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Respect 2021
Respect is a 2021 American biographical musical drama film that chronicles the early years of Aretha Franklin’s life. The movie was directed by Liesl Tommy in her first feature film effort, with a screenplay written by Tracey Scott Wilson and Callie Khouri. It stars Jennifer Hudson as Franklin, alongside Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, and Mary J. Blige. The story spans the first three decades of Franklin’s life, beginning with her birth into a wealthy African-American family and her early musical talent, through the loss of her mother at age 10, her difficult journey to fame, and her struggles in an abusive marriage. The film ends with the recording of her landmark live album Amazing Grace in 1972.
The project had been in development for years, with Franklin herself involved in early planning stages. However, it faced delays due to difficulty finding the right actor to portray her. After the release of Dreamgirls in 2006, Franklin expressed interest in Hudson for the role, but only decided after seeing her perform in the Broadway production of The Color Purple. Filming started in early 2019 and wrapped by February 2020. The film is dedicated to Franklin, who passed away in 2018.
Due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, the film’s release was postponed multiple times. It made its debut in Los Angeles on August 8, 2021, and opened in theaters across the United States on August 13, 2021, under United Artists Releasing, with Universal Pictures handling distribution in other regions. Critics responded positively to the performances and production design but criticized the screenplay and the film’s length of 19 minutes. The movie was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Bron Creative, with music composed by Kris Bowers.
Trailer
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Cast
- Jennifer HudsonAretha Franklin
- Skye Dakota Turneryoung Aretha
- Marlon Wayans[[Ted White
- Audra McDonaldBarbara Siggers Franklin
- Marc MaronJerry Wexler
- Tituss BurgessJames Cleveland
- Mary J. BligeDinah Washington
- Saycon SengblohErma Franklin
- Kennedy Chanelyoung Erma
- Hailey KilgoreCarolyn Franklin
- Nevaeh Mooreyoung Carolyn
- Heather HeadleyClara Ward
- Tate Donovan[[John Hammond
- Kimberly ScottMama Franklin
- Myk WatfordRick Hall
- Albert JonesKen Cunningham
- LeRoy McClainCecil Franklin
- Peyton Jacksonyoung Cecil
- Kelvin HairSam Cooke
- Lodric D. CollinsSmokey Robinson
- Gilbert Glenn BrownMartin Luther King Jr.
- Brenda Nicole MoorerBrenda Franklin-Corbett
- Jelani AlladinJason
Crew
- Director
- Liesl Tommy
- Screenplay
- Tracey Scott Wilson
- Story
- Callie Khouri, Tracey Scott Wilson
- Producer
- Harvey Mason Jr., Scott Bernstein, Jonathan Glickman, Stacey Sher
- Cinematography
- Kramer Morgenthau
- Editing
- Avril Beukes
- Music
- Kris Bowers
Details
- Production
- Bron Studios, Glickmania, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, One Community
- Distributor
- United Artists Releasing
- Budget
- $55 million
- Box office
- $35.8 million
