The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg

A sprightly, lovingly researched, rather misty-eyed sports documentary that's steeped in ethnic pride.

Hank Greenberg was to Jews what Jackie Robinson was to African Americans: a great athlete, handsome and hard-working, who took the first line of abuse from bigots and proved that his people belonged at the highest level of professional sports.

While it preserves his baseball feats, it looks beyond them to clarify Greenberg's place in American culture.

A portrait of a hero.

If there's a flaw, it's that Kempner has fashioned more a hagiography than true biography.

Offers insights from a host of former players.

In the absence of any greater cultural context, the ritual reiteration of Greenberg's greatness grows wearisome.