Jackie Robinson finally gets his due on the big screen.

by Brian Hughes ’15

Writer-director Brian Helgeland’s biopic “42” is something that most other films of its genre are not: inspirational. The Academy Award winner does a near perfect job, making history by retelling history. Helgeland creates a very realistic and believable storyline with feel-good, cinematic quality while conveying the true, historical and timeless moments that actually happened in Jackie Robinson’s (Chadwick Boseman) rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

“42” has more of an impact on the audience than you might expect. At first you would stop and think, “Another Jackie Robinson movie?” But then you stop again and realize, “Wait. There’s never really been a Jackie Robinson movie.” Being the first film to depict such a defining moment in American cultural and sporting history (except for a 1950 film in which Robinson actually plays himself), the pressure is definitely on, and Helgeland and his cast pull though.

Every scene in the movie is moving in some way. Whether the scene is historically accurate or exaggerated, it is bound to touch the audience or spark up some intensity and anger from viewers. Helgeland includes the memorable moment when shortstop Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black) goes over to his black teammate and puts his arm around him in the infield of Crosley Field, Cinncinati in the midst of bombardments of racial epithets from the crowd. This is one heroic act that the film perhaps overdramatizes, but the scene allows for one of the most crucial lines in the movie to take place, when the shortstop says, “Maybe tomorrow we’ll all wear 42. That way they won’t be able to tell us apart.”

Another scene still sticks out in my mind, probably the most difficult one to deal with over the course of the whole film. Alabama native Phillies manager Ben Champman (Alan Tudyk) steps out of the dugout and starts rattling off all kinds of racist slurs at Robinson, getting under his skin and causing Robinson to pop out each time. Number 42 has a meltdown afterwards, played beautifully by Boseman, but displays his resiliency and comes back out to the field to end up scoring the winning run. It is another part of the movie done so well that it gives you chills.

For once, the whole “based on a true story” line doesn’t really need the “based” part. Helgeland creates a virtually flawless film depicting a real-life story that did all of American society a favor.