42

2hr 8min?? – Rated PG-13?? – Drama

With spring upon us and the baseball season’s start just a few weeks past, it seems to be the perfect time to release the next big baseball movie.

“42” has slid into that spot.

The movie tells the true story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American Major League Baseball player, as he plays the game he loves while he endures jeers from a crowd that is unwilling to give him a chance. Baseball films are a dime a dozen, and segregation is a typical drama catalyst in historical sports films, so what sets “42,” apart from the rest?

Austin Flynn: I wouldn’t say “42” knocked it out of the park, but it at least hit a stand-up triple. My only real complaints concern the film’s early pacing and the way racism was portrayed throughout. Both issues were small, but the latter made the movie seem a little too predictable and cheesy at times. For example, Robinson and his all-black baseball team stops at a gas station to fill up in one scene, and Jackie is told he can’t use the bathroom. Jackie tells the clerk the team will take its business elsewhere after a few tense seconds, but the clerk gives in and lets him use the bathroom. Not too much later, Jackie and his wife Rachel are denied plane tickets because she entered a “whites only” restroom. The film reveals their tickets were given to a white couple and an argument ensues, which results in the clerk threatening to call the police. While those situations are certainly good examples of segregation’s absurdity, I don’t think it was necessary to sprinkle them throughout the movie constantly when more powerful scenes portrayed racism and helped audiences see the mindset people held back in those days.

Karsten Burgstahler: I agree, and I want to focus in on one scene in particular. During one baseball game, there’s a white kid at the park with his dad. When his dad begins booing Robinson, the kid, who seems confused, begins to boo as well just to emulate his father. It’s a powerful reminder that kids will follow the example their parents set. More intimate scenes like that work much better than the typical segregation scenes Hollywood sticks into historical movies. In fact, I wasn’t incredibly convinced by any of the supporting cast members beyond Chadwick Boseman as Robinson or Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey, Robinson’s Brooklyn Dodgers manager. Whenever the camera would pan to the white section jeering Robinson, the extras seemed to be more excited at the prospect of being in a movie rather than playing the role. I also thought the movie’s focus on Robinson’s and Rickey’s relationship, which portrays Rickey basically as a mentor to Robinson, takes away from Robinson’s monumental achievement. But overall, “42” is a solid historical drama. Nothing incredibly original, but entertaining and inspirational nonetheless.

AF: One aspect “42” really shines in is the balance between Robinson’s life intermixed with the baseball scenes. Robinson got married and had a child, both while being the first African American to play Major League Baseball. Neither his life or his career take more screen time than what was necessary — This balance creates drama while still focusing on the sport and Robinson’s struggle. I can agree that some of the supporting cast was weak but I’m willing to look past a few weak ends when Ford and Andre Holland, black journalist Wendell Smith, fully displayed their on-screen talents. “42” is a great movie with a few small problems, but after everything was said and done, this is one of the few movies this year I walked out of and thought “you know, I wouldn’t mind going to watch this again.” Whether you’re a fan of baseball or just love Jackie Robinson’s story, this is a movie you won’t want to miss.

KB: One of the great things about “42” is any audience member can take something away from it. It’s historical, yes, but Robinson’s story is just the right avenue to teach lessons of courage and standing up for oneself. Robinson’s story helps “42” stand out  in the sports film genre. I don’t know if I’d go as far as to say I’d watch it again, because I don’t think it was groundbreaking in terms of filmmaking, but the positives far outweigh the negatives and relative newcomer Boseman is certainly one to watch. Just about anyone can find a lesson to take away from “42,” so it’s worth a watch.