Written by Lilli Donohue, Image courtesy of MGM
The movie opens with a little Aretha Franklin, “Rea, wake up. They wanna hear you sing,” her dad says. As expected, the movie is full of her musical oeuvre, as well as her family and friends. Even from her early childhood, there are scenes of her singing in church, at Saturday night parties and with her family.
Even in the first ten minutes of the movie, there are gasps and laughs from the audience, and I wouldn’t rule out tears later. Franklin gains back her strength through song, and it carries her through life and the rest of her movie. “Music will save your life,” her piano teacher says to little Aretha, and the next shot is of Jennifer Hudson roaring with rhythm in a huge church. Her voice melts over the congregation like honey. A beautiful transition sets the stage for what’s next to come. There is an important framework of the 1960s civil rights movement that passes through stages of her life. Important figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Angela Davis make mention as well. Franklin headlines at congregations with “Uncle Martin” as well as her father who is also a preacher. Soon she moved into recording music on her own, leaving gospel music behind.
Franklin struggled through most of her life to produce a hit song. It’s her constant wish, almost like a mantra. First, she signed with Columbia Records and later with Jerry Wexler. She also goes through hardships with her managers, which progress from her father to boyfriends and husbands. She has no agency over her voice from a very early age and has quite a difficult run with most of the men she encounters. She has her family in the end, even as she battles her demons.
Franklin’s sisters are an important part of the process as well. Wexler said, “There’s a language between siblings.” Franklin’s sisters are the backup singers, and even wrote a few songs for her as well. Together they created her groundbreaking song “Respect.” Franklin eventually returns to her gospel roots, despite the doubt of her producers. In 1972, “Amazing Grace” was recorded live in a Baptist Missionary church and became the highest selling album of her career.
The costuming, cars and coloring were all on point. Jennifer Hudson also did her research. She had both voice and body work; through this she was able to recreate mannerisms just like Franklin. From church girl to the Queen of Soul, “Respect” sounds even better than it looks.
