2013 American biographical sports film
42 is a 2013 American biographical sports drama film produced by Howard Baldwin and distributed by Legendary Pictures. Written and directed by Brian Helgeland, "42" is based on baseball player Jackie Robinson, the first black athlete to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) during the modern era. The title of the film is a reference to Robinson's jersey number, which was universally retired across all MLB teams in 1997. The ensemble cast includes Chadwick Boseman as Robinson, alongside Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, André Holland, Lucas Black, Hamish Linklater, and Ryan Merriman in supporting roles.
Spike Lee initially planned to direct a biopic in 1995 with Turner Pictures, but the project fell apart due to creative differences and later financial challenges. In 2011, Legendary Pictures took over, collaborating with Robinson's widow, Rachel, to ensure authenticity. Chadwick Boseman, cast as Robinson in his breakout role, impressed director Brian Helgeland with his athleticism and emotional depth during auditions. Boseman trained extensively for months to replicate Robinson's mannerisms and connected with Rachel for character insights. Filming began in 2012 across locations like Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Birmingham, Alabama, with Engel Stadium standing in for the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ebbets Field. The production used digital recreations of historic stadiums and involved local extras; Boseman insisted on performing his stunts.
"42" was screened at the White House and premiered at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles before it was released on April 12, 2013, by Warner Bros. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise centered on Boseman's heartfelt portrayal and Ford's stylized performance. It earned $97.5 million worldwide against a $40 million budget, including a record-breaking $27.5 million opening for a baseball film. "42" was re-released in theaters after Boseman's death.
Plot.
In the years following World War II, baseball in the United States grew in prominence, becoming a symbol of democracy. Yet, for African Americans, the pervasive specter of racism and Jim Crow laws remained barriers to equality. Black players, many of whom served in the war, were still restricted to playing in the Negro leagues. Meanwhile, the 1946 Major League Baseball season saw 16 teams and 400 white players on the roster, in contrast to the following season's 399.
In 1945, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey meets with scout Clyde Sukeforth in the office of his baseball club, saying he wants to recruit a black baseball player for his team. Reviewing potential candidates, Rickey suggests Jackie Robinson of the Negro league's Kansas City Monarchs. Meanwhile, Robinson has an incident at a gas station where he leverages his team's patronage to use a restroom. Sukeforth leads Robinson to a meeting with Rickey, who outlines the challenges Robinson would face while breaking the color line and emphasizes the need for restraint in responding to provocations. Robinson agrees to join the Dodgers under these terms and proposes to his girlfriend, Rachel, who accepts.
In Daytona Beach, Florida, Robinson prepares for spring training with the Montreal Royals, the AAA affiliate of the Brooklyn farm system. Rickey asks that their manager Clay Hopper treat Robinson equally. After performing well his first season, Robinson advances to the Dodgers and is trained as a first baseman in Panama City. Some Dodgers players draft a petition refusing to play with Robinson, but are rebuffed by manager Leo Durocher, whom Rickey confides in. Wendell Smith, a black sportswriter who is to be chronicling Robinson, explains to him that black reporters are not allowed in the press box. Durocher is suspended by Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler over his extramarital affair. Robinson signs with the team and plays on the 1947 season's opening day; Rickey convinces former player Burt Shotton to take over as manager. Sometime later, Robinson and Rachel have a baby boy, whom Robinson vows to be there for.
Robinson plays against the Philadelphia Phillies, whose manager Ben Chapman relentlessly taunts him with racial epithets. In the dugout, Robinson angrily strikes his bat against the wall, breaking into tears. Rickey tells him that Chapman expects Robinson to stand up for himself. Fellow teammate Eddie Stanky defends Robinson, who scores the winning run. When Chapman's behavior toward Robinson generates negative press for the team, Phillies' general manager Herb Pennock, who had earlier disapproved of Robinson playing in Philadelphia, requires Chapman to pose with Robinson for magazine photos. Dodgers shortstop Pee Wee Reese, after seeing several negative letters towards Robinson, sympathizes with Robinson. At a game in Cincinnati, Reese makes a public show of solidarity, standing with his arm around Robinson's shoulders before a hostile crowd at Crosley Field. In a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Enos Slaughter spikes Robinson on the back of the leg with his cleats. Robinson calms vengeful Dodgers, insisting they focus on winning the game. While Robinson is treated, Rickey tells him that Robinson inspired him to love baseball again.
Robinson's home run against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Fritz Ostermueller, who had earlier hit him in the head (which led to a fight between Robinson's teammates and the Pirates), helps the Dodgers clinch the National League pennant, sending them to the 1947 World Series. The black community in Daytona Beach erupts in cheers while Wendell documents the achievements of Robinson, who confidently sprints toward home plate. An epilogue highlights Robinson's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Rickey and Reese; Wendell becoming the first African American member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America; and the annual commemoration of Robinson's impact, in which all players wear his number, 42, which remains retired across baseball. One boy inspired by Robinson, Ed Charles, later played for the 1969 World Series champion "Miracle Mets".
Production.
Initial development.
Spike Lee planned to write and direct "The Jackie Robinson Story" based on the life of Jackie Robinson and had it set up at Turner Pictures under his 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks in 1995. The studio wanted to release it in 1997 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Robinson's breaking of the color barrier, and courted Denzel Washington to star, but the project fell apart in 1996 over creative differences. In March 1997, Lee found favor with Columbia Pictures, who signed him to a three-year first-look deal. Columbia President Amy Pascal reflected that it would bring "enormous potential for Spike to reach audiences that are not traditionally associated with Spike Lee movies." The project eventually fell apart due to lack of finance, but in 2004 Robert Redford set up a separate biopic as producer with Deep River Productions, as well as his own production company, Wildwood Productions. Redford also intended to co-star as Branch Rickey, and Howard Baldwin joined as producer the following year.
Resurgence and casting.
In June 2011, it was announced that Legendary Pictures would develop and produce a Jackie Robinson biopic with Brian Helgeland on board to write and direct, under a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Legendary collaborated with Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson, to ensure the authenticity of her husband's story. She had previously been involved with Redford's project.
When asked about Robinson and Rachel, Hegeland emphasized the importance that the actors "be accepted at once by the audience." He found it tricky for "someone famous to play someone else famous".
Filming.
In the spring of 2012, Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, served as a stand-in for Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. Filming at the stadium began on April 21, 2012. Some interior scenes were shot at Atlanta Film Studios Paulding County in Hiram, Georgia. Some were shot at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, which also served as the set for game-action scenes at Forbes Field, Roosevelt Stadium, and Shibe Park, as well as itself in the film's opening. The filming of "42" was a significant economic boost for Chattanooga, with an estimated $5 million injected into the local economy. Filming in Chattanooga marked the longest-running and largest-budget production the city had hosted at that time, surpassing previous Hollywood projects such as "Water for Elephants".
Boseman's deep character study enabled him to note when his stunt double was playing Robinson incorrectly, and he insisted on doing his own stunts, but former minor league player Jasha Balcom was Boseman's stunt double for some scenes. Using old photographs and stadium blueprints, Ebbets Field, Shibe Park, The Polo Grounds, Crosley Field, Sportsman's Park, and Forbes Field were recreated for the film using digital imagery. Inflatable people were used in the stands for reference for the visual effects team. They were all replaced with individual fans that were shot individually against a blue screen. Home base and the infield were moved. The scoreboard and outfield ads were recreated, and the rest of the field was green-screened so the stands could be added.
Extras, many of whom were local residents, filled roles as players and other period-specific figures. While filming wrapped in Chattanooga on May 25, 2012, the green screen setup around Engel Stadium remained in place for several more weeks in case additional shots were needed.
Music.
"42" features an orchestral score composed by Mark Isham who developed the main themes through piano at his in-built studio in his house. The score was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London, led by a 60-piece orchestra with further emphasis on French horns and solo trumpet, being the voice of Robinson. WaterTower Music released the score album on April 9, 2013, along with an accompanying soundtrack that featured the songs heard in the film.
Release.
Marketing.
Marriott International collaborated with Warner Bros. to promote Marriott Rewards, the company's loyalty program, to African American audiences. On February 25, 2013, Marriott launched a month-long sweepstakes on Facebook offering daily prizes, including tickets to "42" and a grand prize of an all-expenses-paid trip to the film's premiere on April 9, 2013, in Los Angeles. A special trailer for "42" featuring Chadwick Boseman was shown on LodgeNet entertainment systems in over 1,000 Marriott hotels across the United States. Key cards distributed at Marriott hotels in 11 cities, including New York City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, featured promotional materials about the Facebook contest. Marriott also hosted exclusive screenings of "42" for members of its loyalty program in Boston, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and Phoenix.
On April 15, 2013, Major League Baseball (MLB) celebrated Jackie Robinson Day, an annual event commemorating Robinson's breaking of baseball's color barrier in 1947. Warner Bros. was a presenting sponsor for the day's celebration at Dodger Stadium. During the Los Angeles Dodgers game against the San Diego Padres, the film's trailer was shown on the stadium's video boards. Attendees at the game received a statue depicting Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and Don Newcombe. Kelley Jakle, a cast member of the film and the great-granddaughter of Branch Rickey, performed "God Bless America". Harrison Ford and Chadwick Boseman, along with other cast members of "42", participated in pre-game ceremonies and media interviews at Dodger Stadium. Ford threw the game's ceremonial first pitch.
At the White House.
Then-U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle watched a private screening of "42" before its release. On April 2, 2013, Michelle Obama made a speech to a group of high school and college students at the White House, where "42" was screened. Actors Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford, director Brian Helgeland and producer Thomas Tull were interviewed, as well as Jackie Robinson's widow, Rachel.
Premiere.
"42" premiered at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, on April 9, 2013. People present included cast members, Rachel, rapper Big Sean, actresses Naya Rivera and Calista Flockhart, and football player Bill Cowher.
"42" also premiered at AMC Barry Woods Theater in Kansas City on April 11, 2013, a day before its nationwide release on April 12 by Warner Bros., as a benefit for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Boseman, Ford, and Robinson's son David were present in the premiere; Ford participated in the fundraiser.
Reception.
Box office and home media.
"42" grossed $95 million in the United States and $2.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $97.5 million, against a production budget of $40 million. The film earned $27.5 million for its opening weekend, the best-ever debut for a baseball-themed film. This surpassed the previous highest opening of $19.6 million set by "The Benchwarmers" (2006) and "Moneyball"'s $19.5 million (2011). "42" then made $17.7 million and $10.7 million on its second and third weekends, finishing second and third, respectively.
"42" was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 16, 2013. This release sold 1.3 million units ($18 million), becoming the 33rd highest-grossing DVD of 2013 in