Jennifer Hudson channels the Queen of Soul
It’s tough in a two or three-hour movie to cover the entire life of an actual person. Movies condense and use dramatic license to tell their stories. The best ones focus on some form of personal adversity, whether it is going against powerful fascist forces to do the right thing (“Schindler’s List”), overcoming physical disability to achieve great scientific progress (“The Theory of Everything”), or standing up for one’s convictions at great cost (“Ali”). In “Respect,” a glossy overview of the life of entertainer Aretha Franklin, the focus is on how a talented woman finds her voice musically, politically, and personally.<br /><br />The film traces Franklin’s church-based childhood in 1950s Detroit through the turbulent civil rights era of the mid to late 1960s to 1972, when she recorded the best-selling album of her career. We see her first as an extraordinarily talented child (Skye Dakota Turner) trotted out by her preacher father, C.L. Franklin (Forest Whitaker), to sing in his church on Sundays and at his parties on Saturday nights. Proud of his daughter, C.L. is also opportunistic in using her to enhance his stature. During one of his parties, she is raped by a party guest. Soon, she is further traumatized by the death of her mother (Audra McDonald).<br /><br />As a young woman (now played by Jennifer Hudson), Aretha marries Ted White (Marlon Wayans), an elegant man with an unctuous charm and a somewhat unsavory side, very much against her father’s wishes. Her hoped-for idyllic marriage turns out to be far from it. Her contract with Columbia Records results in several albums but no breakthrough hits, which Aretha craves. She signs with Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler (Marc Maron), who pushes her career in a new direction, taking her to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where the musicians help her find her musical groove.<br /><br />Shuttling back and forth between Aretha’s public performances and private life, the film portrays an artist developing a sound all her own that combines her gospel background with a natural feel for soul. But her personal life is in shambles. Ted, who insisted on becoming her manager, is ill-equipped to handle her burgeoning career and holds her back with poor business decisions and missed opportunities. Spousal abuse is not absent but is not dwelled on. She also has confrontations and jealousy from her sisters, a serious alcohol problem, and an arrogance that puts loved ones at a distance.<br /><br />Director Liesl Tommy shows Aretha as a survivor — strong and determined, rather than beaten down. Though her victimization is twofold — by a father who feels he owns her voice and can use it to his own advantage and by a physically violent husband who also also wants to profit from her talent — she moves forward, determined to forge her own destiny.<br /><br />Jennifer Hudson is an excellent fit as the Queen of Soul, and manages to channel the legendary singer through movement, speech pattern, and singing style. Hudson sings all the songs in “Respect” live. There’s no pre-recording, which is the customary way of filming musical numbers. This allows Hudson to be spontaneous and fresh, conveying the excitement of live performance. With period-appropriate make-up, costumes, and hair styles to complete the picture, she provides an authentic portrayal of Franklin. As a young woman, she is soft-spoken and bows her head slightly when she speaks, suggesting deference and shyness. Later, when she’s more confident in her talent, her gaze is often challenging, as if to say, “Don’t mess with me, I’m Aretha Franklin!”<br /><br />One of the best scenes takes place in Muscle Shoals, where Aretha and the musicians, all white, seem an unlikely combination. Yet the musicians’ ability to improvise and find a beat and an approach that works for the singer leads to success, and we feel the joy in the studio when they strike pay dirt.<br /><br />Scenes in which Aretha gets involved with the civil rights movement are more sketchy. Aside from a scene with Martin Luther King (Gilbert Glenn Brown) in which she expresses her desire to be part of the movement, we mostly hear about her work through dialogue, not visuals. If this was a significant pursuit of Franklin, it is given minimum screen time, more a footnote than an integral part of her life.<br /><br />Concert scenes are excitingly staged as Aretha, wearing elegant gowns and bathed in spotlights, sings to cheering sold-out crowds. These scenes capture the thrill of a live performance and convey the connection the singer had with audiences. The film ends with Franklin recording the live gospel album Amazing Grace in 1972.<br /><br />Like many show biz biopics, “Respect” chronicles the hazards and difficulties of making it in show business, and the film is not without its cliches. Hudson’s unwavering performance keeps the film on track and the viewer transfixed.<br /><br />The end credits sequence features the real Aretha Franklin performing “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Carole King along with still photos of Franklin at various points in her career.<br /><br /> Bonus material on the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack include five brief behind-the-scenes featurettes. A Digital code is included on a paper insert.<br /><br />Though “Respect” may not be the definitive account of Franklin’s life, the screenplay’s period touches, uniformly first-rate acting, and spot-on performance by Jennifer Hudson make “Respect” a thrilling journey through the life of a pop music icon.
The movie title "Respect [Blu-ray]," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.7 from 2029 reviewers. 
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 {"Genre": "Drama, Musicals", "Format": "Blu-ray", "Contributor": "Audra McDonald, Stacey Sher, Forest Whitaker, Liesl Tommy, Jonathan Glickman, Tracey Scott Wilson, Scott Bernstein, Marlon Wayans, Tituss Burgess, Marc Maron, Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr., Jennifer HudsonAudra McDonald, Stacey Sher, Forest Whitaker, Liesl Tommy, Jonathan Glickman, Tracey Scott Wilson, Scott Bernstein, Marlon Wayans, Tituss Burgess, Marc Maron, Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr., Jennifer Hudson  See more", "Initial release date": "2021-11-09", "Language": "English", "MPAA rating": "PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)", "Product Dimensions": "5.39 x 6.77 x 0.67 inches; 3.21 Ounces", "Director": "Liesl Tommy", "Media Format": "Blu-ray", "Run time": "2 hours and 25 minutes", "Release date": "November 9, 2021", "Actors": "Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron", "Producers": "Harvey Mason Jr., Scott Bernstein, Jonathan Glickman, Stacey Sher", "Studio": "Studio Distribution Services", "Writers": "Tracey Scott Wilson", "Country of Origin": "USA", "Number of discs": "2"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : Following the rise of Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom, Respect is the remarkable true story of Aretha Franklin’s journey to find her voice, in the midst of the turbulent social and political landscape of 1960s America..