Quentin: Today we went to see 42 and we took our little
brother Cade with us.
Cade: Little? I’m going to be 15 next month.
Jason: Not to mention you’ve grown four inches in the last
year. You’re taller than me now.
Jake: What did you think of the movie, Cade?
Cade: It was cool. I like movies about the olden days.
Travis knows the entire history of baseball, and he’s always telling me stories
about the greats, so it was cool to see them come to life. I liked seeing Ebbets
Field too, ‘cause it’s gone now. It was funny to watch Indiana Jones as Branch
Rickey. And the guy who played Jackie Robinson did a good job.
Jake: Chadwick Boseman.
Cade: Yeah.
Quentin: We took you because, let’s face it, we don’t know
anything about baseball.
Jason: Or Jackie Robinson.
Jake: Well, you know he was the first African-American
player in Major League Baseball, right?
Jason: Yes, I know that. But I didn’t’ know any of the
details.
Quentin: I don’t think you need to know anything about
baseball or Jackie Robinson to enjoy this movie.
Jason: It doesn’t have a reading list like Spring Breakers?
Cade: <laughs> Ben told me Blaine ripped you three a
new a-hole.
Jake: Kind of. But I called Stanton this week to see what he
thought. I wanted the opinion of a professional.
Quentin: People don’t know who Stanton is.
Jake: That’s okay. They’ll find out in July.
Cade: What did he say?
Jake: He thinks Blaine had a point and is obviously very
smart.
Jason: But?
Jake: He said you shouldn’t need a PhD to understand a
movie.
Quentin: Jesus, I wish I’d thought of that. Okay, now let’s
get back to 42.
Jason: I loved this movie. It was exactly what I expected.
Quentin: I think it qualifies as one of the greatest
American stories of all time. There’s no stretch required to call Jackie
Robinson a hero.
Cade: Branch Rickey too. Robinson gave him half the
credit.
Jake: It’s a story about human beings at their finest.
Quentin: And bravest.
Jason: But it’s hard for me to imagine a time when African-American
players weren’t allowed into professional sports. The racism in the movie
looked almost cartoonish, even though I know it was totally real.
Jake: I felt the same way. When the coach from the opposing team is standing there
yelling non-stop abuse at the guy, it’s just hard to imagine anything like that
ever happening.
Cade: But it did.
Jason: I liked that it didn’t paint him as a saint, though.
They didn’t gloss over his struggles.
Cade: Hmm, well…
Quentin: You disagree?
Cade: Maybe.
Jake: Jump in there, Cade. Stir things up a little.
Cade: You guys crack me up.
Jason: Did they change things for the movie?
Cade: I don’t know. Travis could probably answer that
question better. I know the big points, like Leo Durocher’s famous speech to
the Dodger players and Pee Wee Reese putting his arm around Jackie in
Cincinnati.
Jake: Pee Wee Reese played by Lucas Black.
Cade: The guy from the golf movie.
Jake: Seven Days in Utopia.
Cade: Yep. I like that movie. Anyway, baseball fans will be looking for those legendary moments and the movie doesn’t
let them down. But they left stuff out.
Quentin: Like what?
Cade: The agreement was only for three years.
Jake: You mean his contract with the team?
Cade: No. I mean the agreement he made with Branch Rickey to
turn the other cheek, to not answer or fight back. It was for three years. They
never mention that in the movie.
Jason: So after three years, did he start to fight back?
Cade: Yep. He fought with umps, he fought with the press and
white players. And if they had showed some of that, I think it would have made
him look more human. But they only told the story of his rookie year, so I
guess that’s why they left it out.
Quentin: So there’s more to the story?
Cade: Yep. A lot more. He never really recovered from all
the abuse and Travis told me he died of a broken heart. So he had lots of
courage and everything, but it really zapped him big time.
Jake: This movie paints a very romantic picture of him.
Jason: It’s a full-on
Hollywood treatment.
Jake: The music swells as he rounds third base.
Jason: In slow motion.
Quentin: I was choked up through most of it, though.
Cade: You’re such a pussy.
Quentin: Look, you little moron, when I want your opinion, I’ll
give it to you.
Cade: You’re not supposed to call me that.
Quentin: I’m sorry, little bro. Do you forgive me? Pretty
please?
Cade: Now you’re just being stupid.
Quentin: You are a disruptive force at this roundtable.
Cade: Jake told me to jump in and stir things up.
Jake: Okay, that’s enough.
Jason: Why? They’re just getting started.
Jake: I’ve been hanging around you guys for two years, and I
still don’t get the brother bickering.
Quentin: It’s harmless. Right, Cade?
Cade: Right, you douche bag.
Quentin: See?
Jason: Anything else about the movie?
Jake: Yes. I thought it was interesting that there was
discomfort about him showering with white guys, because one of the arguments
against openly gay athletes is the “shower problem.”
Jason: Why can’t they build a locker room with a shower for
each guy? They can afford multi-million dollar contracts, but they can’t afford
individual showers?
Jake: So Cade, since you actually play sports, would you be comfortable
showering with a gay teammate?
Cade: I’m the wrong person to ask. I’m surrounded by gay
guys 24/7. But I wouldn’t give a rat’s ass one way or the other.
Quentin: Any final words?
Jason: If you know the story, you should see the movie. If
you don’t know the story, you should definitely see the movie.
Quentin: That’s a good final word. Thanks, Cade. You brought
your usual gravitas to the proceedings today.
Cade: Shut up, you dork.
This is on my list to see. Sounds like it was true to the previews by your review. I hate when the preview is the only good part of the movie. I feel ripped off when that happens. And yes, I was paying attention for the book hint. 80 days and counting.
ReplyDeleteHa, ha! Nice to get some Cade input. The boys are so funny. I saw 42 and loved it.
ReplyDeleteI admit, it was fun having the little brat at the roundtable. Q.
ReplyDeleteI saw 42 this weekend, excellent movie.
ReplyDelete