Movie Showdown: Jackie Robinson movies

soul of the game (1996) vs  42 (2013)

I recently saw the movie "42" and without doing a full movie review, I'll just say it was pretty good, if a little lightweight in the drama department. 

Before this movie came out, the story of Jackie Robinson had been told in a number of movies, including "The Jackie Robinson Story" where Jackie Robinson actually starred in the movie and played himself. That may be the first ever instance I've heard of where the subject of the biopic had actually played themselves. It's a funny thought, what if his performance was bad? He'd be bad at playing himself.

But I digress. My first in depth exposure to his story came in an underrated HBO original movie, "Soul of the Game." It seems that HBO originals are heads and shoulders better than the usual made-for-TV movies, so please don't let the fact that it isn't theatrical throw you. It's a good movie.
But now, I pit them together in a head-to-head challenge. I'm not a baseball historian by any means, so there will be no accuracy analysis, just a judgement based on the movies. This is just my opinion, yours may differ, and that's ok. This is purely for entertainment.

Warning: Minor story spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.

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story

SOUL OF THE GAME
This movie is actually not only about Robinson, but fellow Negro League players, Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. The story is actually about the time they all played together before Major League Baseball accepted Jackie into their organization. However, it tells the story about how these three men deal with Jim Crow Laws and the pursuit of the ultimate dream of getting drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers that many players suspect is about to happen. It showcases the hardships these three men had to face, whether it be pride, inner demons, or prejudice. 

42
Technically, this movie can be counted as an unofficial sequel to "Soul of the Game." Whereas that movie showed Robinson signing with the Dodgers, it didn't actually delve into that era of Jackie's life. This movie, inversely, shows a bit of Jackie in the Negro Leagues, then catapults him straight into the minors in Montreal, before finally settling on his run on the Dodgers. Jackie is encountered by so many people rooting against him, from his team to the spectators, it's very inspiring to see him overcome everything and keep his composure when it was addressed he has a temper.

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acting

This movie has some heavy hitting actors in it. Delroy Lindo as Satchel Paige, Mykelti Williamson as Josh Gibson and Blair Underwood as Jackie. While most people don't know their star power, you can definitely see their talent come through in this movie. It's a darker movie (no pun intended) and the actors really shine when things get intense. What's especially a joy to watch is their chemistry. They play off of each other so well, they're like brothers (no pun intended). The supporting cast don't shine as much as they do. Branch Rickey is sort of standard here.

Chadwick Boseman carries this movie and he is charismatic as hell. I'm not familiar with his filmography, but I can't wait to see more from him. However, the performance that steals the show is Harrison Ford's Branch Rickey. Here, he's given more time for story and spends a lot of time watching over Robinson. You get a sense of the businessman and baseball fan. Not to mention, it's the first role that Harrison Ford really disappeared into. The only other supporting character who stood out was Jackie's Chronicler. However, this movie didn't hit too hard of notes other than the racism, which by this time, is pretty standard when it comes to a movie of this subject. 

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best scenes

There isn't just one scene that stands out. This movie, while good, is mostly memorable by little moments. I would say the best scenes are when the three leads show off their chemistry.

There is a great scene early on when Jackie is rushed out of the house he's staying in because of threats from racists. Jackie's Chronicler rushes him to another city in the middle of the night without a reason. Jackie assumes he's been cut from the team, but when he finds out the real reason, he's relieved. That just shows that he's a ballplayer first and foremost.

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best lines

"Don't you want a player with the guts to fight back?"
"I want a player with the guts NOT to fight back."
- Robinson and Rickey
(Ironic because this line is in "42" verbatim)

"A whole new season is on our hands. All future. No past." - Branch Rickey

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winner: soul of the game

I don't want to be predictable and pick the older movie, but "Soul of the Game" is the winner. It's just a better acted movie with moments that show the characters' bad moments as well as the good. They're presented as men, whereas "42" is more of a Disney-fied movie that is more about the legend than the man. I love inspirational stories, but part of the inspiration is seeing people hit their lowest before getting the strength to rise to the top. In real life, Jackie may very well have been a consistently good man, but he was probably more three dimensional than the movie portrayed. However, they're both a good watch. I still recommend them both.