HAPPY JACKIE ROBINSON DAY!
Writer: Brian Helgeland
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford
Tomatometer: 76/70/89 (all critics, top critics, audience)
Spoiler-free Summary: This one isn’t spoiler-free, but I don’t feel bad about it. Branch Rickey, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, helps Jackie Robinson, a young athlete from California, become the first African American to play in Major League Baseball.
Two Cents: Racism is so uncool.
Obviously, Jackie Robinson’s is one of the great stories in American sports history. As such, there wasn’t really much of a chance for this movie to disappoint. Still, I applaud Brian Helgeland for taking on the incredible burden of telling such a monumental story.
In general, Helgeland does a wonderful job, handling Robinson’s journey with respect and admiration. However, I am disappointed with certain aspects of the movie.
For the first hour or so, I couldn’t help but wonder why no character was saying anything inappropriate to Jackie Robinson. Sure, there were a few stink-eyes, and a slur here or there, but there was nothing that seemed “authentic”. I don’t want to use the word “thankfully”, so, I’ll say…Appropriately, the racism picks up, halfway through the movie.
I understand that Branch Rickey was a great man, and a champion for civil rights. In Helgeland’s version of the story, though, Rickey is portrayed as the true hero of the story, instead of Robinson. Unfortunately, there’s no question that it took a white man to desegregate baseball, but I don’t think it’s fair to compare Rickey’s role in the phenomenon to Robinson’s. After all, Rickey makes no effort (at least, during the portion of his life that is covered in this film) to desegregate the bleachers of Ebbets Field. It just feels wrong to make a white man the hero of a black man’s experience with segregation. To his credit, though, Helgeland does acknowledge that Rickey (and other MLB owners) had quite a bit of money to gain from desegregating baseball, thereby admitting that, in addition to being a moralist, Rickey was just your average capitalist.
One element in the Jackie Robinson saga, which I found sorely lacking in Helgeland’s film, is the most important element of all – Robinson’s legacy. Helgeland spends only a few seconds touching on two other African Americans who joined Robinson on the Dodgers in 1948 and 1949. At no point does Helgeland mention Willie Mays, Ken Griffey, Jr., or any of the other baseball superstars of whom we’d never have heard, had it not been for Robinson’s bravery. A few statistics, or even a list of names, before the end credits would go a long way.
The acting in this movie is not particularly noteworthy, as Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford are really the only actors with a considerable amount of screen time. Each lead actor does a good job, although, at times, Ford’s portrayal of Rickey crosses the line between acting and impersonation.
Side Note: If you love spotting actors from other movies and television shows, this film is a gold mine.
Should I/Shouldn’t I: I realize I’ve been harping on the negative, a tad, but this movie is very good. The story is well-known, but you’ll certainly learn something knew about an incredible man and athlete. If you’re looking for a movie with the triumph and exhilaration of Remember the Titans or Miracle, you won’t find that here, as it’s difficult to capture Robinson’s success in one victorious moment. You will, however, be uplifted by the courageous and exemplary life of Jackie Robinson.
Sundae Rating: Two scoops with whipped cream
Sunday Morning Screenings 