True Stories 48: 20s—Respect

So many singers and musicians have had interesting lives that they’re often the fodder for biopics. Aretha Franklin’s life was so interesting that it’s hard to believe a film about her hasn’t been made before! But one reason might be that people were reticent to do a film while she was still alive [she died in 2017]. Some people in the public eye actually don’t want attention drawn to themselves. So it’s quite likely that Franklin would have not cooperated with the telling of her life story—which she would have had every right to do.

But once a person has died, they can’t be ‘defamed’—their reputation can’t be hurt, legally—so no lawsuits by unhappy family members can be brought on the deceased person’s behalf because, as they’ve died, they’re not around for their reputation to be defamed. [This isn’t true in all countries. Some countries feel the family name can be defamed, so families CAN sue.] This is something to think about if you’re contemplating telling the story of a famous person.

Respect [2020], with a story by Tracey Scott Wilson and Callie Khouri, and a screenplay by Tracey Scott Wilson, tells the story of this singing idol and does so by letting us into her life—her actual life, not just the person we might have seen on stage.

Take a look at the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTtxoz3OIlU

In many ways, this is a traditional biopic. What does that mean? Well, it means it's a film that tells someone’s story by going inside both their professional and private life. And it doesn’t claim to reveal things that weren’t already known about the person. When you lead a life as public as Aretha Franklin’s was, there aren’t a lot of secrets left for a film to reveal.

But the title fits—because respect was something she didn’t get for a long time and worked to get as she got older. And, of course, it’s the title of one of her most famous songs.

The question with a life story like this is how do you choose to let the action unfold? Do you use flashbacks, do you go between time periods? Or do you just let things unfold in chronological order. Respect opted for the latter. And, for Franklin’s story, that was probably a good choice. Because though most people know Aretha Franklin, they may not know exactly how she began singing as a child. And it’s doubtful the audience would know what her early life was like.

Letting us see the child she was, the young woman she became, how men took advantage of her, how she didn’t seem to have enough respect for herself, how she finally took charge of her music career, etc., gives us a window into what her life must have been like.

Do people have to have had troubled lives for their story to be film worthy? Well, to some extent, yes! Something to think about as you choose a person for your own biopic.

Next week, we’ll look at a film made about the life of another icon in the music world: The United States vs Billie Holiday.

Copyright © Diane Lake

14May23

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com