R-E-S-P-E-C-T Jennifer Hudson
Oscars give her that nomination NOW
*SPOILER ALERT*
When I first heard that Jennifer Hudson was playing the iconic Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, I couldn’t imagine a better match. The casting gods got this one right. Hudson has that range as a singer that is comparable to Franklin’s. She can hit the high and low notes with ease. In addition, she has the acting chops to pull off the story of Aretha Franklin's rise to international stardom.
As my friend and I sat in the sparsely packed theater, I watched in amazement as Jennifer Hudson’s Franklin filled the screen. From her days as a young singing prodigy to her turbulent relationships with family and friends, Hudson moved through each scene with ease. I laughed. I gasped. I snapped my fingers. The movie was an emotional as well as an interactive experience.
While the musical moments made the movie, the scenes with family and friends provided insight into Aretha Franklin’s life. We meet young Franklin in 1952 when she’s ten years old. The second oldest of four children (two sisters and a brother), Franklin has a voice way beyond her tender years. Her father,(played by Forest Whitaker) a pastor and civil rights activist, has her entertaining his friends at his Saturday night parties. Franklin is eager to please and wows the crowd with her vocal skills.
We meet Franklin’s mother early in the movie. For reasons not shared, Franklin’s parents are no longer together. They share custody of the children. Franklin’s mother is also a gifted singer and often travels for work. When she comes to claim her children, the audience is provided a tender moment between Franklin and her mother. Tragically, Franklin’s mother dies a bit later. Again, the audience isn’t informed about the cause of death only that she has passed. The news causes Franklin to stop speaking and singing for several weeks.
Eventually, after much prodding from her father, Franklin once again sings at the church. Franklin appears to be on the road to recovery. However, her recovery is short-lived when she is violated by a guest at one of her father’s parties. The violator, a 20-something man, doesn’t appear again for the rest of the movie. But the impact of his actions affects Franklin for many years to come.
Fast-forward a few years later and we now meet a teenage Franklin played by Jennifer Hudson. She is making the church circuit rounds with her father. She sings in churches large and small. Her voice shaking the rafters. Hudson’s talents are on full display.
In addition, we see Hudson is a young mom of two boys. It can be assumed that the man who violated her as a child is their father. However, his name like his presence is not mentioned at this point in the movie. Hudson’s father works with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who comes to speak at their church. Hudson’s Franklin is stirred into wanting to do more for the movement. Her father, however, has other plans for his daughter.
Pastor Franklin takes Aretha (known as “Re”) to New York City for a meeting with a recording studio. Soon, Aretha is a recording artist. She is cranking out albums but no hits. Hudson’s character also begins a relationship with a smarmy music producer (played marvelously by Marlon Wayans) and begins a love affair that separates her from her family. It is also a pivotal turn in Franklin’s music career.
Throughout the rest of the movie, I realized why my mother enjoyed Aretha Franklin’s music. My mom often sang songs from the 1960s. Some of her favorite songs were those of Aretha Franklin. Music during that era was about freedom and rebellion. The songs were hopeful and uplifting. It was the decade of my mother’s youth.
Once Franklin left her father’s control, she began writing songs and creating music that appealed to her. It led to the hits that she longed for and turned her into a star. Eventually, Franklin reconciled with her father and even added her sisters as backup singers. I enjoyed how Franklin’s sisters were an integral part of her musical journey.
We also saw Franklin’s struggles. Whether it was defying her father or dealing with an abusive lover, Hudson takes us with her as her character goes on an emotional rollercoaster. There’s drinking, fighting, and loving as Franklin deals with her demons and eventually reconnects with God. At the end of the movie, Franklin scores a huge success with a gospel album and documentary. We get to see how the rest of her life played out until her death in 2018.
The Oscars must give Hudson the nomination without question. She did a caliber job of playing Aretha Franklin. I enjoyed her performances during the movie. Hudson did a great job singing some of Franklin’s signature songs. If Hudson doesn’t receive an Oscar nomination, the Oscars prove that they’re an archaic and racist organization.
