For our final planned week of Flicks on the Beach, presented in partnership with the Alliance for Coney Island and NYC & Co. we are proud to present the film 42 about baseball player Jackie Robinson. This eight-week series aims to promote a #ConeyComeback after the devastating effects of Superstorm Sandy, and to foster community arts and entertainment in the iconic Brooklyn neighborhood.
The other week, vandals defaced the statue of Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese, located outside MCU Park in Coney Island with hateful words and symbols which have since been removed. In light of these recent events, the Cyclones and Alliance for Coney Island will join together with community leaders to host Diversity Day in Coney Island, for what will be a historic doubleheader on Monday, August 19th in conjunction with the Coney Island Flicks on the Beach screening of “42” later in the evening
Prior to the Brooklyn Cyclones taking on the Staten Island Yankees in a doubleheader beginning at 5:30 PM, the Cyclones, along with The Jackie Robinson Foundation, The Jackie Robinson Little League, Major League Baseball and other local community leaders will host a rededication ceremony for the Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese statue, which stands as a monument to these men of “courage and conviction” as engraved on the base of the statue which was originally erected in November 2005.
“The events of last week were both heartbreaking and incomprehensible” said Cyclones General Manager Steve Cohen. “But we are trying to turn the negative and disgusting actions of one person into a night of unity and understanding for an entire community. Over 60 years ago Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese stood resolute in the face of bigotry and hatred, and in a much smaller way we are trying to do the same thing.”
Following the ceremony and baseball game, there will be a special screening of the Warner Bros. movie “42” as part of the “Flicks on the Beach” Series presented by Alliance for Coney Island, Rooftop Films and New York City & Company. Guests will be invited to watch the critically-acclaimed film on a 40-foot screen on the sand of Coney Island near West 10th Street.
“We are proud to be screening the monumental film ‘42’ which provides a biography of Brooklyn hero Jackie Robinson. A silver lining to this offensive act is that Coney Island can band together and commemorate Robinson’s legacy during Diversity Day, and celebrate the strength of our community and the history of Brooklyn,” said Johanna Zaki, Alliance for Coney Island Director of Operations.
“Brooklyn has one of the most diverse populations of any region in the world, and, ours is a community that treasures its diversity,” said Dan Nuxoll, Program Director for Rooftop Films. “Flicks on the Beach at Coney Island highlights the value that our borough places on diversity, as our screenings bring together as diverse an audience as any of the film events in New York. Rooftop Films is proud to showcase 42 – The Jackie Robinson Story and to celebrate the historic role that the people of Brooklyn played in the Civil Rights Movement and in creating a more tolerant and accepting society.”
Starring Harrison Ford and rising stars Chadwick Boseman and Nicole Beharie, this recent release by director Brian Helgeland guides us through the life of Jackie Robinson (Boseman) and his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers after legendary GM, Branch Rickey, (Ford) bravely signs him to the team. Robinson breaks barriers of race to become the first African-American Major League Baseball player, struggling to fight against racism from players and fans alike in the hostile environment of the 1940s.
ROOFTOP FILMS: 42
Venue: On the beach at Coney Island
Address: West 10th Street, Brooklyn, NY
7:30PM: Pre-show entertainment
Sundown: Film begins
“Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, knowing that any incident could destroy his and Rickey’s hopes. Instead, Number 42 let his talent on the field do the talking-ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow.” (c) WB