“Respect,” a musical biopic of Aretha Franklin’s journey hit theaters on August 13th with Jennifer Hudson in the role of Franklin.
Hudson takes on the role of the legendary singer, but it’s been questioned whether she is being given these roles for her voice rather than her actual acting talent.
Hudson went from placing seventh on “American Idol” to making her acting debut in the hit movie “Dreamgirls,” where she acted alongside Jamie Foxx and Beyoncé.
The film also stars newcomer Skye Dakota Turner as a young Aretha Franklin. The film follows the singer’s journey since childhood.
The film was directed by Liesl Tommy, who is well known for being the first Black woman to receive a Tony nomination.
Upon its release, the film has already received heavy criticisms. It seems that Hollywood is tired of biopic films.
In an article, Variety said that biopics are “stale, and it’s time to rework the equation.”
The issue lies in the premise of the films which seems to be predictable and overdone. It seems the plot is always a child who has some hidden talent, a rough childhood, life struggles, finds success, and faces some sort of substance abuse in adulthood after fame.
What Hollywood fails to realize is that these are true stories, no matter how “overdone” the plot may be.
The film follows the real-life of Franklin and what she went through in her life and features scenes such as one that depicts the writing process of the highly popular song “Respect.”
It is unknown whether this performance will land Hudson or the film any award nominations, especially as fall festival contenders begin to release.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/ United Artists Releasing/MGM/ Quantrell D. Colbert
