‘Respect‘ Gives Aretha Franklin her Due, will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital, Tuesday, November 9, 2021 from MGM and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
‘Respect‘ Gives Aretha Franklin her Due, will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital, Tuesday, November 9, 2021 from Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Biopics are often hard to watch as they continuously follow the same exact formula as the late-90s VH1 series, Behind the Music.
Respect is no different in its paint by the numbers of rags to riches, hard times and redemption format, but makes Respect worth the watch is quite simply because of Liesl Tommy superb direction and the credible performance by Jennifer Hudson, is probably the only singer/actress that could hit Ms. Franklin’s notes.
The most difficult aspect of a film like Respect is condensing someone’s life into a 2 Hours and 25 Minutes run time, when Aretha Franklin’s life could have easily been a docuseries.
Similar to Bohemian Rhapsody (and thankfully, none of the controversy), Respect does not pick up until the second act, but once it finally gets going, the story draws you in and you can feel the power of not only Hudson’s voice, but what it must have been like to see Franklin perform.
The story by Callie Khouri and Tracey Scott Wilson tells a compelling story of strength and overcoming adversity in a world where women and ethnic minorities were not looked upon favorably in the area of Franklin’s rise to prominence, while overcoming all her circumstances to become the legend she was meant to be in an era where you could achieve the American Dream, even if you had to live the American Nightmare to get there.
Respect is a wonderful film, but I wish wasn’t as formulaic in its delivery and that is real reason for its lowered score.
- The Making of Respect – Explore the unique telling of this Aretha Franklin story, what the project meant to all involved and how music played a pivotal role in crafting this film.
- Becoming Aretha – Take a behind the scenes look at Jennifer Hudson’s incredible transformation into the Queen of Soul including her commitment to the character, her connection with the late singer, and why inhabiting the legendary artist felt more like destiny than anything else.
- Capturing a Legacy – A celebration of director Liesl Tommy’s artistry and professionalism as the cast and crew express their appreciation and admiration for her and her process.
- From Muscle Shoals – Sit-down with the cast, crew and some of the original musicians that recorded with Aretha at Muscle Shoals to learn about this crucial time period in Aretha’s life and how it helped propel her evolution.
- Exploring the Design of Respect – Production designer Ina Mayhew and costume designer Clint Ramos discuss the research they conducted in order to create the beautiful sets in the film as well as the various custom-made wardrobes that span three decades of style.
- Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.
- Digital lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly buy or rent.
- Overall Score
Summary
Respect tells a compelling story of strength and overcoming adversity in a world where women and ethnic minorities were not looked upon favorably in the area of Franklin’s rise to prominence, while overcoming all her circumstances to become the legend she was meant to be in an era where you could achieve the American Dream, even if you had to live the American Nightmare to get there.
