Review: 42

The story of pioneering African-American baseballer Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), the first-ever black player in MLB. Hired by Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) he must exercise great self-control in addition to his playing ability, ignoring a shitstorm of racial taunts from idiot fans, writers, opponents, even some of his own teammates. And there’s even the occasional death threat thrown in. Rickey for his part, must ease the concerns of his associates (including a worried and sceptical T.R. Knight) that Robinson is what’s best for The Dodgers, and baseball. i.e. Win the pennant, put arses in seats. Nicole Beharie plays Robinson’s more strident wife, Alan Tudyk is a hateful cracker opposing team manager, John C. McGinley plays colourful sports commentator Red Barber, a grown-up Lucas Black is one of Robinson’s few supportive teammates (his Pee Wee Reese could very well warrant his own movie if you ask me), Ryan Merriman is anything but supportive as another so-called teammate, and Christopher Meloni impresses early as fair-minded Dodgers manager Leo Durocher, whose personal issues get in the way of his career.

 

It isn’t a world beater, and frankly is rather TV material, but this 2013 biopic of Jackie Robinson from writer-director Brian Helgeland (scribe of “L.A. Confidential”, “Mystic River”, “The Postman”, and “Green Zone”) tells an important story in several fields, and if nothing else offers the rare experience of bonafide movie star Harrison Ford doing some rare, late innings character acting. His performance and Ed Wynn-ish physical appearance may not be subtle (though the makeup and fat suit combo are quite convincing), but watching the great star try to do some real acting for a change (albeit of the latter day Orson Welles scenery-chewing variety) instead of the same grumbly, depressing performances he’s been churning out for years, is a fun change of pace. Certainly he’s more memorable than lead actor Chadwick Boseman, who is sadly not charismatic or interesting enough to succeed as one of the most important and loved sportsmen of all-time. He’s OK, just not very captivating, which is a shame. Or perhaps it’s more that Robinson the man was much less interesting than his actual story and career (Not that this film focuses on Robinson’s life, only a few years of it, and mostly from a professional sporting perspective). Either way, he just doesn’t grab you like you might expect.

 

There’s solid support by Christopher Meloni (in an all-too brief character part), John C. McGinley, and especially Alan Tudyk. McGinley apparently does a dead-on impersonation of Dodgers commentator Red Barber (I’ve never heard the man myself), but what impressed me was that he took a rather functionary role and gives it a little extra something that isn’t on the page. Tudyk, meanwhile, is completely obnoxious and overbearing and that’s pretty much the point. You’ll want to punch the guy’s nose out the other side of his head. Look out for an unnerving cameo by long-serving character actor Matt Clark as an old racist in one scene.

 

I’m no baseball fan, but the story of Jackie Robinson truly transcends any sport. It’s a story about racism and America, really. It’s a shame that this biopic doesn’t really soar (perhaps a Spike Lee or John Singleton could’ve done more with it), but it’s still nonetheless an easy watch, especially if you want to see Harrison Ford do something completely different and not relying on his usual bag of tricks. Sure, it’s a bit of a put-on, but at least he’s not being a cranky old shit. And although the lead performance may be dull, you still get pulled into the story, which at the end of the day, is bigger than Robinson himself. The story, and Ford, really are the show here. Yes, it could’ve been a TV movie, but it’s one of the better baseball movies I’ve seen, so who cares?

 

Rating: B-