42

Chadwick Boseman. Be ready to know his name.

The biopic about Jackie Robinson and his brave and tumultuous venture into professional baseball is less about America's national past-time (debatable at this point in history), and more about the racial injustices that existed a mere 65 years ago. Set in 1945, as pro ballplayers were returning from WWII, Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey, innocently claiming profit motivation and not racial injustice, shocked the world when he backed Jackie Robinson, a 26 year old Negro League star. He pushed him through the farm system up into the big leagues, and the rest is history.

Jackie is an icon in professional sports, and I was impressed to learn that the number 42 has been retired by all professional teams in baseball as well as celebrated every April on a day in which every baseball player wears the number. A feat not ever done before or since. It was a barrier broken, and even more impressive because he did it with his bat and his speed, not just as a gimmick. He won Rookie of the Year, won a World Series, and although he was only in the league for 10 years, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Sadly, he died in 1972 at age 53, but his legacy will certainly live on.

Written and directed by Brian Helgeland. What's that? You don't know who that is? He won an Oscar for writing LA Confidential, a fantastic film noir about corruption within the LAPD in the 50's. He also penned Mystic River, Payback, Man on Fire, and the most recent Robin Hood. He has established himself as a Hollywood heavy hitter in the screenplay department, and is making his first foray into mainstream direction with 42. Needless to say, although not a household name yet, he is an up and comer who I would compare with someone in the William Monahan or Paul Haggis realm. Someone who has definite writing cred, but is just now making a name in the direction field. He definitely has talent and displays poise with this endeavor, although a sports film is all about the story and actors, and less about the direction.

Chadwick Boseman storms onto the screen as the iconic legend, and is a dead ringer for Robinson. Perfect casting. He has spent the last ten years doing various stints in television, but this is his first (of many I'm sure) leading man role. He plays Robinson cool and with the right amount of emotion displayed through his eyes. It's a very difficult role and emotion, but he shows the restraint necessary to lend credibility to the realism of the film. He is excellent as Jackie Robinson, and the portrayal is respectful and from what I could tell, accurate.

Harrison Ford comes out of left field to play Branch Rickey, the old and weathered baseball dinosaur. He is practically unrecognizable at first glance, and has been off the radar for so long that his name isn't mentioned in the aging veteran actor conversation, but he is back. And he's emerging into a new role now that he's 71. Long gone are the days of action, Indiana Jones (we'll see), and Han Solo (umm, we'll see). He's opened himself up with this performance for the old man looking for an Oscar, and this next chapter of his acting career may earn him some accolades if he chooses his projects wisely. He has a few more projects coming out this year, a sure sign that he's back in the game. He's a business executive in Paranoia, an old, gruff mentor in the adaptation of the kids' modern classic Ender's Game, and he's rumored to have some sort of a hand in Anchorman 2. This could be his finest work since his brilliant cameo in Jimmy Kimmel's "I'm F*&king Ben Affleck". He's also signed on for another Indiana Jones (5), and Star Wars episode 7, which will be epic (JJ Abrams and Disney). Suffice to say, he's making a comeback. I don't know why, but he's always had the potential. He's played the waiting game for the past 20 years, and now he's primed for some really good roles.

Alan Tudyk steps out of his mostly comedic persona to shine in a supporting role, as short and uncomfortable as it is. He is the Philadelphia A's manager Ben Chapman. He probably says the N word more times than he has minutes of screen time, and it really adds another depth to the picture of racism at the time. It is hard to take him seriously in any role, but he definitely stands out as the non-Ford/Boseman player who shines. John C. McGinley lends his commentary as Brooklyn announcer Red Barber, and has some terrific lines. Old metaphors and phrases from the 1940's that are so comical and antiquated that could make a comeback in modern lexicon.

The film almost takes away some of the bravery that Jackie showed, and the danger and abuse that he endured by showing Branch Rickey as an altruistic, selfless, and exceptionally racially tolerant man. The focus of good and humanity almost falls on Rickey, which is both great to see, and a bit of a shame as it stifles some of the emotional momentum built by Chadwick Boseman. It's a well done biopic, more than just an inspirational sports movie. It is equal parts Walk the Line, Miracle, and Remember the Titans.

The problem that I ran into was that the tone was much more subdued than the more uncensored and racially volatile film that the trailer shows. There is no actual violence, and even the constant racial epitaphs are done in a contrived and almost humorous way. The scene in Philadelphia where Alan Tudyk's character is obscenely and enthusiastically trying to get under Jackie's skin is done with a combination of humor and exaggerated racism. Not with the unfounded pent-up rage that many White Americans felt as a result of societal pressures. I understand that the filmmakers needed to stick to a certain standard to maintain the PG-13, and that the target demographic often drives the content. In this case, baseball fans,young adults, and those with any experience with racism seem to be the groups. Anyone can relate to an injustice story. Everyone roots for the underdog, and sports seems to bring the best out of humanity. 42 isn't the best baseball film ever made, it isn't even close. It is an inspiring and relevant racial piece of non-fiction as important as Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr.

Don't expect too much baseball. It's the backdrop for much more complicated social issues, but done simply. Besides, Kevin Costner isn't in the movie, so you know it's not all baseball. What it is however, is one of the better movies thus far in 2013. 8/10.