42 (2013)

In 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and faces considerable racism in the process.

Director:

Brian Helgeland

Writer:

Brian Helgeland

Stars:

Chadwick Boseman, T.R. Knight, Harrison Ford

3 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chadwick Boseman	...	Jackie Robinson
Harrison Ford	...	Branch Rickey
Nicole Beharie	...	Rachel Robinson
Christopher Meloni	...	Leo Durocher
Ryan Merriman	...	Dixie Walker
Lucas Black	...	Pee Wee Reese
André Holland	...	Wendell Smith (as Andre Holland)
Alan Tudyk	...	Ben Chapman
Hamish Linklater	...	Ralph Branca
T.R. Knight	...	Harold Parrott
John C. McGinley	...	Red Barber
Toby Huss	...	Clyde Sukeforth
Max Gail	...	Burt Shotton
Brad Beyer	...	Kirby Higbe
James Pickens Jr.	...	Mr. Brock

Storyline

In 1946, Jackie Robinson is a Negro League baseball player who never takes racism lying down. Branch Rickey is a Major League team executive with a bold idea. To that end, Rickey recruits Robinson to break the unspoken color line as the first modern African American Major League player. As both anticipate, this proves a major challenge for Robinson and his family as they endure unrelenting racist hostility on and off the field, from player and fan alike. As Jackie struggles against his nature to endure such abuse without complaint, he finds allies and hope where he least expects it.

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Plot Keywords:

african american man | racial integration | pregnancy | jackie robinson character | reference to ty cobb | 

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Taglines:

In a game divided by color, he made us see greatness.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

42: The Jackie Robinson Story

Filming Locations:

Rickwood Field - 1137 2nd Avenue W, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$27,487,144, 14 April 2013, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$95,001,343, 21 July 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.,Legendary Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For the scenes when Ben Chapman taunts Robinson, Alan Tudyk got into character by watching videos of street fighting before each take.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie, still shots of the players appear on the screen, with little factoids. The last one has a picture of Jackie Robinson, and the factoid says "The number 42 is the only number retired in all of baseball." Plenty of numbers have been retired within each team. However, Number 42 was globally retired from all teams across Major League Baseball, as a sign of respect and admiration.

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Quotes

Branch Rickey: [Referring to Jackie Robinson] He's a Methodist, I'm a Methodist... And God's a Methodist; We can't go wrong.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: James Franco/Chadwick Boseman/Jenny Lewis (2014)

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Soundtracks

Masabi
Written by Roberto Ravelo Fiol
Performed by Alberto Socarras Y Su Orquesta Cubanacan
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

"You Want a Player Who Doesn't Have the Guts, to Fight back?" "No, I Want a Player Who's Got the Guts Not to Fight Back."

42, a biopic that unsurprisingly stuns the audience with it's non-cliché drama, amazing acting from every word delivered to every facial expression, and Boseman's athletic and acting abilities. People who have been worried about the SPECIFIC details of Jackie's life will be delighted to see an amazing copy of his life, with Robinson's stint in the Negro,Minor, and Major Leagues. Chadwick's athletic ability has been tested and he has passed, he showed a spot on portrayal of Jackie's movements/style. The cinematography was actually a sight to see, I'd have to say that during the baseball playing scenes, I would of probably been turned off if it specifically wasn't for this look, it captures the scene back then, while still keep in touch with today's audience. The supporting roles were just tremendous, I don't know if I'd say award winning but Harrison Ford will get notice for this role as Branch Rickey, he captures the charisma yet tough heartiness of Branch. Comedically, the jokes aren't cliché, they're not cheap and Boseman shows his range comedically and dramatically. In conclusion, 42 is an amazing looking film and even though it is rated PG-13, the racial topic isn't too weak or strong and at times they may actually overuse, the "n" word, this film is still one of my favorite bio pics that I've seen in a long time and I hope you"ll enjoy it too, I know the audience did because this was one of the few films where an applause occurred at the end of it and I'm not scared to say that I was a part of it.