# "42" The movie about Jackie Robinson. (spoilers, ok) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 25, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662 "2013-09-25T18:08:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/1 "2013-09-25T18:08:48Z")
Saw this last night. Well casted. Especially loved Harrison Ford! Have no idea if it resembled any “real life”, but it was very entertaining. Anyone else see it? Pardon if it has been discussed before. But my search came up blank. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/2 "2013-09-25T18:19:16Z")
I it a strong meh. As the son of a Brooklyn Dodger fanatic and a big baseball fan myself I am certainly interested in the subject. I thought it was a bit heavy handed. Ford did a good job though. I prefer Soul of the Game. Same basic subject matter but it also followed Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige. Starred Blair Underwood as Jackie and Delroy Lindo as Paige. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/3 "2013-09-25T19:48:45Z")
Oddly enough, the best review of\*\*\* 42 \*\*\*came not from a movie critic but from a sportswriter: > **[42](http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2013/04/42.html)** > > KANSAS CITY -- Maybe the best way to explain the movie “42” is to tell two stories about Eddie Stanky. Doing this will provide a small spoil... Lest you think sportswriter Joe Posnanski is going to critique the movie in baseball terms, I should tell you that he gives the movie a tepid thumbs up but faults it for being too (forgive the phrase) black and white, too prone to making some real-life people good guys and others bad guys when the truth was far more complicated. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/4 "2013-09-25T19:57:41Z")
Excellent acting. Professional directing. Slightly soap opera-ish writing. Most of the story is shallow and never gets to show the characters as complex and multi-dimensional, nor getting to the core of the organized racism of the era the way, say, _The Help_ did. Good and entertaining, but not great. Best bit was that one with Alan Tudyck acting like the hugest jackass in film history. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/5 "2013-09-25T20:07:18Z")
I could have done without the swelling music to the feel-good ending designed to make everyone well up in tears. Didn’t work for me and I could have done without it. But solid performances, so there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/6 "2013-09-25T20:14:32Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Oddly enough, the best review of\*\*\* 42 \*\*\*came not from a movie critic but from a sportswriter: > > [Joe Blogs: 42](http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2013/04/42.html) > > Lest you think sportswriter Joe Posnanski is going to critique the movie in baseball terms, I should tell you that he gives the movie a tepid thumbs up but faults it for being too (forgive the phrase) black and white, too prone to making some real-life people good guys and others bad guys when the truth was far more complicated. That was a good review. There was just too much sledgehammer in the movie for my tastes. > [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > Excellent acting. Professional directing. Slightly soap opera-ish writing. Most of the story is shallow and never gets to show the characters as complex and multi-dimensional, nor getting to the core of the organized racism of the era the way, say, _The Help_ did. > > Good and entertaining, but not great. > > Best bit was that one with Alan Tudyck acting like the hugest jackass in film history. Tudyck was quite good as was John McGinley as Red Barber. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/7 "2013-09-25T20:15:07Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I it a strong meh. As the son of a Brooklyn Dodger fanatic and a big baseball fan myself I am certainly interested in the subject. I thought it was a bit heavy handed. Ford did a good job though. > > I prefer Soul of the Game. Same basic subject matter but it also followed Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige. Starred Blair Underwood as Jackie and Delroy Lindo as Paige. Who was Josh Gibson - Mykelti Williamson? \ Yep, that’s him. Yeah, I remember really enjoying that - showing what a showboater Paige was and how the whole Negro League was doing the equivalent of what Dr. J brought to basketball - athleticism and style. That is spoken to with Robinson’s stealing in 42, but not featured as much… I thought 42 was well- acted. Wish it wasn’t so focused on such a short period of the story, and so Robinson-exclusive. I get why the director made the choice; I just would prefer the lens pulled back a bit more. And yeah, Alan Tudyk was effectively despicable. He is good at what he does. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/8 "2013-09-25T20:18:12Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I prefer Soul of the Game. Same basic subject matter but it also followed Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige. Starred Blair Underwood as Jackie and Delroy Lindo as Paige. Same here. Paige’s story is far more interesting, and combining and contrasting their experiences made for a more interesting movie. And made me realize that Satchel Paige must have been the toughest SOB who ever lived. A MLB _rookie_ at 42? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/9 "2013-09-25T20:27:38Z")
How is Harrison Ford in this? Did he show up to work or just do one of his dead performances? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/10 "2013-09-25T20:41:20Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Same here. Paige’s story is far more interesting, and combining and contrasting their experiences made for a more interesting movie. And made me realize that Satchel Paige must have been the toughest SOB who ever lived. A MLB _rookie_ at 42? I did like the contrast between the three of them. Paige, the one who worked the hardest and deserved it but did not fit the mold. Gibson, the best player in baseball who was laid low by all his issues. And Jackie Robinson, the right man at the right time. I thought that movie did a good job of telling that story. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/11 "2013-09-25T20:49:37Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > How is Harrison Ford in this? Did he show up to work or just do one of his dead performances? He was playing a character and not himself. I thought he did it well. Branch Rickey himself was a complicated character. Hard to say how much of breaking the color barrier was for justice and how much was for money. The man was notoriously cheap. When he ran the Pirates he gave Ralph Kiner a pay cut after he led the majors in home runs. He was quoted as saying ,“We finished last with you, we can finish last without you.” ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/12 "2013-09-25T20:53:40Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > How is Harrison Ford in this? Did he show up to work or just do one of his dead performances? Some make-up to make him look… well, his actual age, I guess. Obviously aiming for a supporting role nomination. It’s just- the lines he’s given to work with aren’t Shakespeare or anything. A couple of vague speeches and that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-the-movie-about-jackie-robinson-spoilers-ok/669662/13 "2013-09-25T21:48:05Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Hard to say how much of breaking the color barrier was for justice and how much was for money. The man was notoriously cheap. From Ken Burns’ _ **Baseball** _, breaking the color barrier was very personal to him. He had wanted to do it for a long time before he found the time where he thought he could actually do it. It wasn’t about the money…but if he could get an advantage doing it… > **[Branch Rickey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branch_Rickey)** > > As manager > As general manager > Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player and sports executive. Rickey was instrumental in breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier by signing black player Jackie Robinson. He also created the framework for the modern minor league farm system, encouraged the major leagues to add new teams through his involvement in the proposed Continental League, and introduced the batting helmet. He was posthumously electe... > [@](#): > > While managing at Ohio Wesleyan University, an African-American player, Charles Thomas, was extremely upset at being refused accommodation at the hotel where the team stayed because of his race. Though an infuriated Rickey managed to get him into the hotel for the night, he never forgot the incident and later said, “I may not be able to do something about racism in every field, but I can sure do something about it in baseball.”