1. Wear your Dodger gear. You’ll get extra brownie points if you wear your authentic Jackie Robinson jersey. You can also wear Kemp’s if you must.
2. Sit near the elderly woman who remembers life before Jackie. She won’t ruin your experience by texting the whole time.
3. Prepare yourself for one of the most powerful scenes surrounding the n-word and bigotry that you’ve ever seen in your life.
4. Get comfortable. That means turn your phone off. The constant vibrating of new texts and Instagram posts will only distract you.
5. Stare at the characters longer if you need to. Kudos to the Casting Director and Costume Designer because some of your most beloved TV actors make this movie. Yes, that is T.R. Knight.
6. Pay attention. The history lesson is grandiose but the movie makers do a nice job of incorporating the details.
7. Don’t expect to hear Jay-Z’s voice at any point during the movie. His song, “Brooklyn (Go Hard)” was used on the trailer to entice you into the seat, not to play part to the period piece. Come on, the movie is set in 1947. Billie Holliday is a much better choice.
8. No drinks. You don’t have time for a bathroom break. The movie progresses at a steady pace and you don’t want to miss anything.
9. Relax. The movie is non baseball fan friendly, meaning it’s not bogged down in terminology and references that the average person wouldn’t know. Remember, it’s about a man who played baseball more than the game itself.
10. Stay with the message of the movie, the dialogue won’t necessarily move you. There are no poignant quotes that need to be tweeted or posted following the movie but the message is remarkable and the movie’s progression makes it an achievement.
11. Don’t succumb to the ‘Scary Movie’ pressure of believing you will enjoy that movie more than you will ’42’. Yes, there are derogatory phrases used repeatedly and yes there are other moments in the film that will make you uncomfortable but it’s a part of our legacy as a country. Deal with it. Not to mention, there are comedic moments and other heartfelt areas that will touch you in a way the cameo-filled and ridiculously cliched ‘scary movie’ cannot. If you must, it will still be in theaters next weekend.
12. Finally, appreciate the legend. Jackie Robinson not only changed the game of baseball, he helped change our culture as a nation.
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