of fellowship is particularly powerful.
I have to say I loved Harrison Ford in this film. Over the last decade and a half (maybe longer) we've gotten used to Harrison Ford basically playing Harrison Ford on the screen. In many ways he's kind of a throwback to movie stars like Carey Grant. And like Carey Grant, Ford is often a slave to his own persona. It was great to see Ford step out of his comfort zone and actually play a character. I think he embodied Branch Rickey to a t, everything from the voice, to the quick wit and mannerisms, to even the bushy eyebrows. Branch Rickey was a complicated man who took a chance at becoming a total outcast. But he had fire and conviction and Ford really brought that home. It's probably his best performance since Witness and if it is a weak crop he might score a Best Supporting nomination come Oscar time. (He may even get one just for sentimental reasons.)
While 42 manages to entertain, it doesn't captivate or resonate nearly as much as the life of the real Jackie Robinson.
My rating: 7/10
*Upon further review and in depth reflection I've decided to change my rating of Trouble with the Curve from 6 to 4. It really wasn't deserving of a 6.
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