A pril 10, 2013
®l?e Fortiani» CBbseru er C areer& E ducation
Page II
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Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson in the film '42, ’ opening Friday at theaters nationwide.
The Legend
Film ‘42’ the story of Jackie Robinson
by C hristy
L emire
AP M ovie W riter
There's a scene in "42" in which
Jackie Robinson, the first black
player in modem Major League
Baseball, endures intolerably cruel
racial slurs from the Philadelphia
Phillies'manager.
It's early in the 1947 season. Each
time the Brooklyn Dodgers' first
baseman comes up to bat, manager
Ben Chapman emerges from the dug-
out, stands on the field and taunts
him with increasingly personal and
vitriolic attacks. It's a visible struggle,
but No. 42 maintains his composure
before a crowd of thousands.
As a viewer, it's uncomfortable
to watch - although as writer-direc
tor Brian Helgeland points out, "if
anything, the language we have in
that scene was cleaned up from what
it was."
Such hatred may seem archaic,
an ugly episode in our nation's his
tory that we'd rather forget. But re
membering Robinson's accomplish
ments is more important than ever,
say people involved with "42" and
baseball historians alike. And be
cause he was such an inspiring cul
tural figure, it’s more important than
ever to get his story right.
Helgeland, an Oscar winner for
his "L.A. Confidential" screenplay
who previously directed "Payback"
and "A Knight’s Tale," said he felt
"an enormous amount of pressure"
to be faithful to Robinson's story,
both because of his significance
and because his life had been writ
ten about so extensively. That in
cluded recreating games right from
the box scores. So when Robinson
(Chadwick Boseman) homers dur
ing a crucial pennant-race game off
continued
on page 13
Harrison Ford (left), and Chadwick Boseman, cast members in
the film "4 2 ," pose together for a portrait, in Los Angeles.