When Liesl Tommy’s Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect” opens, Aretha is still just a kid, hoping to please her dad (the formidable minister C.L. Franklin, played here by a well-cast Forest Whitaker) with ...

The story goes that the legendary singer Aretha Franklin thought long and hard about exactly which multitalented performer had both the musical chops and the acting depth to play her in “Respect,” a ...

The average musical biopic — and most of them are pretty average — follows a predictable arc: the troubled childhood marked by flashes of genius; the record deals and hit album montages; the marriages ...

Star Jennifer Hudson hits a few high notes in a film beset by the usual biopic tropes and shortcuts, few of which allow for a deep enough look at the Queen of Soul. When Liesl Tommy’s Aretha Franklin ...