Respect : A Film Review

As most know, on August 13, 2021, the movie Respect, directed by Liesl Tommy, was released for those to watch. As of September 15, 2021, it has now been available on Google Play Movies & Tv, Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon, and Youtube, all for 20.00. As a person who has been obsessed with this since seeing commercials of this movie, I do not mean it lightly when I say I was floored by what I saw. My expectations were met and were tripled by the movie. It is two hours and twenty-five minutes long, which is a bit lengthy, but it’s for a good reason.

Even as good as Respect is, I highly suggested watching it with your parents or guardians, similar to what I did. The reason for this is not the rating (though that is a reason to take into account) but for all the misunderstandings someone could get from watching this if they were not properly educated on things such as alcohol abuse and abusive partners. Another thing important to understand is that not all of Aretha Franklin’s life is portrayed in this film. All of the parts of her life, such as the start of her career, are portrayed correctly. Though it’s only at the start, and it looks like there might be a second film for us coming soon.

The movie itself is surprisingly educational. And, on the family-friendly side, which makes it easy to watch and understand. It isn’t as complex (or explicit) as Billie Holiday Vs. The United States, or other movies like that. It’s pretty straightforward, simple to understand, a little confusing here and there, but otherwise a perfect movie for the whole family. It’ll teach you about how all these famous actors, songwriters, and famous people, in general, were not and are not perfect! They took risks, made mistakes, and still came out on top.

This movie was special because it shows us the importance of reality. It would be the most amazing thing to think of celebrities as people above, people we strive to be. Perfect people. But, we have to take time to remember that just like Arthena Franklin, we are not perfect. She endured an abusive husband, alcohol abuse, and stress on top of stress on top of stress. And yet, she’s one of the most powerful and most famous black artists there is.