42 **** (PG-13) The story of Jackie Robinson - the first Black to play in major league baseball may have been told many times before, but never so well as in this biopic. And the ordeal of his breaking the racial barrier in such a high-profile sector of the American landscape remains unfortunately more relevant to the present than many are willing to admit. Jackie’s first at-bat for the Brooklyn Dodgers was no more the end of racism in the sport than electing our first Black president was in politics.
The screenplay duly honors Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), the venerable general manager of the Dodgers who first decided that the vital contributions of Black soldiers, sailors and airmen in WW II made it the right time to push for social justice in his realm. He scoured the thriving Negro Leagues for one with the right combination of on and off-field skills to not only play the game well, but to endure the barrages of threats and abuses he would certainly face from every direction - including opponents, and even his own teammates.
Beyond that, Brian Helgeland’s presentation respectfully fleshes out Robinson’s character, and every facet of his experience, from the effects on his wife (Nicole Behari), to his importance as the standard bearer for a race, to excelling at the actual game in the face of such daunting obstacles. No punches are pulled in depicting the ugliest underbellies of our recent past, including specific examples of players who were determined to keep their sport segregated. Robinson was on the front lines of a war, without an army behind him. Much of what audiences will see and hear is reprehensible. But we need to recognize that it happened to stay alert for signs of its residue.
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Although the baseball action is splendidly depicted, with faithful reproductions of period sets and costumes, one need not be a fan of our National Pastime to savor the essence of the film, or appreciate the subjects it presents. Casting relative unknown Chadwick Boseman to play Jackie was a solid choice. He has the looks and presence for all dimensions of the man and the moment. A bigger marquee name might have brought more focus on how well his acting suited the role, diluting the purity of this well-deserved tribute to one of our greatest athletes and citizens. (4/12/13)