Respect

Released August 13, 2021

Available in theaters and on multiple streaming services

Directed by Liesl Tommy

Starring Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, and Marlon Wayans

K decided we would eat at home. She made a pasta. We ate in the den, where the TV is. K chose the film, recommended by two of my sisters. That was enough of an endorsement to frighten me, but it was a worthwhile investment of 145 minutes.

Respect is a musical biopic, or more properly a musical drama based on the life of Aretha Franklin. I’ve always been a fan of the Queen of Soul, but never knew a thing about her. I had no idea, and was surprised to learn, that she grew up in an upper-middle-class home, had a good education, and that her father, a successful preacher, was the driving force in her musical career. Nor did I know, and this was astonishing and disturbing, that she got pregnant and had a baby when she was still a child. The rest of her story is equally dramatic.

The movie was the filmic equivalent of a page-turner, which is to say that it was compelling from start to finish. My immediate reaction was mixed, however, because the main theme was Franklin’s struggle for success, à la A Star is Born, yet the facts of her actual life, including the trauma of that early pregnancy, were barely touched upon.

That was frustrating. But my irritation was offset the next day by the impulse to do some research about her. It’s always a plus in my book when a movie (or any work of art) prompts me to learn more about what I’ve just experienced.

And then there was the phenomenal performance of Jennifer Hudson. Again, I knew nothing about her, except that she was a finalist on one of those American Idol competitions. I can see why. Her voice is astonishing. I found myself asking: “Is she a better singer than Franklin?” Her acting was terrific, too.

You don’t have to be a movie buff or a music fan to be very satisfied with Respect. It’s a good and worthy film.

Critical Reception 

* “Hudson performs with the same tireless intensity Re was known for throughout her career. It’s a damn good performance and this is a damn entertaining movie. It’s going to be a hit, and like many a flawed but beloved classic, it’s gonna play on cable for decades.” (Roger Ebert)

* “Were Hudson’s performance any less persuasive, the movie – engaging enough, informative enough, sensitive enough to sustain its hundred-and-forty-five-minute span – would sink under the weight of its elisions and simplifications.” (Richard Brody, New Yorker)

* “Respect succeeds in doing exactly what is expected of it.” (Manohla Dargis, New York Times)

You can watch the trailer here.