42 is a 2013 American biographical film produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. 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 reflects 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 Alan Tudyk 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 Robinson, to ensure authenticity. Boseman, cast as Robinson in his breakout role, impressed Helgeland with his athleticism and emotional depth during auditions. Boseman trained 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.
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. Pictures. Its release was three days before Jackie Robinson Day, celebrated annually on April 15. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise centered on Boseman's heartfelt portrayal and Ford's stylized performance. 42 earned $97.5 million worldwide against a $40 million budget, including a record-breaking $27.5 million opening for a baseball film.
Plot
A montage depicts the end of the Second World War and the importance of baseball in the United States, a sport where African Americans play in segregated Negro leagues. The 1946 Major League Baseball season, meanwhile, featured 400 white players in 16 teams.
In 1945, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey seeks to recruit a black baseball player for his team. Reviewing potential candidates, Rickey suggests Jackie Robinson of the Negro leagues' Kansas City Monarchs. During a racially motivated confrontation at a gas station, Robinson is approached by Dodgers scout Clyde Sukeforth. Rickey tells Robinson the challenges of breaking the color line and emphasizes restraint in responding to provocations. Robinson agrees to join the Dodgers under these terms and proposes to his girlfriend, Rachel Robinson, who accepts.
In Daytona Beach, Florida, Robinson trains with the AAA affiliate farm team for the Brooklyn Dodgers: the Montreal Royals, managed by Clay Hopper. After performing well his first season, Robinson advances to the Dodgers and is trained as a first baseman in Panama City. Some Dodgers draft a petition refusing to play with Robinson, but are rebuffed by manager Leo Durocher, whom Rickey confides in. Robinson opens up to Wendell Smith, his black chronicler, saying he doesn't like needing people. Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler suspends Durocher over his extramarital affair, and 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.
On the field, Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman relentlessly taunts Robinson with racial epithets. In the dugout, Robinson angrily strikes his bat against the wall, breaking into tears. Rickey tells him that Robinson is too revered to retaliate. Fellow teammate Eddie Stanky defends Robinson, who scores the winning run. A Philadelphia hotel denies the Dodgers service, leading to an altercation between Robinson and Dixie Walker. When Chapman's behavior 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. Teammate Pee Wee Reese sympathizes with Robinson, 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 hits a home run against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Fritz Ostermueller, who had earlier hit him in the head, helping the Dodgers clinch the National League pennant, sending them to the 1947 World Series. Rachel witnesses a Brooklyn street erupt 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 achievements, in which all players wear his number, 42, which remains retired across baseball. Inspired, a young Ed Charles later played for the 1969 World Series champion "Miracle Mets".
Cast
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 difficulties securing funding, a script, and a lead actor. 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
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. Pictures. He was approached by producer Thomas Tull about a potential Jackie Robinson biopic. Helgeland, who had previously worked with Tull, received the call while on a bus trip to New York with his father. During the conversation, he noticed a billboard featuring Robinson's image with the message "Character: Pass it On", which he later described as "a moment of serendipity" that solidified his interest in the project.
Three days later, after reading Robinson's autobiography, Helgeland met with Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson, to present his vision for the film. While Rachel initially envisioned a cradle-to-grave portrayal covering Robinson's life beyond baseball, Helgeland proposed focusing on a specific period—Robinson's transition from the Negro leagues in 1945 through his rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1947 season. Rachel agreed to the plan and described Robinson's physical traits and personality, as well as the depth of their relationship. "She told me how disciplined he was, how adamant he was about not drinking, and how opinionated he was", Boseman shared.
Helgeland prioritized accurate depictions of baseball sequences, avoiding what he viewed as overly choreographed action seen in some sports films. He studied past baseball movies and cited The Bad News Bears as a standout for its naturalistic portrayal of the sport's emotional and unifying elements. Rachel had previously been involved with Redford's project.
Casting and preproduction Boseman's breakthrough role came with 42, in which he portrayed the lead role of Robinson. 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".
Boseman had been directing an off-Broadway play in the East Village when he auditioned for the role, and was considering giving up acting to pursue directing full-time. About twenty-five other actors had been seriously considered for the role, but director Brian Helgeland liked Boseman's bravery in choosing to read the most difficult scene, in which Robinson goes down a stadium tunnel and breaks a bat in anger, and cast him after he had auditioned twice. Part of the audition process involved playing baseball; Boseman had been involved with Little League as a child but was primarily a basketball player growing up, saying that in this part the casting directors likely noticed his athleticism rather than specifically baseball skills.
Rachel commented that Boseman's performance was like seeing her husband again. To replicate Robinson's mannerisms, Boseman trained for five months with professional baseball coaches, noting they "would tape [his] practices every few weeks, and they would basically split-screen [his technique] with [Robinson's]" to allow him to compare. After having portrayed football player Floyd Little in The Express, Boseman was encouraged by stunt coordinator Allan Graf to approach running bases in the same way, as Robinson had also been a college football player. Upon taking the role, Boseman first spoke with Rachel Robinson, which he said was of great help in discovering the character. Boseman met Hank Aaron, whose career briefly overlapped with Robinson's. Aaron shared his experiences with racial adversity in baseball, helping Boseman deepen his understanding of the role. When Aaron visited the set, Boseman said it felt as if Robinson himself were there.
Initially, Helgeland was hesitant to cast Ford, seeking a character actor for the role of Rickey. However, Ford's persistence and dedication to the role, including studying Rickey's life and adopting significant physical transformations, won Helgeland over. Ford's commitment to embodying Rickey involved wearing a fat suit, prosthetics, and mastering Rickey's distinctive voice and mannerisms. He researched Rickey's life, listened to recordings from the Baseball Hall of Fame, and worked with a voice coach to capture Rickey's distinct speech. "I loved the language of the guy, I loved his style," Ford noted. In a 2023 interview with James Hibberd of The Hollywood Reporter, Ford said Branch Rickey is one of his roles he is most proud of.
Nicole Beharie, who portrayed Rachel Robinson in 42, described her journey into acting as somewhat haphazard, influenced by her lively family. A Juilliard graduate, she was familiar with Robinson's historical significance but was unaware of the depth of his struggles and the profound impact he had beyond baseball; Beharie compared him to a "godfather of Barack Obama". In preparation for her role, Beharie had the opportunity to meet Rachel, who visited the set, provided insights, and shared personal details about her life and relationship with Jackie. Beharie recalled spending evenings speaking with Rachel and reading letters exchanged between Jackie and Rachel while he was on the road, describing their correspondence as "the most incredible love story" and a key element that drew her to the role.
Filming and special effects