42

Hero is a word we hear often in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. 42 tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and legendary Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball. In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball's infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and even other players. Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, knowing that any incident could destroy his and Rickey's hopes. Instead, Number 42 let his talent on the field do the talking—ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow.

This was a truly great movie. Sure, you know the story going in. You know it will be about Jackie Robinson's struggle against racism. Yet, it's done in such a way that you are so uncomfortable watching the tough racism scenes and develop an actual hatred for the actors/characters displaying it. You also get that awesome feeling of joy when he succeeds. The real surprise of the movie is the spectacular performance of Harrison Ford as the owner of the Dodgers. This was seriously his best performance in years and you cant help but love the wisdom and strength that the character played behind the scenes of Jackie Robinson.

I fully recommend that everyone take the time to watch this movie. It was amazingly done and did absolute justice to such an important part of sports history.