“42” brilliantly showcases baseball legend’s Jackie Robinson’s early years in the MLB. (Poster property of Warner Bros. Studios & Legendary Pictures)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Jackie Robinson is a baseball legend.
From his humble start at the Kansas City Monarchs, he became the first African-American to break baseball’s color line as a member of the Montreal Royals but more notably…. the Brooklyn Dodgers.
I recently had the chance to see the biographical film depicting Jackie Robinson’s first years with the Brooklyn Dodgers franchise. 42 is an astonishing film that will grasp the audience’s attention throughout the movie’s 128 minutes.
Some of the highlights of the film came from the performances of the men who carried this film: Harrison Ford, who plays Dodgers team executive Branch Rickey, and Chadwick Boseman as the title character.
Ford’s portrayal of the tour-de-force Dodgers executive was one of his best performances in his multi-decade career. From intimidating his underlings into getting them to follow his orders to comforting a broken Jackie, who suffered from the constant attacks from bigots, Ford showed how hard Rickey worked behind the scenes to do the right thing.
As I watched Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of the legendary ballplayer, I thought I was watching the next Ozzie Davis or Denzel Washington in action. The Brooklyn actor-playwright flawlessly portrayed all sides of the baseball icon. One of the most emotional scenes in the film came from his private breakdown after the constant taunting from then-Philadelphia Phillies manager (Alan Tudyk). Boseman made the audience feel sympathetic for Jackie’s plight and showed the circumstances that Mr. Robinson went through.
42’s success was a tribute to Brian Helgeland’s amazing screenplay. This screenplay was brilliant because it featured amazing one-liner zings that were peppered throughout the film. In addition, it also showcased how Jackie faced and survived the obstacles that were in his way plus how he slowly gained the respect of his teammates and Dodgers fans.
Final thoughts and grade: 42 is an amazing sports drama that features incredible performances from Harrison Ford and Chadwick Boseman plus an unbelievable screenplay that makes this movie…a must watch for sports fans and non-sports fan alike. A+
