In the 1946 Major League Baseball season, 400 players filled
out the rosters. As in every previous season, all of the players were White. In
1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in the Major
Leagues. The film, 42 (named for his uniform number), begins with Robinson as a
standout player in the Negro Leagues. Dodgers executive Branch Rickey is
looking to add an African American player to his roster, and he selects
Robinson. Robinson faces adversity, hatred, and threats with a quiet,
determined courage.
How is This Relevant
to Foster Care / Adoption?
When Jackie is assigned to Florida for preseason training,
he is unable to stay at the hotel where the players stay, and so he lives with
a family that has chosen to open their home to him. Later, threats of violence
require him to flee from the home and live elsewhere.
Some viewers (especially those in foster care) may relate to
Robinson when he says he doesn’t like needing anyone for anything – and might
notice that he fairly quickly accepts help, anyway. It’s an honest tension – in
the face of overwhelming difficulties, sometimes we want to prove our strength
by being completely self-sufficient. Robinson acknowledges this desire, but
still accepts the help that he needs.
Racist baseball personnel and fans want to see the worst in
Robinson. He is counseled that, if he responds to cursing with cursing or to violence
with violence, people will only focus on his actions, not those that provoked
him. One character notes that people see Robinson as bad where they would see a
White person as merely spirited. A similar disparity is relevant to foster
care. Some folks (including some foster parents, unfortunately) expect the
worst from foster kids, and ascribe pathology to foster kids more automatically
than they would to other kids. In both cases, prejudice leads to a diagnosis of
pathology.
Strong Points
The film is an inspiring, deep, meaningful and sometimes
painful look at a life of great courage. 42 doesn’t censor what Robinson experienced.
He is called hateful things. We see the toll this takes on him; he goes into a
hallway, screams, and shatters his bat against a wall. Branch Rickey tells him
that, if he fights back, people will focus on his violence instead of what
caused. Robinson asks if Rickey is looking for a player without the guts to
fight back; Rickey expresses that he’s looking for a player with the guts to
not fight back. Robinson replies, “give me the uniform, and I’ll give you the
guts.”
Robinson becomes a father during the film. He expresses that
his father left him when he was very young. He promises his baby that he will
never leave.
One White player takes a public stand against racism,
explaining that he needs his racist family and friends to know what kind of a
person he is.
Challenges
The scenes of racism and violence – while feeling
historically accurate, and not done for shock value – are jarring and painful
to watch, and might interact negatively with some viewers’ life experiences.
It seems for a while that Branch Rickey’s motivation for
bringing in an African American player is solely financial.
Weak Points
Parents may not want young viewers exposed to some scenes:
there is a comical scene about ballplayers showering together – but the point
of the scene is that a White player is breaking down a historical area of
segregation. One character has an affair, but is punished by being suspended
from baseball.
Recommendations
I was surprised at how powerful I found this film. Jackie
Robinson is celebrated as a hero for being the first African American player in
Major League Baseball – but this film highlights the fact that it wasn’t only
his accomplishment that made him heroic – it was also his character. The film
captures his character, the external struggles which test it, and the internal
struggles through which he perseveres. He is a hero. The film is rated PG-13,
likely because of historically accurate depictions of violence and racism; teens
and some older pre-teens will likely walk away inspired, but perhaps also
shaken. Recommended for kids age 12 and up, and their parents. Not light
viewing, but definitely worth seeing.
Questions for
Discussion After the Film
Have you experienced prejudice in your life?
Have you had prejudiced thoughts towards other people?
When have you needed “enough guts not to fight back?”
Who has stood with you when you were being treated unfairly?
Who do you know that is being treated unfairly, and how can
you stand with them?
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