“42”- a movie based on the true story of Jackie Robinson’s baseball career, is a heart-wrenching film that captures the moments that made baseball history.
Robinson, played by Chadwick Boseman, was a talented baseball player for the Negro Leagues in the 1940’s. The general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey who was played by Harrison Ford, decided it was time to add African Americans to the Major League teams. After searching through baseball portfolios, he found Robinson to be a perfect candidate.
During this time, most of America was segregated. People believed that whites and African Americans did not belong together, especially not on the same field. Robinson was brought in to break these barriers and prove to America that baseball was not about the color of your skin, but the talent you have underneath it.
As the first black man to play in Major League Baseball, Robinson faced hatred from everyone around him, even his own teammates, along with cruel opponents trying to bring him down. Robinson was a man who believed in equality. He had the guts to speak up to the white people who put others down for their race. But after given the spot on the Dodgers, Robinson had to find the guts to not stand up for his color, but instead find a peaceful way of dealing with racist remarks.
With a beautiful wife who believed in him and a son to provide for, Robinson found his place in baseball. “42” follows Robinson’s hardships and strengths. The movie does a good job of capturing the audience’s heart and tying them to the baseball star.
It is a movie that anyone can relate to. A game of baseball for the athletes. A love story for the romantics. And a highlight of history’s most important moments for the history fanatics.
This movie has you on the edge of your seat as you wait for Robinson’s every response. The audience is kept in suspense, questioning whether he is emotionally strong enough to withstand the racist threats while holding his spot on the team.
You really get a sense of everything Robinson had to deal with. It is heart-breaking having to watch as the crowd bashes on him with words. It makes you want to get up and scream at them. But you find Robinson is a powerful man with patience. He let his passion for the game lead him to the end.
“42” portrays Robinson perfectly. The filmmakers capture the concept of who Robinson truly is at heart. They show him as a hero, for all the young boys who thought they never had a chance because their skin wasn’t white. As a role model to all those who needed the courage to follow their dreams. And as a historical figure, who helped Americans realize that the color of your skin has nothing to do with the size of your heart or strength in your step.