Respect movie review 2021

MOVIE TITLE: Respect

This inspiring drama is now available exclusively in movie theaters

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 2 hours 25 minutes (It’s a LONG movie and feels long.)

IN A NUTSHELL:

Bring on Oscar season!

Following the rise of Aretha 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 the music icon’s journey to find her voice.

THINGS I LIKED:

As expected, Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson is jaw-droppingly awesome. Aretha Franklin actually hand-picked Jennifer Hudson to play her in the movie. Smart choice. The ONLY choice, really. Aretha asked her, “You gonna win an Oscar for playing me, right?” The soundtrack to this movie will be great.
Filming was delayed briefly because Jennifer Hudson needed to have custom-made orthotics for her plantar fasciitis. I have that too. Ouch.
We get to hear some great music and learn a little bit about Grammy-winning Aretha Franklin’s life. What a voice, certainly worthy of her title as the Queen of Soul. The talented cast that surrounds Jennifer Hudson makes the song “Happy Birthday” sound amazing.
Skye Dakota Turner is the little actress who plays the young Aretha and is completely adorable. And she has some impressive singing chops!
We also get to hear Academy Award Winner Forest Whitaker sing again. Did you see him sing in the 2020 Christmas movie Jingle Jangle? Very sweet. This is the third movie in which we’ve seen Jennifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker play father and daughter. The others were Winged Creatures and Black Nativity. Kimberly Scott plays Forest Whitaker’s mother in this movie even though she is actually 5 months younger than him!
Mary J. Blige plays the legendary Dinah Washington. It’s a terrible shame that we didn’t get to hear her sing.
Marlon Wayans surprises in his dramatic role since we’re so used to seeing him as a goofy comedian. Impressed.
It was a joy to hear Audra McDonald sing. I wish we could have heard even more from her in the film. I loved watching her sing with Skye Dakota Turner. All of the scenes she was in were so touching.
Tituss Burgess offers a VERY different type of character than what we’re used to seeing him play in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – The Complete Series – DVD
The presence of Martin Luther King Jr. played by Gilbert Glenn Brown offered a nice historical touch that provided an important detail to the setting. We get to see some actual video footage from his funeral and learn about his close relationship with Aretha Franklin.
I love movies that allow us to watch famous musicians in the creative process as they discover their big hits.
To take us back in time to the 1960s, several shots are filmed in black and white.
Keep watching during the rolling credits at the end of the movie because you get to see pictures and video footage of the real Aretha Franklin during her career.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It’s very depressing throughout most of the film and finally offers inspiration in the end.
As far as a story with a plot, the script is messy.
The movie doesn’t really explain the events that surrounded young Aretha getting pregnant when she was only 12 years old. Yikes. Poor baby. I was curious and wanted to learn more. I found out that the father of her oldest son is Edward Jordan Sr. In Aretha’s will, she clearly stated his name and wrote, “His father should never receive or handle any money or property…as he has never made any contribution to his welfare, future or past, monetarily, material, spiritual, etc”, referring to her son. She underlined the word “never.” He got her pregnant a second time when she was only 14. What kind of a scumbag monster does that to a child? Sheesh.
Some of the accents are inconsistent and all over the place.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Use of the “N” word several times
A man slaps a woman
Unwed pregnancy
Marital abuse
Men fight
A man pulls a gun on another man
Adultery

THEMES:

Finding your voice
Love of music
Respect
Death and mourning
Divorce
Facing your demons
Claiming your life
Change

FUNNY LINES:

“How does a man with one eye play like he has four eyes?” – man at a party

INTERESTING LINES:

“I wish every day was Aretha Franklin Day!” – Martin Luther King Jr. (Gilbert Glenn Brown)
“Have you lost your mind?” – C. L. Franklin (Forest Whitaker) “Maybe. Maybe I found it.” – Aretha Franklin (Jennifer Hudson)
“You have to disturb the peace when you can’t get no peace.” – Aretha Franklin (Jennifer Hudson)
“You can’t jive God, Jerry, so stop trying.” – Aretha Franklin (Jennifer Hudson)