Most, if not all, biopics add some fiction in order to make the movie dramatic because people go to such movies in order to be entertained.
I don’t mind that at all. What does bother me is when someone watches a fact-based movie and assumes that everything that took place in the movie happened that way in real life. But that’s really the fault of the viewer rather than the film-maker.
BTW, the writer-director said that the bat busting scene is fiction - added for dramatic effect.
And the scene where Peewee Reese put his arms around Robinson’s shoulder actually occured during the ‘48 season but I understand what you mean. All in all it was an OK movie. I went because my boyfriend wanted to see it and it was his turn to pick. I’m not sorry I went - I’ve sat through a whole lot worse - but doubt I’d watch it again.
The worst biographical sports movie of the last 50 years was Ali. It tried to make Ali out to be a brooding, serious man who was only concerned about how his race was being treated. In reality Cassius Clay was a pampered light-skinned black teenager who was taken under the watchful eye of a white cop and taught how to fight, then some Jews to bankroll his early career. He was of average to low intelligence and was more a practical joker than serious fighter. He was lighting fast for a big heavyweight, but despised by most other fighters, both white and black because he loved to act like an idiot before fights and belittle other fighters, especially other good black heavyweights. Joe Frazier, who was 10 times the man Ali was hated him till the day he died because of Ali mocking Frazier by calling him a gorilla over and over again. Joe never forgot this mistreatment from lowlife Ali. The few times in his early career that he actually fought someone that could actually box and had footwork he had his hands full. In the first Liston fight, he was scared to death of losing, and was losing on the scorecards when all the sudden Liston quit on his bench, with the fight probably rigged by the mob. The second fight was definitely rigged. But getting back to the movie, it was crap. The best boxing movie of the last 50 years was Raging Bull. The worst was Ali, with Rocky being a close second.