Inspiration is not dead.

If you want to be inspired, go see "42". Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson was powerful and moving. His gorgeous and very stylish wife, Rachel, played by Nicole Beharie was also a joy to watch. Her clothes were just wonderful. Through the whole movie I kept saying to myself, "I love that dress. What a great top. She is so chic! Love her style." Great costume choices, people. But, the star of the movie was Harrison Ford as the Brooklyn Dodgers owner, Branch Rickey. "God is Methodist", Branch declared, and used religious references for everything through the movie. I loved it. "Do you want me to fight them?" Jackie desperately asks Rickey. "No", Branch declares, "I want you to have the guts NOT to fight them. Have the guts to turn the other cheek. Can you do that?" And that's how the first African American baseball player was introduced.

Mr. Robinson was so brave to be the first to break the ice of racism in baseball. "You made me love the game again", Rickey told Jackie when Robinson asked him why he did it (integrated a black player into his team). Robinson must have suffered so much more than was blatantly portrayed in this wonderfully powerful movie. I can't even imagine the courage it took for him to do what he did. The Pittsburgh Pirates coach shamelessly heckled Robinson while at bat at the opening season game in 1947, and the anguish Boseman portrayed in those moments were heart-breaking to watch. He was wonderful in this role, as was Ford, and I hope they are both nominated for awards.

The most powerful moment for me in the movie was when a father and son were sitting in the stands waiting for a game to start and the son was so excited to see his hero, Pee Wee Reese, perform. But when Robinson came on the field with the Dodgers, this father along with all the adults in the stands around he and his son began to angrily yell, "Get out of here, nigger. You don't belong here!" After a minute, as the son looked around at all the yelling with a shocked look on his face, that face changed and he began to yell right along with his father. This blatant example of how racism is passed from one generation to the next was very strong.

Pee Wee got scared before the game because he got a threatening letter, calling him a carpet bagger. He took the letter to Rickey, who then showed him three thick file folders worth of death threat letters sent to Jackie, and Pee Wee got perspective. Once on the field before the start of the game, Pee Wee walked across to first base, put his arm around Jackie's shoulder and chatted with him. Jackie asked him what he was doing and he said, "I have family in the stands right now, and I want them to see exactly who I am." "You gonna play ball or socialize," the ump yelled at Pee Wee. "Play ball, ump", Pee wee replied laughing, and said to Jackie, "Maybe tomorrow we'll all wear 42, and nobody will be able to tell us apart." Watching each member of the Dodgers slowly lose their prejudicial views toward Jackie was incredibly moving.

I loved this movie. All the acting was fabulous. It's been a long time since I've seen a heart-warming film, free of "f-bombs", that moved me to want to be braver than I am. Our fourteen-year-old nephew, who watched the movie with us, declared that if Jackie Robinson could do that, we can do anything. Amen to that. Go see it. After the last week, feeling the stress of the Boston Marathon bombing and the hunt and capture of the bombers; locked down and scared family and friends, and heroes who brought people together once again to cheer departing vehicles in a make-shift memorial parade down Mt. Auburn Street in Watertown, Massachusetts, we need a good inspirational movie to lift our spirits. This is it.