by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Who doesn’t enjoy a good old fashioned music biopic? They have become so popular in the 21st century that they even lampooned them to great effect in Walk Hard. Jamie Foxx hit it big as an actor with his Oscar win as Ray Charles in one of the prototypical biopics of this century, Ray, and Joaquin Phoenix caught awards buzz as well for his portrayal of Johnny Cash, but this trend started years earlier with A Coalminer’s Daughter and La Bamba. And now Hollywood is at it again. This time they’re tackling the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
Does director Liesl Tommy break the mold with this Franklin biopic, Respect? Unfortunately, this falls onto a long list of biopics that fall short of doing their subjects justice. Aretha Franklin was a larger-than-life woman whose presence commanded everyone’s attention. She was one of the greatest singers and performers in the history of music. She was so successful that she made a gospel album become one of the highest selling albums of all time. Respect never delivers an impactful enough retelling of Franklin’s life. For two hours and 20 minutes, the audience is treated to a swiftly moving greatest hits collection of events. By doing this, nothing really gets the amount of depth that they need. Is the film entertaining? Certainly, but it never really engages the material in a truly meaningful way.
Franklin’s story is filled with deep and complex themes… but how does Tracey Scott Wilson’s screenplay flesh them out? One of the biggest aspects of Franklin’s life that the film focuses on is her “demons.” Unfortunately, the film never really tackles what these “demons” are in a meaningful way. They reference them plenty, but never fully flesh them out. How can a film do justice to something it never truly acknowledges? The script only hints at the horrible abuse that she experienced as a kid. It does focus quite a bit on the abusive marriage she had with Ted White. Tommy does not pull punches in portraying such horrible things between them, and they are some of the most emotionally impactful scenes in the film. Towards the end, the focus shifts towards the religious reawakening that Franklin goes through. The emotions at this point in the film are poignant and genuine. Respect delivers a better faith-based film than most other films going for that.
Tommy’s film does boast an impressive cast, but do they overcome the pedestrian narrative that they are saddled with? Let’s start with Jennifer Hudson. She is powerful and boasts the pipes that are needed to pull off Franklin’s songs. She has some strong emotional moments, even if the script does not give enough depth for her to work with. Marlon Wayans is White in the film and honestly, I almost forgot it was him most of the time. His performance is committed, and he embodies this incredibly despicable human being he is saddled with portraying. Forest Whitaker gives a strong performance as Franklin’s preacher father. He appears at key moments and provides a meaningful level of veteran presence to the film. Audra McDonald shines in her small role as Franklin’s mother. Marc Maron is a delight as the cookie-cutter Jewish producer that you see in every music biopic that takes place during this period. Finally, a special shoutout to Tituss Burgess, who provides surprising depth and heart to his character, especially in his faith-based moments with Hudson.
When it really comes down to it, is Respect worth the investment? The run time is not small, but the entertainment value for the film is present. The narrative is incredibly rushed as the story jumps so quickly through Franklin’s life. I would not recommend this if you wanted a truly meaningful representation of her life. But there are strong themes and some poignant moments that will make it worthwhile.
Grade: B-