Does anyone else echo the same thoughts? He would've been great to tell the story of one of his idols, being from Brooklyn. I just feel his perspective might be more genuine than those of others
shareUhh no. A movie by spike Lee about Jackie Robinson would be entitled "This is Spike Lee's version of Jackie Robinson. Spike Lee has made a handful of good movies in his career, most movies are about his ego
shareSpike Lee TRIED to produce and direct a movie on Jackie Robinson, with Denzel Washington playing Jackie Robinson. Unfortunately, Spike wanted to stress the racial prejudice, and de-emphasize Jackie's facing and overcoming it. Spike even wanted to include a few incidences that were fictionalized, which Rachel Robinson, Jackie's widow, did not want done. She refused to cooperate with Spike, because she wanted to see a more accurate portrayal...feeling that the true story of what Jackie faced (and the people who supported him) was compelling enough without resorting to untrue racial incidents to "stress" the prejudice of the times.
That's interesting. I have wondered if the real reason Lee's version did not come to be was because Rachel Robinson refused to sell the rights. And I've wondered if people realize that given her veto power over the script, there probably wouldn't have been a "Spike Lee version" of this movie even if Spike Lee had written and directed it.
"Complex problems have simple, easy-to-understand wrong answers." - Murphy's Law
a TRUE portrayal of what he went through would not have been a pg-13 movie. right or wrong? i haven't seen this film, but something tells me this movie will be less about robinson's life and more about branch rickey and other things that were going on at the time. i'm sure it's a good movie, but hollywood has a history of whitewashing movies supposedly about blacks with "white heroes".
shareSpike Lee is an over-rated Director and his version of 42 would be heavy handed and anti-White, and ultimately imbued with Spike's directorial stylizing that some of this great story would get lost. Besides, a lot of non-Blacks idolize Jackie Robinson and must one be Black to have directed this Movie?
shareI agree, spike lee is a lower class director, nothing good has been made by him, the only reason people care about this guy is because he made Malcolm X and Jungle Fever, 2 overrated movies that touched on sensitive topics in their day. He would have made a movie that tries to ram the whole "we are black and we worked in the cotton fields, and were slaves, and want to fight against the white man, bla bla bla" over and over again until you're sick to your stomach. I am glad that this story was given to someone else.
shareI'm surprised that no one suggested Tyler Perry do this one [though it would be for a different studio, Lionsgate, than WB.:)]
RIP Annette Funicello
well arturopena, it's the truth aint it? a half truth is a WHOLE lie. but you can always watch CRY FREEDOM. a movie that was supposed to be about Steve Biko but he gets killed early in the movie and the rest of the movie is about his "friend". i wouldn't pay 75 cents to see his movie. but for those that enjoyed it, i'm happy for u and i would in no way try to persuade people from seeing it, i just am not a fan of whitewashing.
shareNo; Spike Lee should not have directed this...HE IS A RACIST! But to take it one step further; he's one of those idiots who think that rap and hip-hop are a black man's music, and that white people, in particular, have no business doing it! And please; I've actually seen him say this. And I'm sure he feels the same way about blues music too.
shareWhy would anyone want a racist to make a film about racism?
... and yes, black people can be racist too
Half Irish, Half German - hated by all. But at least I'm not Welsh
He's overtly racist. So no.
shareI disagree. Spike has only made one really good film(Malcolm X) and couple other pretty good films. He's a disrespectful mouth-piece. The guy lacks respect in too many areas to make many really great films(Especially authentic films), he doesn't deserve projects like this. Eastwood was right when he said, "A guy like that should just shut his mouth". Genuine is certainly not a word that comes to mind when I think of Spike Lee.
My body's a cage, it's been used and abused...and I...LIKE IT!!
I didn't think about Spike until the credits were rolling. I thought that he may have wanted to (or may still want to) direct a Jackie Robinson film, but for whatever reason, hasn't yet. We have several movies about the lives of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Abe Lincoln, Washington, etc. Why can't we have more than one interpretation Jackie Robinson??? In an interview, Rachel Robinson had mentioned that she wished that Jackie Robinson's work with the civil rights movement could have been shown, but it wasn't. Spike can add that to his movie...should he do one at some point in the future.
Personally, I enjoyed '42' very much. I've read and heard interviews with Mrs. Jackie Robinson and she, too, approves. That's good enough for me.
"Do you feel 'in charge'?"
^^ Thank you - I've said several times that Jackie Robinson's life is a big enough topic for several biopics, and that we may yet see the "Spike Lee version" about his post-baseball career.
Meanwhile, I read this article months ago and recently found it again. It's Odie Henderson and Steven Boone at IndieWire's Press Play blog doing something they call a "Black Man Talk" about 42, and I found their insights and opinions really interesting.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/pressplay/42-a-conversation-between-odie-he nderson-and-steven-boone
"Complex problems have simple, easy-to-understand wrong answers." - Murphy's Law
I never understand these threads.... The guy who made it... wrote and directed it. He got the film made.... If Spike wanted to have made this movie, he had the past 30 years to have tried...
In fact, Spike once complained about a white guy directing Ali... Dude... if you wanted a black guy to do it... then you should've petitioned to have made it yourself. Don't complain after the fact....