42 (movie)
| 42 | |
|---|---|
 Jackie Robinson playing baseball | |
| Directed by | Brian Helgeland |
| Written by | Brian Helgeland |
| Produced by | Thomas Tull |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Don Burgess |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | Mark Isham |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 128 minutes[1][2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $31–40 million[3][4] |
| Box office | $97.5 million[4] |
42[a] is a 2013 American biographical sports drama movie 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.[5] 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.
Cast
[change | change source]- Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson
- Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey
- Andre Holland as Wendell Smith
- Christopher Meloni as Leo Durocher
- John C. McGinley as Red Barber
- Lucas Black as Pee Wee Reese
- Alan Tudyk as Ben Chapman
- Nicole Beharie as Rachel Isum Robinson
- C. J. Nitkowski as Dutch Leonard
- Brett Cullen as Clay Hopper
- Ryan Merriman as Dixie Walker
- T. R. Knight as Harold Parrott
- Hamish Linklater as Ralph Branca
- Brad Beyer as Kirby Higbe
- Jesse Luken as Eddie Stanky
- Max Gail as Burt Shotton
- Peter MacKenzie as Happy Chandler
- Linc Hand as Fritz Ostermueller
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "42 (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 2013-07-08. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
Approved Running time 128m 03s
- ↑ "'42,' With Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson". New York Times. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ↑ "42 (2013) – Financial Information". The Numbers.
- 1 2 "42 (2013)". Box Office Mojo. 2013-04-03. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
- ↑ Calcaterra, Craig (June 4, 2012) The Jackie Robinson movie “42″ to open next April 15. Hardballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved on April 23, 2013.
Other websites
[change | change source]- Official website
- 42 on IMDb
- 42 at Rotten Tomatoes
- 42 at Box Office Mojo
- 42 History vs. Hollywood
- ↑ Often stylized as 42: The True Story of an American Legend
<ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).