Complicated queen

The opening scene of Respect, a new film depicting the life of Aretha Franklin, shows the gospel singer impressing people at an early age. In the Franklin family’s Detroit home, young Aretha is seen surrounded by musical talent—Ella Fitzgerald, Sam Cooke, Dinah Washington, and pianist Art Tatum. Someone quips that at age 10, Aretha’s voice is going on 30.

Respect, featuring singer Jennifer Hudson in the role of adult Aretha, brings to life the Queen of Soul. While the film shows the obstacles she overcame to achieve her dreams, it falls short in portraying her personal motivations.

The film reveals Aretha’s difficult childhood. Her mother, who was separated from her father, died of a heart attack when Aretha was 10. The film alludes to how Aretha was raped by an older boy—an incident not depicted onscreen, although Respect is rated PG-13 for language and sexuality. She gave birth to her first son when she was just 12 years old, and her second son at age 15.

Music, gospel in particular, is Aretha’s way of coping. At 16, Aretha travels the country with her father, preacher C.L. Franklin (Forest Whitaker), who is musically and politically well connected. She performs gospel music at church services promoting the civil rights movement, and Martin Luther King Jr. becomes a family friend.

What Aretha really wants is her own singing career outside of the church. But her father controls her talent, insisting he approve her record labels, her songs, and the clothes she wears. To break from him, Aretha leaves with her boyfriend, Ted White (Marlon Wayans), who becomes her manager and her first husband. Seven years later, her marriage to White dissolves amid reports of domestic abuse.

Even as Aretha’s hits begin to roll in, her happiness is short-lived. She turns to alcohol, stricken by grief over her traumatic past and buckling under pressure to produce more hits. The film culminates in her return to her musical roots: gospel.

The lengthy movie—145 minutes—is carried by Jennifer Hudson’s brilliant portrayal of Aretha’s facial expressions and vocal articulations, as well as her musical performances of Aretha’s top hits and hymns like “Amazing Grace.” Director Liesel Tommy wisely allows Hudson to sing Aretha’s songs at full length.

Aretha, who died in 2018, had pursued having a biopic made about her life since 2012. But the Detroit Free Press reported that film producers believed creating a successful film about Aretha would only be possible after her death. They thought the deeply private singer, who was sensitive about how her family might be portrayed, would have resisted elements in the script needed to tell her story effectively.

That’s why it’s interesting the film didn’t get more personal. Throughout, we never really get a glimpse inside Aretha’s mind. We don’t hear what she might have thought about having a child at age 12 or how her mother’s death affected her. And we don’t hear why her goal was fame when so many singers she grew up with, including her own mother, were content with their voices remaining within church walls.

Still, Respect is a moving tribute to the Queen of Soul and the mark she made on American music.

—A shorter version of this review appears in the Sept. 11 print issue.