I just finished watching “Jackie Robinson,” and I’m feeling overwhelmed.
You know that feeling? When you are so excited about something and you want to tell everybody everything about it, but you just can’t find the words?
That’s how good the new PBS documentary is.
Weaving together crisp writing, still photographs, historic footage and moving, insightful interviews, “Jackie Robinson” creates a full portrait of one of the most important men in American history.
This is not a caricature of “Saint Jackie,” the black man who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947 by “turning the other cheek.” This a human, three-dimensional profile of an athletically gifted, intelligent, compassionate, flawed and sometimes angry man who changed our society.
The documentary, by the iconic filmmaker Ken Burns, his daughter Sarah Burns and her husband, David McMahon, airs on Rocky Mountain PBS from 8-10 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. It’s narrated by Keith David, and features Oscar winner Jamie Foxx as the voice of Robinson in certain passages.
“I think this film provides a more honest sense of who Jackie was and how he reflected the African-American experience in the 20th century,” said Sarah Burns, who co-wrote the documentary with her husband. “I think, too often, he’s been put up on a pedestal, but there is so much more to the man than Saint Jackie. And, I think, by making him more human, Jackie comes out as even more of a hero.”
The idea of doing an in-depth film on Robinson was first suggested by his widow, Rachel, more than 20 years ago after Ken Burns’ documentary “Baseball” came out.
In the new film, we watch Robinson evolve from a little boy in Pasadena, Calif., to the robust athlete who won the National League MVP award in 1949, to the white-haired, aging civil rights warrior who struggled to find his place in the violent and discordant 1960s.
Rachel Robinson is the film’s touchstone, especially in Part I. She’s nearing 94, but her acute recollection of details and her overwhelming love for her late husband touch your heart.
“I think the thing I miss the most is having a trusted friend,” she says. “The second thing I miss the most is having his arms around me.”
If you are a fan of Ken Burns’ past works — “The Civil War,” “Jazz,” “The Roosevelts” — you will recognize the style of this film. It’s deep, multilayered and never rushed. Like the game of baseball itself.
The historic clips are incredible: There is Robinson’s flat, unconventional swing; his shy smile, his joyous gallop around the bases, his aggressive slides.
There were many things about Robinson I didn’t know before watching this film.
During the militant protests of the 1960s, Robinson became worn down as he struggled to stay relevant as a civil rights leader.
I knew Robinson had a big, loving family. I didn’t know that his oldest son, Jackie Jr., battled heroin addiction, kicked the habit and then died in a car accident in 1971.
One of my favorite passages comes from President Obama, who explains how Robinson did more than just turn the other cheek to change a nation.
“Part of what I admire about Jackie Robinson is precisely his ability to approach baseball and those first two years of integration in ways that were contrary to his character, or his fundamental sense of what was right and wrong, in service of a larger cause,” Obama says at the beginning of Part 2. “But that’s not something that made sense for him to sustain. He had purchased the right to speak his mind many times over.”
I encourage you to watch “Jackie Robinson,” and Friday, when all major-league players wear No. 42 in his honor, I hope you will stop for a moment to honor the man.
Patrick Saunders: psaunders@denverpost.com or @psaundersdp
Spotlight on …
Brandon Belt, first baseman, Giants
What’s up: San Francisco has become one of baseball’s most stable and envied franchises because of its ability to hang on to its core talent. The latest example is signing Brandon Belt to a new contract that will take him through 2021. Belt, who would have been a free agent after the 2017 season, got a six-year, $79 million extension. The deal became official Saturday after Belt passed a physical.
Background: Belt, a homegrown player, struggled to win the confidence of manager Bruce Bochy early in his career but has evolved into a talented, everyday first baseman. The 27-year-old hit .280 and hit a career-high 18 home runs in 2015. He has improved in the field too, earning his first Gold Glove nomination last season.
Saunders’ take: Yes, the Giants spend big money on free agents, such as pitchers Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, but the secret to their long run of success continues to be their ability to spot, raise and hold onto their best young players. They’ve already done that with catcher Buster Posey, ace left-hander Madison Bumgarner and shortstop Brandon Crawford. Now Belt is in the fold with a team that has another chance to win a ring. Belt, a fan favorite known as the “Baby Giraffe,” saw his 2015 season shortened by a concussion, his second in two years and third going back to his college career. The Giants, however, are convinced that Belt’s best years are ahead of him. I think they are right.
