Movie #112- "42" (2013)

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball.  In 1947, not only did he accomplish this feat, but he did so as a great player.  His skills had to shine on the ball field.  Mediocrity would have given naysayers ammunition.  Robinson provided the Brooklyn Dodgers a combination of speed and power.  While known primarily as a second baseman, Robinson played a variety of positions during his 10-year career.  First base... outfield... third base.  He averaged nearly 14 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 74 runs batted in a season, finishing his career with a .311 batting average (as a fantasy baseball geek, I'd gladly take those numbers from a middle infielder).  Solid numbers considering his didn't begin his stint in Major League Baseball until the age of 28.
While "42" proclaims this as the Jackie Robinson story, this is really the story of Robinson's signing with the Dodgers and the subsequent personal struggles during his first season.  Dealing with racism from fans and teammates, Robinson demonstrated that he was a man not only of talent, but of character.  Chadwick Boseman gives a wonderful performance, combining the athleticism of Robinson along with the inner battles his faced in changing baseball.  Harrison Ford is Branch Rickey, the man responsible for signing Robinson.  He plays Rickey as a gruff old man, sometimes over the top, yet knowing this is the right move for baseball as a sport (of course, he knows of the financial rewards as well).
This is a heroic and noble story, with an old-time movie feel.  Ball fields glisten in the sunlight as team members play on carefully manicured diamonds.  The bright tone occasionally undercuts the nature of the story.  Somehow I feel that his entrance into professional baseball was more trying than what appears on the screen.  There were also a few points of dramatic license that really didn't add to the film.
Still, an inspiring story that belongs on the big screen, although it does contain a few weak moments.  "42" may not deliver a home run... maybe a triple.

Rating: 7/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 106