Respect (2021 American film)

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Respect
An elegant woman in a white dress, leaning back and singing into a microphone
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Liesl Tommy
Produced by <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Screenplay by Tracey Scott Wilson[1]
Story by <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Starring <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Music by Kris Bowers
Cinematography Kramer Morgenthau
Edited by Avril Beukes
Production
company
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Distributed by <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Release dates
 <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • August 8, 2021 (2021-08-08) (Los Angeles)[2]
  • August 13, 2021 (2021-08-13) (United States)
Running time
 145 minutes[3]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $55 million[4]
Box office $32.9 million[5][6]

Respect is a 2021 American biographical musical drama film directed by Liesl Tommy (in her feature directorial debut), written by Tracey Scott Wilson, Callie Khouri, and is based on the life of American singer Aretha Franklin. The film stars Jennifer Hudson as Franklin, with Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, and Mary J. Blige in supporting roles. The film follows the first three decades of Franklin's life, from being born as a musical prodigy in an affluent African-American family, the repercussions of losing her mother at age 10 to her arduous rise to international musical stardom, while enduring an abusive marriage, ultimately concluding with the recording of her influential live album Amazing Grace (1972).

A film on Franklin's life was in development for a long time with Franklin herself involved in the pre-production, however the film languished in development hell for years due to lack of finding a suitable candidate. Following release of the musical film Dreamgirls (2006), Franklin asked Hudson to play her but did not finalize her decision until seeing her in the Broadway musical The Color Purple. The film began production in early 2019 and had concluded by February 2020. The film is dedicated to Franklin, who died in 2018.

After much delay and postponement, due to the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic, Respect premiered in Los Angeles on August 8, 2021,[2] and was released theatrically in the United States on August 13, 2021, by United Artists Releasing, and in other territories by Universal Pictures. Despite becoming a box office bomb with a gross of over $32 million against a $55 million budget, the film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances, the film's production values, and costume design, but received criticism for its screenplay and runtime.

Plot

In 1952, 10-year-old Aretha Franklin lives with her father C.L., her brother Cecil, and her sisters Erma and Carolyn in Detroit, Michigan. C.L., pastor of the largest Baptist church in Detroit, frequently entertained large parties of friends and acquaintances at home. The predatory actions of an adult friend of the family, coinciding with the sudden death of her mother, Barbara, traumatizes Aretha. She ceases to speak for weeks, until her father demands that she sing in front of their congregation at church. She does not reveal that she was assaulted, nor does she reveal the name of the man who caused her to become pregnant.

Seven years later, Aretha, now a teen mother of two boys, meets Ted White, a local producer, at a party at her father's house. The two strike up a conversation before being interrupted by C. L., who warns Ted to stay away from his family. Later, C. L. surprises Aretha with tickets to New York for a meeting with Columbia Records executive John Hammond. After being offered a contract, Aretha begins to sing jazz records with Columbia, including "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive."

Four albums later, Aretha still lacks a signature hit as a jazz singer. In a club one evening, she announces she will be singing a tribute to inspiration and longtime family friend Dinah Washington, who is in the audience; as Aretha begins to sing one of Dinah’s songs, Dinah becomes outraged and makes a scene. Later, Dinah advises Aretha to find songs that move her, and stop trying to fit the polished image her father wants her to project.

Aretha connects again with Ted, with whom she begins a relationship. Frustrated by her lack of success after nine albums, Aretha begins skipping recording sessions to see him, embarrassing her father. Much to the chagrin of her sisters and the dismay of their father, Aretha returns home to introduce Ted to her family. After Ted and her father have a verbal disagreement, Aretha announces her plans to have Ted become her manager; her father begrudgingly consents.

Two years later, Ted and Aretha marry and have a child. Aretha is dropped by Columbia. Ted secures a deal with veteran record producer Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records, who pairs her with accomplished musicians in Muscle Shoals, where Aretha begins to record her first hit, "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)". However, the recording session is cut short after Ted gets into a fight with the manager of the studio.

After an altercation with Ted results in a black eye, Aretha returns home to Detroit. With her family, she hears her own song recorded in Muscle Shoals on the radio, empowering her to take a more hands-on role in her career. She places a call to Jerry Wexler, telling him she is ready to work. One night, Aretha and Carolyn are inspired to re-arrange Otis Redding's song "Respect," which becomes a #1 single.

Before a concert, Dr. Martin Luther King, a longtime family friend of the Franklins, honors Aretha with an award from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for Aretha’s unwavering support of the Movement, and proclaims February 16 as "Aretha Franklin Day" in Detroit. Aretha sings another signature hit, "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." She makes plans to sing for another civil rights event one weekend in Memphis, which Ted forbids her to do, as he had arranged for her to meet with Wexler and other executives to discuss the prospect of a tour. She openly defies Ted, and he assaults her in a hotel elevator. After Time magazine publishes an article depicting Ted's abuse towards Aretha, witnessed by guests and staff in the hotel lobby, an angry Ted confronts Aretha, causing her to end their relationship.

After the breakdown of her marriage to Ted, Aretha begins dating her tour manager Ken Cunningham, and eventually has her fourth child. Another seven years later, after learning of Dr. King's assassination, Aretha's distraught father drunkenly argues with her over the direction of the Movement, expressing doubt in the younger generation's patience and ability to make long-term gains. Aretha expresses her full support of the Movement, and C.L., further angered, tells Aretha that she no longer walks in the spirit.

Aretha continues to release hits, but overworks herself to the point of burnout: she double-books and cancels appearances, and copes with the pressure of her profession by increasingly turning to alcohol and drugs. Aretha's siblings attempt to stage an intervention, but Aretha suspects they are jealous, and angrily tells them they are supported by her success. During another overseas performance, a drunken Aretha falls from the stage, and Ken tells her he can’t be with her anymore. Aretha continues to tailspin downward, finally hitting bottom during a drinking binge at home. She sees a vision of her late mother, who consoles her, and she finds the strength to quit drinking, leading to Ken reconciling with her.

Aretha becomes convinced that she must return to her gospel roots, and approaches Wexler with the idea of creating a gospel album, which she wishes to produce herself. Doubtful of the album's ability to sell, Wexler attempts to dissuade her before relenting on the condition that she allow the recording of the album to be filmed for a documentary.

Aretha begins rehearsals for her gospel album with family friend James Cleveland, now a respected gospel artist. On the day of the album’s recording, Aretha’s father arrives to be a part; he apologizes to Aretha for the pain he has caused her. The service begins and Aretha is introduced. As she makes her way to the front of the church, she greets each of her family members. She ascends to the stage and sings her arrangement of the hymn, Amazing Grace. Her live album of the same name became the highest-selling album of her career, earning a double platinum certification with over two million copies sold in the United States.

Cast

Production

The project had been long in development, with Jennifer Hudson set to play Aretha Franklin. Franklin herself was involved with the development up until her death on August 16, 2018.[7] She stated that Hudson would win an Oscar for the portrayal.[8] In January 2019, Liesl Tommy was set to direct the film.[9] The rest of the cast was added in October 2019, including Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald and Mary J. Blige.[1]

In a June 2019 slate deal, MGM added Bron Creative as a co-financing and producing company to this film.[10] Filming began in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 2, 2019,[11] and wrapped on February 15, 2020.[12] Jonathan Glickman, MGM's President of the Motion Picture Group, exited the company on February 1, 2020, with a first-look deal starting with the film.[13]

Soundtrack

Respect
Soundtrack album by Jennifer Hudson
Released August 13, 2021
Studio
Genre
Length 58:39
Label
Producer
Jennifer Hudson chronology
JHUD
(2014)		 Respect
(2021)
Singles from Respect (2021 American film)

The film's soundtrack features one original song, "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)", performed by Hudson. Written by Hudson, Carole King, and Jamie Hartman[14] and produced by will.i.am and Johnny Goldstein, the song was released on June 18, 2021.[15] "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)" peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart dated August 28, 2021.[16] The soundtrack album was released on August 13 via Epic Records.[17][18]

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood"   2:53
2. "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive"   2:20
3. "Nature Boy"   3:13
4. "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)"   3:56
5. "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"   3:13
6. "Dr. Feelgood"   3:24
7. "Respect"   3:42
8. "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone"   2:26
9. "Ain't No Way"   4:16
10. "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman"   3:07
11. "Chain of Fools"   2:29
12. "Think"   1:49
13. "Take My Hand, Precious Lord"   2:18
14. "Spanish Harlem"   3:38
15. "I Say a Little Prayer"   3:41
16. "Precious Memories"   1:57
17. "Amazing Grace"   5:03
18. "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)"   5:14
Total length:
 58:39

Charts

Chart performance for Respect
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 93
UK Digital Albums (OCC)[20] 33
6
US Billboard 200[21] 151
US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[22] 2
16

Release

Respect premiered in Los Angeles on August 8, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States on August 13, 2021.[23] It was originally scheduled for a limited release on December 25, 2020, followed by an expansion on January 8, 2021, before going wide the following week.[24] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was switched to a sole wide release on January 15, without a limited release,[25] before it was delayed again to August 2021. Previous release dates also included August 14, 2020, and October 9.[26]

The film screened at the 74th Locarno Film Festival, in the Piazza Grande section to be held from August 4 to 14.[27]

Home media

The film was released digitally on August 27, 2021 and on Blu-ray and DVD by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on November 9, 2021.[28]

Reception

Box office

As of October 20, 2021, Respect has grossed $24.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $7.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $31.5 million.[6][5]

In the United States and Canada, Respect was released alongside Free Guy and Don't Breathe 2, and was projected to gross around $10 million from 3,207 theaters in its opening weekend.[4] The film made $3.6 million on its first day, including $650,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $8.8 million, finishing fourth at the box office.[29] Despite the film's targeted demographics of older, female, and African-American audiences all being among the most-reluctant to attend a theater amid the pandemic, the film's opening weekend audience was 63% female and 47% African American, with 86% being over the age of 25.[30] The film made $3.8 million in its second weekend (a drop of 57%), finishing fifth, then made $2.2 million in its third weekend.[31][32]

Outside the U.S., the film's largest opening was in Australia, grossing nearly $1 million in its first weekend.[33] It finished third in the U.K. with $500,000, and debuted to $450,000 in France.[34]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of Lua error in Module:Rotten_Tomatoes_data at line 72: invalid escape sequence near '"^'. based on Lua error in Module:Rotten_Tomatoes_data at line 72: invalid escape sequence near '"^'. reviews, with an average rating of Lua error in Module:Rotten_Tomatoes_data at line 72: invalid escape sequence near '"^'.. The website's critics consensus reads: "This standard-issue biopic falls shy of its subject's transcendent brilliance, but Jennifer Hudson's starring performance absolutely commands Respect."[35] On Metacritic, the film has an aggregate score of 62 out of 100 based on 44 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[36] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 89% positive score.[30]

In a positive review from The New York Times, Manohla Dargis stated that the film "finds its own groove" and praised the performances of Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Hudson."[37] Odie Henderson of RogerEbert.com gave the film a score of 3 out of 4 stars, writing that "Hudson performs with the same tireless intensity Re was known for throughout her career. It's a damn entertaining movie." Henderson also said "There's a fair amount of ugliness in Franklin's story—sexual assault, domestic abuse, alcoholism—and it's to the film's credit that it resists the temptation to treat these issues salaciously. But Respect never goes deeper than a surface-level exploration of how these traumas affected Franklin."[38]

Writing for Variety, Peter Debruge called the film an "overly respectful biopic [that] steers clear of revealing the traumas that shaped the soul legend" and said: "Though Respect can feel a little soft in the drama department, it delivers the added pleasure of hearing Hudson re-create Franklin's key songs, from the early jazz standards she covered for Columbia to her reinvention of the Otis Redding single that lends the film its name."[39] Also writing for Variety, Cassie Da Costa praised Hudson's portrayal of Franklin, saying: "Bringing an incredible mix of gestural subtlety and musical power, it cannot be said enough what Hudson achieves here by transmitting a rich sense of interiority, staying true to who Franklin was in private with every look given, word spoken, and melisma sung."[40]

Pete Hammond of Deadline also praised Hudson's performance, saying; "This is Jennifer Hudson's triumph merged with the spirit and guidance from an even greater voice above. Hudson's performance is an electrifying sight to behold."[41] Sasha Stone from Awards Daily, praised the film and especially Hudson's performance, saying: "Hudson's performance is partly her incredible voice. She suspends time in reverie whenever she sings. But this performance also establishes her as an actress capable of navigating the ever-changing waters of Franklin's complicated life—from a young wife who doesn't quite understand exactly what kind of gift she actually has, through to finding a way to honor her own creative spirit."[42] Writing for Time, Stephanie Zacharek called Respect "both entertaining and emotionally revelatory" and praised the performances of the cast, especially Hudson's, saying: "It's Hudson's job to play the adult version of that girl, and she shoulders it with something like tenderness. The easy thing, when you're playing a strong, potent character, is to bite down; Hudson never does. This is a terrific performance, underplayed in all the right ways, an emotionally detailed portrait of a woman who knew what she wanted and knew she could deliver—but who also moved through life knowing that she'd been cruelly robbed of that thing we so sentimentally call childhood."[43]

Accolades

Year Award organization Category Recipient Result Ref.
2021 African-American Film Critics Association Top 10 Films Respect 3rd place [44]
Best Actress Jennifer Hudson Won [45]
Black Film Critics Circle Top 10 Films Respect 5th place [46]
Best Actress Jennifer Hudson Runner-up
Detroit Film Critics Society Best Actress Nominated [47]
12th Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Song in a Feature Film "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)" [lower-alpha 1] Nominated [48][49]
Best Original Song – Onscreen Performance Jennifer Hudson, Hailey Kilgore & Saycon Sengbloh – "Respect" Nominated
47th People's Choice Awards The Drama Movie of 2021 Harvey Mason Jr., Scott Bernstein, Jonathan Glickman, Stacey Sher, Jennifer Hudson Nominated [50]
The Female Movie Star of 2021 Jennifer Hudson Nominated
The Drama Movie Star of 2021 Nominated
23rd Women's Image Awards Best Feature Film Harvey Mason Jr., Scott Bernstein, Jonathan Glickman, Stacey Sher Nominated [51]
Best Actress Jennifer Hudson Nominated
2022 11th AACTA International Awards Best Actress Nominated
22nd Black Reel Awards Outstanding Actress Nominated [52]
Outstanding Original Song "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)" [lower-alpha 2] Nominated
Outstanding Original Score Kris Bowers Nominated
Outstanding Editing Avril Beukes Nominated
79th Golden Globe Awards Best Original Song "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)" [lower-alpha 3] Nominated [53][54]
64th Annual Grammy Awards Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Respect Nominated [55]
Best Song Written for Visual Media "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)" Nominated
53rd NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Motion Picture Harvey Mason Jr., Scott Bernstein, Jonathan Glickman, Stacey Sher, Jennifer Hudson Nominated [56]
Entertainer of the Year Jennifer Hudson Won
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Won
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Audra McDonald Nominated
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture Respect Nominated
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture) Liesl Tommy Nominated
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album Stephen Bray, Jason Michael Webb Nominated
Palm Springs International Film Festival Chairman's Award Jennifer Hudson Won [57]
26th Satellite Awards Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Harvey Mason Jr., Scott Bernstein, Jonathan Glickman, Stacey Sher Nominated [58][59]
Best Original Song "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)" [lower-alpha 4] Nominated
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Jennifer Hudson Nominated
28th Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Nominated [60]
Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards Outstanding Original Song for a Musical or Comedy Visual Production "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)" [lower-alpha 5] Nominated [61]

Notes

  1. ↑ Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson, Carole King
  2. ↑ Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson, Carole King
  3. ↑ Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson, Carole King
  4. ↑ Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson, Carole King
  5. ↑ Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson, Carole King

References

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  20. ↑ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  21. ↑ Template:BillboardEncode/J/chart?f=305 "Jennifer Hudson – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Jennifer Hudson.
  22. ↑ "Template:BillboardEncode/J/chart?f=337 Jennifer Hudson – Chart history" Billboard Soundtrack Albums for Jennifer Hudson.
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External links

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