April 15 will mark the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson taking the field as a Brooklyn Dodger – and the first African-American player in Major League Baseball – on April 15, 1947.
Tomorrow, just a few days before this anniversary, film audiences will have the opportunity to experience writer/director Brian Helgland’s dramatization of the breakthrough that forever changed America’s pastime with the theatrical release of his film 42.
The film is more about the moment than the man who rises to meet it. The story opens with Brooklyn Dodgers president and general manager Branch Rickey searching for the right player to break the color barrier. While baseball ability was important, it was trumped by temperament and social experience. Robinson fit the bill as a college-educated former U.S. Army officer who had interacted with white players as an athlete at UCLA.
Rickey’s decision to integrate baseball came down to dollars and cents, and Robinson’s selection over Negro League greats such as Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson was a political decision.
The film explores the journey – which took place years before the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement – that would change the face of baseball and ultimately the hearts of its fans.
Harrison Ford, the only marquee actor in the cast, goes over-the-top with his portrayal of Rickey. Ford offers more of a flattering imitation than a true connection with one of the film’s central characters.
In fact, much of the story’s complexity is missing in action from 42. Resentment from Robinson’s fellow Negro League players, for example, would have added interesting layers to the film.
However, much like the man he portrays, Chadwick Boseman rose to the occasion of stepping into the shoes of the civil rights icon in his first major feature film role. Boseman showcased the inner battle of containing quietly boiling rage and keeping a lid on his ego as players and fans challenged him relentlessly. Robinson’s unspoken pain and frustration are portrayed with precision.
Even when the film’s formulaic, fairytale script fails to provide dialogue equal to the emotions that must have come with being Jackie Robinson, Boseman picks up the slack with subtle nuances that project the illusion of inner turmoil.
All of the African-American cast members sense the seriousness of 42 and act accordingly. Nicole Beharie lends grace and a subtle power to her role as Robinson’s wife Rachel, while Andre Holland (as black press sportswriter Wendell Smith) brings a humble, but sharp intelligence to his screen presence.
Both characters provide a much-needed support system to Robinson as he attempts to go where no black man had gone before him. There seems to be a sense of responsibility and solidarity among them that lends a special dignity to their portrayals.
In all, 42 has the feel of an inspirational made-for-television movie, but the film proves effective despite its flaws.
‘42’ opens in theatres nationwide tomorrow (Friday, April 12). The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 120 minutes.
