Movie Review of "42".

Before I give the movie review, I want to start off with the fact that I am having blog envy. Not the shallow sort, the "thou art a beech woman" sort of envy. Nicole Abdou Thurston. blog is  Destination Unknown .


What is my problem? She has tens of thousands of visits every week. Moi, If I work at it, 800. Well yes, I am exaggerating. More like 600, maybe 200 if I just post. The fact that she writes about her life and folks are interested, and I write about my life and I fail to be interested.

So this is why the movie 42 is my topic du jour. Let me just say, it is a GREAT movie. I went to see Macon, GA and the locals I could catch in the background.

Todd Wilson who is a radio talk show host in Warner Robins was featured two times with quite a few lines. He has that beautiful voice that we all love to hear. I saw Neill Calabro because he wore a peanut vendor costume. It was brief but I recognized the hat. I plan to get the DVD and stop it in places and make sure what I saw was what.

More than anything, the movie was a great feel good movie with a potent story. We forget what outstanding courage Jack Robinson had in breaking the color barrier in baseball. It took so much willpower to stand up to the threats and intimidation. It's a lesson to us all in courage.

When movies are written, Joseph Campbells mythic journey of a hero is usually seen. It is clear Jackie Robinson's path in life followed this familiar pattern. Chadwick Boseman plays Robinson. True to Hollywood, he resembles Jackie Robinson but better looking. Harrison Ford plays the Brooklyn Dodger owner Branch Rickey who had the idea, courage and wisdom to integrate the white baseball league.

I'm your basic chick flick or Star Trek or fantasy or Snow White sort of film lover. I recorded a 1970's film on television which features a ghost who wears a bikini and another ghost who thwarts some bad guys. Heavy fluff is my preference in movies.

I got interested in the movie because Michelle Obama said it was a movie everyone should see. This piqued my curiosity because I have a great deal of respect for the first lady. Regardless of politics, the President and his family have truly been above the fray.

I live in the South. I have African American friends who are Republican. My ethnic group is usually Republican. I am an independent. I know my ethnic group, white, evangelical Christians are a great group of folks.

The President and the first lady are put down by some because of sheer racism. When I watched the movie, I thought President and First Lady Obama suffer some of these same things today which makes me feel ashamed.

I've even witnessed people who I know who know that being a racist is an affront to God, have racist attitudes toward the Obamas. Since my ethnic group recognizes that we all are sinners, I know that I have sins which I will have to face my maker over.

42 was not preachy about race. No white guilt was extolled. They showed something that I knew was true. A white working man approached Jackie Robinson and his wife. You were expecting a terrible comment. The man told him, " I just want you to know. I support what you do. You have a right." This is paraphrased.

I know this is true. I grew up in a home where my parents felt it was wrong how African Americans were treated. We weren't anything special, educated or grand. My dad was an aircraft mechanic and my parents lived in the same house from 1957 until 2003.

It was worth $7.50 admission, $10 after six and you are not a senior citizen.

Senior Citizen brings me back to my grievance with Nicole Thurston Abdou. Why is it you young chicks have interesting lives and us older gals are B-O-R-I-N-G, when we talk about our lives. Can't my dog and his picadillos be interesting.

I'm writing a screenplay with a senior citizen cast called "Me 2". In the meantime, have fun folks and watch the movie 42, it was great.