Jennifer Hudson is going to win a second Oscar for playing Aretha in “RESPECT”

OP, you didn't need to start another troll thread. Go to your other Aretha thread and fill that one with scripted, racist comments.

The trailer looks bad though.

Jennifer should have won an Emmy for Hairspray.

This year’s affirmative blacktion award goes to…

Her second Oscar after the one from the Sex and the City movie?

And at least it isn’t Cynthia Erivio.

No, she won't. I've exhausted my weekly life power by just watching that supercilious trailer.

In theaters in August? Are people still going to theaters?

Are you kidding? Mary J as Dinah Washington, Audra McDonald as Ri's mother, Forest Whitaker as the Reverend and Heather Headley as the great gospel singer Clara Ward. With sexy ASS Marlon Wayans as Aretha's pimp - I mean first husband and style guru. This movie may disappoint on some levels (vocally there is only one Aretha) but Ms. Hudson knows what she's doing, where she's going and where she's been. Amen. It is gonna be LIT. It's popular on DL to diss JHUD. I don't know why? She's beautiful, soulful and so very talented. One of the great voices in the world. Her voice is actually more powerful than Aretha's. JHud has really done her homework here. RESPECT is bound to disappoint, but it's going to thrill as well. JHud can flat footed SANG, but she's a much more varied talent than given credit for.

I hope that Jennifer or Jessica Chastain DO win the OSCAR.

The reviews have been mixed. People say she's good but the movie is just standard stuff.

If they wouldn't reward Viola a second they are not going to give a contest winner who makes one film (that anybody hears about) every 15 years a second one.

Viola can't do this. Don't call Jhud a contest winner. She came in 7th. You cheapen your own remarks, R9. I suspect you're one of the old white gays who calls JHUD a screamer but imagines that Aretha didn't?

This version is done Aretha style, with Jennifer adding so much tonal warmth, delicacy and character to her own power. It's far better than anyone might hope.

Lady Gaga will win Best Actress this year for House of Gucci.

White privilege is real, folks!

I thought the vocals in the trailer sucked.

Aretha, she ain't.

Hudson or Cynthia Erivo. Who is better.

So odd to have two biopics (from two former co-stars) in the same year.

[quote]Don't call Jhud a contest winner. She came in 7th. You cheapen your own remarks

I correct myself. A contest loser.

^ R14 is that ANCIENT white fag RACIST fool. ^

This was live y'all. One of the great moments in television history.

She's trapped with all those awful singers and actors in Hairspray Live, yet brings down the house and elevates the show and nobody talked about anything else but Jennifer Hudson for weeks after. Amazing voice and singer, whether you like her style of singing or not. Thanks R15. I've been waiting on that clip for a few years. JH was spectacular.

Viola could act Aretha much better than J=Hud I'd be willing to bet. The Oscar is an acting prize not a singing prize. Yes J-Hud is a great singer. Acting wise she has had very little opportunity to show much more than Dreamgirls. (and I do think she deserved that Oscar r10)

[quote] Her voice is actually more powerful than Aretha's.

Debatable. Even if it were true there is still no comparison to the great Aretha. Ms Franklin was a musical prodigy and genius who was a musician rather than just a brainless screamer. Aretha knew what her voice was capable of and how to use it. She also understood, with a few exceptions, the lyric she was singing and how to convey it through her singing.

Hudson is one of those singers who have a powerful voice but without a clue what to do with it except bellow. She is, to put it bluntly, too stupid and bland to play one of America's icons. Yes, I know Aretha chose her to play the lead but what's also true is that JH wasn't the first choice. Aretha settled for her after her initial choices (Halle Berry, Audra McDonald) either turned down the role or were deemed unsuitable.

Will she cry “You like me. You really like me?”

Jennifer Hudson looks amazing but it looks like a formulaic biopic.

And when it comes to formulaic biopics, nothing beats Lucky Bitches.

[quote] Jennifer Hudson looks amazing but it looks like a formulaic biopic.

The source material is the problem. The script is based on Aretha's bullshit autobiography "From These Roots". I loved Aretha the singer and artist but that book she wrote was a steaming pile of crap. Page after page devoted to either bitching about other women or describing her favorite burger joint or hot dog stand or barbecue ribs takeout.

And buried somewhere in there would be a fragment like, "That summer I recorded 'Natural Woman' and won another Grammy", which would then be followed by an account of how she cursed out Gladys Knight at the Grammy ceremony before heading out to her favorite all-night diner to eat waffles and steak.

It was one of the worst autobiographies I've ever read.

I couldn’t have really done some great things with that part. However, I was yet again, the victim of the white man and his power.

Jen's unofficial audition got a lot of love from the withholding, mean old Aretha. And the backup singers are FIRE.

JH is not a bad singer, but she's definitely no Aretha Franklin. ReRe had an extraordinary voice and was musically very gifted. Her early Atlantic records had as much to do with her voice as with what she gave to those songs with her ideas for arrangements, piano playing, background vocals.

Fucking bitch. Who do I have to fuck to win even one!

Take a seat old men. No one sounds like Aretha Franklin. But Hudson's voice is more beautiful in tone and more powerful and resonant in vocal production. Her range is as great and she's almost as soulful. Aretha had gorgeous glissandos and signature church girl exclamations - but she sure dragged a phrase out...........often beautifully. She sure knew her grace notes and the harmonics of musical chord singing. JHud is a more spontaneous singer. When she's good - she's astounding.

Not that I planned on seeing this, I have an huge unfounded hatred from Jennifer Hudson, but that trailer pretty much showed the entire movie

How does that fat blob Aretha feel about JHud playing her? I would expect something nasty has been said

Ew R8 - could you lap up JHud's sour pussy juice any further? You sound like a pathetic loser going on about the shitty movie. I bet you're the type of person who make an orgasm sound when they eat chocolate cake and says "This is better than sex"

I am chocolate cake bitch. STFU old white man. ^

Those stupid critics who are giving Hudson good reviews are doing what they always do with her- they're reviewing her singing voice and ignoring her acting. Personally, I think she sucks at both. As the poster upthread said, she has a good voice but she has no idea how to sing. And more importantly, she has no idea how to connect with what she's singing, how to tell a story with a song or how to come across as anything more than a robot when she sings. (And don't get me started on her acting. The bitch wasn't even believable playing herself in her Weight Watchers commercials.)

She is one of the great mysteries of modern entertainment. A thoroughly mediocre performer who is dead behind the eyes.

She's a thrill. Not underrated, but vastly underappreciated. Her eyes, like the rest of her, are beautiful.

JH isn't that great as a vocalist.

They did an Aretha Franklin tribute at the Grammys some years ago. JH, Christina Aguilera, some other mediocre singers and Yolanda Adams, who sang Spirit In The Dark. Once Yolanda started all the other girls could pack up. There is this certain something that the great singers have.

Aguilera is another one who doesn't have a clue how to use her voice. The difference between her and Hudson is she has a much better instrument than Hudson and she can connect with a song.

You're an actual moron R33.

[quote]The source material is the problem. The script is based on Aretha's bullshit autobiography "From These Roots". I loved Aretha the singer and artist but that book she wrote was a steaming pile of crap. Page after page devoted to either bitching about other women or describing her favorite burger joint or hot dog stand or barbecue ribs takeout.

Does the book cover the sexual abuse and teenage pregnancies?

This looks like a sanitised version of her life.

No, it doesn't, R35. David Ritz initially worked with Aretha on the book but they had a falling out when Ritz wanted more of the true Aretha to be revealed and interviewed various people in her life such as her sister and people she had grown up with.

Auntie Ree wasn't having any of that. She told Ritz he was no longer working with her and proceeded to write her sanitized version that was just full of beef of the edible variety as well as of the kind she had with other women.

A few years ago Ritz, who had enough material from his interviews and research, published his own version. Re was furious and slammed the book in the press for being full of "lies, lies and more lies".

Auntie Re covered her children's births in her book the same way she mentioned some of her musical contributions. Something like "Later that year I had my second son. The highlight of the year for me was the chili dog I ate on one of my trips to New York."

should've just lipsynced to Aretha's recordings

Her autobiography does cover her teenage pregnancies. IIRC her father forced her to have an abortion. Whether she told all around those pregnancies is another story. I do believe Aretha was boy crazy and loved men and it's quite possible she became sexually active quite early in her teenage years. She was nuts about Sam Cooke and mentioned that she went into his hotel room, but that nothing happened because her father knocked on the door. She just was crazy about gorgeous men.

What actually happened to her long time companion? At one point they actually had announced they'd get married, but for some reason the wedding was called off. Willie W ... something was his name. He was always with her.

This new biopic concludes in the early 1970s with the recording of Aretha's landmark "Amazing Grace" album. Pity it doesn't cover her late 90s renaissance as a cultural icon following her Divas Live appearance.

R30 I present Exhibit A. Her acting is as execrable as that Louis Vuitton handbag.

Posters gave nailed the difference between the big voice but little artistry singers like CA and JH and Aretha or for that matter any of the great vocalists. Amy Winehouse did not have close to the pipes that CA and JH (or Celine for that matter), have, but she is riveting especially with her lesser known jazz compositions. She’s an artist not a contestant on one of those awful talent shows.

[quote]This new biopic concludes in the early 1970s with the recording of Aretha's landmark "Amazing Grace" album. Pity it doesn't cover her late 90s renaissance as a cultural icon following her Divas Live appearance.

Who would they have got to play George Michael in 86/87? Lucas Hedges?

[quote] She's trapped with all those awful singers and actors in Hairspray Live, yet brings down the house and elevates the show and nobody talked about anything else but Jennifer Hudson for weeks after.

Um, no they didn't. I didn't know a single person who watched it or talked about.

If she does win it will be a consolation prize for being snubbed as Best Actress for CATS.

I would not want to be at Viola Davis' house if JHud becomes the second African-American Best Actress winner.

Of the two Aretha tribute concerts that aired in 2018 I thought the BET event was superior to the Grammys/CBS concert. The singer Ledisi in particular really impressed me, I hadn't heard of her before. She does "Ain't No Way" starting at around 1:53.

[quote]Her voice is actually more powerful than Aretha's.

LOL - she's got a fine pop voice and did a passable, though not spectacular job, in Dreamgirls.

But, all you have to do is compare her voice (and Beyonce's) to Anika Noni Rose's voice at several awards shows performances. It's almost funny how hard Rose has to try not to completely stomp on the others and clearly is holding back.

[quote] I would not want to be at Viola Davis' house if JHud becomes the second African-American Best Actress winner.

I wonder if JHud will be nominated for a Globe in the Musical/Comedy category rather than Drama. Does our favorite suffering saint have any upcoming releases?

I hope she wins...just so people can ask Viola Davis what it's like to be the blacker Jennifer Hudson.

r48, Viola's only film this year is The Suicide Squad.

R42, I wish they had at least covered her quarrel with Tina Turner at the Grammys after Bey introduced Tina as "The Queen" before a performance.

Angie Bassett could have done a cameo as Tina and Beyoncé could have been played by Andra Day.

There are many black people who don’t even consider Halle Berry winning as an “African American” win, as they gave it to a light skinned mixed woman who is considered beautiful because her features are more Eurocentric.

They have yet to give a woman that looks like Viola or Lupita a lead Oscar.

Jennifer Hudson has been through a lot of hard life struggles since Dreamgirls. She's grown and can tell a story with her voice now, she gets it and has the emotions to draw from to act.

R29 you're less chocolate cake and more poop emoji 💩 And poop is what Jennifer Hudson and this movie look to be, despite your over the top efforts

[quote] Jennifer Hudson has been through a lot of hard life struggles since Dreamgirls. She's grown and can tell a story with her voice now, she gets it and has the emotions to draw from to act.

You're an actual moron, R54

Jennifer is a frozen-faced dimwit with a middling squeal who has no comprehension of what Re was or how to play her.

Re deserved worse than that.

Seeing it tonight at SAG screening. Will put in my 2 cents.

From the looks of it, 2 cents would have doubled the budget.

I didn’t know that AF had her kids so young. If that happened today the family would be investigated for abuse, even for letting their daughter be exposed to child predators. Why didn’t Aretha go into details about it when she wrote her autobiography?

It's easy to have your children early when your father is the one who knocks you up.

If that ancient racist white fag from Missouri- the one who posts as Miss Warwicke is posting AND the ancient old hankie salesman/QUEEN from NYC - charlie is drooling here too - you know this thread is DEAD. Leave them to play in their diapers.

Miss Warwick is a "pretend" black poster who is, in reality, an old racist pig. Claims to be all kinds of people. Most of them white. He's also the scat scenario TROLL. I always block it when I see it.

[quote]What actually happened to her long time companion? At one point they actually had announced they'd get married, but for some reason the wedding was called off. Willie W ... something was his name. He was always with her.

Willie Wilkerson passed of COVID at the start of the pandemic last year.

Damn, JHud is just the angel of death.

Sorry, but no. She can’t act. She won the Oscar for THAT SONG.

Did Fantasia have another breakdown when JH got the role in the Aretha biopic? F was reportedly very upset when she wasn't invited to participate in the Aretha tribute at the Grammys five or six years ago. When asked about this in an interview Queen Ree gave a diplomatic version of a "Chile, sit your triflin' ass down" response.

She could definitely get a nomination but I don't think she'll win. I like her though and will definitely see this, even though I have no interest in Aretha Franklin's "life" story (because they ain't gonna tell you all the sordid stuff, not that I want to see that either). Lbh, Aretha Franklin is NOT that likeable so Jennifer definitely has her work cut out for her.

R65? Are you sittin' down, gurl? Jennifer Hudson is probably a much better actress than you are. Truth!

That still doesn't make her a good actress, R68.

My money is on R65

R5 But Cynthia was fantastic. That miniseries was great.

I’m calling it now. Jennifer Hudson will never win another Oscar ever again

The Aretha miniseries showed that Franklin’s life wasn’t interesting enough to film

Bill Clinton's eulogy for Aretha was funny and moving. One of the best eulogies ever.

“I was so happy when I got here and the casket was still open because I said, ‘I wonder what my friend’s got on today?'” he said of arriving to the funeral. “I wanna see what the girl is carrying out.”

He brought the house down.

Oprah says to JHud in that interview that Aretha didn't play - that she was one tough sista to get along with. Aretha was not a nice woman. But she liked good looking men and high level adoration. Didn't give a fuck about her fans. A lot like Streisand.

R35 an R38 let's not forget that Aretha's father, Rev. C. L. Franklin impregnated a 12-year old girl when he was 25, after which Aretha's mother abandoned the family. I wish they'd

Went to screening tonight. It’s fine. Hudson has some very good moments. I think she could sneak in with an Oscar nomination. A Golden Globe nomination would appear to be a lock. Marlon Wayans looks hot as hell in his first few scenes. Forest Whitaker must have had major surgery over the years-his lazy left eye is barely noticeable. Marc Maron is funny as a neurotic Jewish record producer.

Marlon Wayans was my second husband.

I am black, and would like to see you bitches go over to lipstick alley saying that Aretha can’t sing. I will gather the wood for them to light the fire to roast your asses. She is one of the best female vocalists of our time. Hudson did a great job at the DNC, that was the only time that I saw her live. She has a good voice. I don’t know that anyone else could’ve played her better, because Aretha has a style/voice/soul that no one else can replicate. You FEEL her music, instead of just listening.

It is being released in August. They clearly don't think it has much Oscar potential.

[quote] But Cynthia was fantastic. That miniseries was great.

No, she wasn't. She was painfully miscast, and her interpretations of Aretha's classics sounded like bad karaoke. And when she put on the Shallow Hal fat-suit, I knew right then and there that the miniseries was not to be taken seriously. The Genius: Aretha was a mess.

R79? No one is saying Aretha couldn't sing. Read the thread.

R79, I don't think anyone has claimed that Aretha couldn't sing. Most of the posts have said that Aretha was a rare talent. JHud is the one who is being criticized for having a big voice but no idea how to interpret a song.

Thirding that, R79. I'm one of the people complaining about Hudson (as well as Aguilera) and neither of them are fit to hold Franklin's tampon. Franklin knew how to sing and she she knew how to sell a song. And it would have been easy to find a good actress and have her lipsync to Franklin's vocals (the way Bassett did to Tina Turner).

Jhud has a big voice AND she can sing. It's Steizand who never learned how to sing. She massacres songs with her gigantic vocal egotistical treatments and very special vocal moments. She's a grotesques singer who sacrifices the very meaning of a song to show off her "voice." Her style of performing is mercifully dead and she is all but forgotten.

Aretha and Jhud are PKs. Church girls singers. There's little point in lip synching to Aretha. It's a film and is meant to be an homage and live depiction of her development. Jhud almost always acquits herself beautifully. Far more than can be said for Aretha who was once hell ass lazy performer for the last 35 years of her career.

Sure, Streisand is an abomination. I'm not sure what that has to do with the topic at hand.

R79 here. I’m on vacation and drunk. I misunderstood the comments about ‘she can’t sing’. Either way, Hudson is a great singer. Honestly, no one could play that role. At the same time. no one could really 100% capture Freddie in Bohemian. No one could capture Elton in Rocketman. No one is ever going to approve of a nasty movie about them. It’s not just the voice. It’s the courage, balls, and willingness to risk everything that makes them special.

Is that a Wayans brother? LOL

Why laugh at Marlon Wayans? He's a good actor, a handsome man and he fits the bill. The cast of this film is spectacular, to say the least.

R88 is that ancient white racist f@g, typing "Lol" like a teenage girl. Put the bottle down and go to bed gramps.

It looks cliche, I doubt she will win.

Aretha can sing but it veers way too close to screeching for me

P.S. There’s a moment in the opening sequence where little girl Aretha is wandering around at one of her father’s swanky show biz parties and she passes by an obviously gay male couple, I think one of them says to the other something like “You look particularly fabulous tonight.” And that’s the total extent of gay content in this film. I thought maybe one of her husbands would turn out to be an individual capable of enjoying the homosex.

Ugh. It's so tiresome. No one can possibly have any opinion about this movie that is less than praising every frame of film to the heavens without Miss Blackity Black running over and denouncing our deep, collective racism.

Give it a fucking REST, Mary.

I'll probably watch this, and still need to see Amazing Grace, because I loved Re and her music. But this has the look and feel of a Lifetime movie, based on the trailer. Hudson is fine at what she does, but she does not have Re's skills in moderating her voice, which only a master like Re possessed. So yes, sometimes "screechy" is the right adjective.

I know it's a surprise, but many of us do not sit in our homes every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year of every lifetime of every millennium to find ways to oppress our fellow man. We can have honest difference of opinion, where a more substantial argument than "He's racissssssssssssssssssssssssssssst!" is required.

Ugh, spellcheck

*modulating

She has a good voice but she is not somebody I am interested in watching. She does not have *it*.

Of course, that crazy bitch from Saskatchewan is shitting all over this thread, accusing everyone of being Ancient White Fags, "Miss Warwicke," and "charlie."

Amazing that he hasn't been banned yet. He needs to spend less time on Datalounge and more time speaking to a psychiatrist.

Heather Headley was an improvement on Hudson in "The Color Purple" revival. Hudson is not an actress. She's done very well for herself but she's not an actress.

Headley does a good job as singer Clara Ward. And Mary J. Blige has a terrific sequence as Dinah Washington, who upends a table at a nightclub where Aretha is singing and then storms into her dressing room, eventually handing her some much needed professional advice.

The guy who plays Martin Luther King lacks the requisite charisma. And the abrupt activist awakening of Aretha is a big flaw in the fillm. When she started showing her sudden approval of Angela fucking Davis I didn’t buy it.

r79 why are you on the DL, a forum for gay men? Got lost in cyberspace, did you?

I disagree that no one could do a good Aretha.

But R96 is charlie. We have trolldar. He doesn't make sense. Sock puppet posters with mulitiple accounts. Old man.

Jhud is a great singer. Aretha is one of the greatest of all time. Aretha screeched longer and more often than Jennifer Hudson. Hudson became a better singer in our time. Aretha took care of nothing about her voice or body. She roared like a lion lots of times and elements of her voice thrilled people. But the roar of her wasn't all that pretty. She missed the notes as often as she nailed them - and she SCREECHED!

Well, Aretha had enough songs for a full set...

Aretha's fans are all over 80 years old on Datalounge R102. Mostly old white disco gays. They think they were special for knowing her back in 1972. Can't teach old fats new ways to be. Hudson did not grow up wanting to sound like Aretha. She just kinda does. She wanted to be Whitney Houston, like all the other girls of her day. And today. And forever. Because Whitney had the most BEAUTIFUL and POWERFUL and ANOINTED voice of all time.

Aretha "soared" she didn't screech! That's charlie talk. Aretha was one of the great singers of all time. But she is not one of the greatest voices. Jhud is the right person to play her. Their gifts and looks and tonality are similar. In the last years of her life - even mean old delusional Aretha realized that.

Hudson has a different type of voice than Aretha.

Aretha’s voice is more bright and nasally, while still smooth and free.

Hudson, on the other hand, has more of a chest voice which she pulls up on when she hits high notes, like she’s trying to be Whitney Houston, but her higher notes just don’t glide as freely as Whitney’s do. Her voice has this quality like she’s doing bench presses with heavy weight.

r89 seems a bit overly invested

R96: LOL. You're truly insane and full of shit. Charlie already posted in this thread at R41. And even when he doesn't sign his post, his writing style is so distinctive, it's obvious who the poster is. Sorry to break it to you, but I'm not him.

You, on the other hand, are a malignant narcissist and an outright contrarian. How else can one explain trashing Judy Garland and her fans in one thread, and advocating for Liza to receive a Kennedy Center Honors in another? If Datalounge likes one person, we can expect you to take the opposite position, vice versa (e.g., you praising Julia Roberts to high heavens while hating Meryl Streep).

And you've never liked Aretha Franklin. Your goddess was always Whitney Houston. So it's funny that I find you saying nice things about her now. And yet even in your comment at R102, you find a way to take a dig at her singing. But go ahead and dismiss me as an "Ancient White Fag," since you're the only black person who posts at Datalounge. 🙄

Sorry, that was meant for R102.

And you are who R106? Must be R88.

I am not overly invested in this film or JHud's chances of winning a meaningless AA, but I am invested in HALTING old white RACIST FAGS who infest this site. Like charlie and miss W putting down all other black artists and anyone under DEAD. And that ANCIENT white bitch that keeps saying that Whitney's eyes are dead, Hudson's eyes are dead, Janet Jackson's eyes are dead. DIE you OLD fat gross PIG of a RACIST diaper play SHIT.

Marlon Wayans is handsome.

Jennifer Hudson is an inspirational performer. With a great voice.

Invest in the best.

Aretha, Streisand and Whitney all thought they were the three most important singers of their time. And they were right.

Jennifer Hudson is not trying to be another Aretha. She took a great opportunity and worked very hard to do her very best. I can't think of anyone better for it. She's remarkable. The end.

r109 is a nut case

Why are you so crazy over me R107? You sound unhinged. I won't fuck you. Get lost old man.

Stalking people on the internet, even on Datalounge - is a criminal offense. Stop it.

Aretha fucking SCREECHED for most of the last half of her life. Just like you R107/R110.

Racists gonna race. But your time is UP! You're dead on this site. God bless you AWF.

R111: You have no idea of my race or age, you raging psycho. And nobody's stalking you. Get over yourself. Your sense of self-importance is hilarious.

But keep living in some alternative reality where everyone is white and old, and you're the only black person alive fighting the evils of gay racism. I'm sure with your BPD, that helps you sleep well at night.

I don't care about your age, but I know your race. And I see your many accounts. We've got rid of you before. We will again. Put the bottle down and tighten up your diaper R112. You're about to sleep.

I do have a BIG PRETTY DICK. True. Stop harassing me.

I've seen it and it's okay. Not great and Jennifer is no actress. She can belt out a tune but the ghost or Aretha's voice is always there for comparison and that's not a contest Jennifer can win. I think the format is the big problem. Would've made a good 5 part series.

[Quote] Would've made a good 5 part series.

Well...

At the risk of sounding provincial I'm going to admit that I am glad that at least the lead role went to an American actress instead of some Brit. Aretha Franklin was an American original and a national icon. I think only someone who grew up as a black person in America with the cultural knowledge of what her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, other family and friends lived through in the 60s would understand what made Aretha the Queen of Soul.

A black person growing up in any other part of the world wouldn't have had the same social and cultural experiences and there would always be a certain something missing when an 'outsider looking in' plays the part rather than someone who belongs to the same background as Aretha.

Forgot to add that, by the same token, I thought it was ludicrous when Jennifer Hudson played Winnie Mandela. That part should have been played by a South African actress.

How literal minded and lacking in imagination you are. And Aretha grew up a princess. She was not a po' black child.

People forget how beautifully spoken and innately special Aretha was. Because she was so arrogant, unfriendly and disgustingly displayed later in life.

This 25 minute Close UP on Aretha, filmed in 1968 - shows most of the real players in real time. The Ain't No Way scene from the film is shown at the 15:20 minute mark. Aretha didn't start out screeching. She had an elegant musical mind and a joyful presentation. She even had a touch of humility.

Let Jennifer Hudson have her moment. She’s really coming into her own with this, her heart is in the right place and she always puts nothing but positive energy out there. I love what she’s sharing with the world.

Aretha was unfriendly from childhood. (And she had he first offspring at 12... She was an abused child.)

Do shut up, R120.

Jennifer Hudson, Jon Batiste, And Stephen

I read this as Jennifer Aniston

No, Jen Aniston is gonna play Barbaric Striezand!

She can't act. She's a wonderful singer.

She's not a wonderful singer. And her tone is grating.

Jennifer Hudson's Oscar is the biggest case of Oscar buyer's remorse since Crash. In the 15 years since Dreamgirls premiered, people realized how awful she was. Lightning is not going to strike twice.

Jennifer Hudson most certainly is a wonderful singer. Not one of you have heard her sing live. Her voice is thunderous and wondrous and her spirit is beautiful.

Who BUT JHud should play Aretha?

She will absolutely win. I feel sorry for any other nominees.

At the Razzies?

Her role in "Cats" should have been nominated.

The thing about Dreamgirls is she's absolutely amazing in some parts and just awful in others. You can tell it was filmed out of sequence because in some scenes she's a lot more comfortable and convincing. I think she probably got better as filming went on. It was obvious they spent a lot of time on the iconic And I Am Telling You scene (the scene that alone won her the Oscar). I think she's come a long way as an actress. I can't wait to see Respect.

[quote] I think she's come a long way as an actress.

In what? Because she hasn't. She's still as awful as she was back then. Please prove us wrong.

Hudson is marvelous. No one is Aretha - but this is as close as you'll ever get. Give it to us Jennifer. The movie may be formula but the soundtrack is not. Some awards are coming to Ms. Hudson for sure.

Aretha always went sharp if she was going to lose a bit of control in her exclamation notes. Sometimes, so does Jenn.❤

Aretha had vulnerability (not in an interview situation, where the walls went up) when she sang. Jennifer doesn't have an ounce of that.

You're nuts. R136. Is your name charlie?

Jennifer has no vulnerability, no star quality. She has her lane - the "let's wheel out the gospel style vocalist for a number or two" lane - and kudos to her for exploiting that.

Aretha has star power, a magnificent instrument and a natural genius for musicianship and song-styling, but I’d never describe her as a “vulnerable” performer. She always seemed like she was singing to please herself and god, and to put everyone else in their place.

If you listen to "Do Right Woman" and don't hear vulnerability... I don't know what you're hearing.

She did a great job - saw it earlier.

I’m not hearing much enthusiasm for the movie or her performance from critics.

She may get a nom if this is a weak year for actress performances but she would only win if she had been nominated multiple times in the past and had never won. .

Everyone knows she can sing. She needed to surprise with her performance like Jaime Fox did. It’s just not there.

Reviews in rottentomtoes are in the sixties. Not a good sign.

(and a lot of the movie going audience has never heard of Aretha. The youngsters don't know her. )

The script is an absolute mess but Jennifer does the best with what she’s been given.

It's a pity the film doesn't cover the incident at the White House that Aretha wrote about in her book. She described how she almost came to blows with another famous diva and had to be restrained from clawing the other woman's eyes out.

Popular guesses for who the other singer might have been were Jessye Norman and Babs Streisand.

Eartha Kitt?

Kathie Lee Gifford?

Streisand and Aretha both performed at Clinton's inaugural. Streisand usually calls the police on uppity black people. But she won't throw hands. Can't break a nail. Aretha would beat a woman dead before she would let her take top spot. One of the reasons this bio isn't fun is because it doesn't depict the slut and viperish bitch that Aretha Franklin was.

No fault of pretty Jennifer Hudson. She's 40 years old this year. Aretha's voice was half gone by then and her presentation was either lazy or haughty for the last half of her career. Everyone was expected to bow down to her for the rest of her life. People are still afraid to criticize her. She didn't adjust her voice or take care of it. She SCREECHED. With some moments & nights of greatness.

Aretha dreamed the dream. She got there. And what a bitch she was. RIP.

How DARE Miss Hudson steal one of our stage gowns!!?

Just saw the movie. Lifetime has done better biopics than this sanitized bullshit.

Did you know she painted my mic white?

Wishing her a huge success.

But it looks boring.

If Andra Day didn't win for a superior performance, then there's no way that Hudson is winning.

R143 They don’t know who Jennifer Hudson is either. Her voice is nails on a chalkboard.

Trailers can mislead, but it looks like typical biopic kitsch. And bad art direction, too--everything so sanitized and screaming "period movie."

Interesting insights all. But does is this performance superior to Ms. Hudson's performance in "Cats" or that bumble bee movie?

From all indicators, Gaga is terrific in Gucci, and the wrong will be righted with a deserved Oscar after Olivia Colman's upset (split) win.

R148, you don’t sound like a nice person. Smh

[quote]She has her lane - the "let's wheel out the gospel style vocalist for a number or two" lane - and kudos to her for exploiting that.

That has always been Jhuds lane. I can't believe people are discussing this movie like Jhud actually gives a shit about people pontificating over her acting performance in a standard biopic. She sings the songs gets paid and goes home. She has built a very nice career for herself and did this movie more out of reverence to Aretha who she knew personally.

The very first thing I remember JHud singing on American Idol was “Respect.” And Aretha was apparently a huge fan of American Idol.

Yeah Aretha was rather keen to be a judge on American Idol. They were either not interested or couldn't agree to all her terms, conditions and demands, so it never happened.

[quote]She has built a very nice career for herself and did this movie more out of reverence to Aretha

More live revenge. Poor Aretha.

R161 nobody was going to put that old, vain beluga whale on prime time EVERY week. If she wanted to be on a panel show she missed her chance with What’s My Line?

Everything about any black person is a pissing match nowadays.

Jennifer’s voice is big, but she screams and has no technique. The movie looks like Hallmark channel and the acting is about that level too. She’s not winning on an August release with 64% on RT, she’ll be lucky to get a GG nom.

I disagree that she lacks technique. She has an unpleasant tone in the upper range.

I saw it yesterday and was pretty disappointed. Mary K. Blige has a very memorable moment in the film and DAMN....Marlon Wayans is fine!

Shawn Wayans is fine. Marlon is... his brother.

The Academy and its members will determine that it be obligatory that she does.

Marlon is fine as fuck. For almost 50 years old - he fine. Jennifer Hudson has a great deal of technique. Huge range and the tonal depth of a dramatic soprano, but her voice is not metallic and has too much warmth for that. She spends too much time in her upper mixed belting voice and that sometimes sounds harsh. But she has great power and depth to her voice, so her tessitura is more of a Spinto Soprano. The people who make such stupid assertions as R166 have no knowledge of vocal production. Hudson sometimes does have an unpleasant quality to her tone in her upper chest belts, but she hits those C, D, Eb and F# like nothing. Aretha also had an unpleasant AND raspy screech up there, far worse than anything Jen Hudson displays. And Aretha could not sing those notes, only yelp them as exclamations.

Aretha had an exceptional voice that was quite beautiful before she ruined it. But it was nowhere near as powerful or full bodied as Ms. Hudson. Jen has a fifth gear to her voice. That's the hallmark of the spinto voice. Like Patti, she can sing without a mic.

My apologies to R166. The uniformed and dumb assertion that Hudson "has no technique" came from the brain cavity of R165. God bless it.

She just misses greatness. She doesn't have the operatic head voice of Whitney or the laser fast runs and beautiful mask resonance of Celine or the interpretive soulfulness and perfect harmonic grace notes of Aretha - nor that golden hummingbird fast vibrato of Streisand that spins her small voice into outer space so pretty.

What Jen Hudson has is a fucking BIG voice, control of her vibrato with depth and warmth in her lower tones. She has thrilling power in her mid belts and and a great deal of church girl confidence. Walking off and still singing.....Her voice can sound a bit forced and disconnected for sure. But anyone who thinks she doesn't have an exceptional gift, just don't like the sound of her. Which is fine too. Just say so. Don't make her into something she's not.

There are many broadway singers who have all the technique, range, training and vocal purity in the world -but leave people unimpressed. Heather Headley has a superior voice to Hudson. For sure. And she succeeds at many things. But in the end, she's just too pure a singer. She shoots and scores.

If you want the girl next door, call Lea Salonga.

Jennifer Hudson is a spontaneous church girl soloist with a great big voice. Same as Aretha.

It could be worse, it could be Jennifer Lawrence.

Heather doesn't always score. It's been taken off YouTube but there used to be a video of Heather fucking up royally while backed by a choir. Luckily it wasn't professional broadcast footage.

Heather Headley shoots and scores. Better than Hudson or Streisand on Memory. There is not a note, breath or inflection in this performance that she has not formulated and shaped to her will. Even the more nasal intonations are intentional. The low tones are sepulcral and gorgeous. And then POW - she delivers the money with unbelievable power, conviction and beauty. She is not accidentally great. Like most great vocalists, she IS specific. And not to everyone's liking.

Betty Buckley's high E# money notes will never be bested on this song. Her tremulous voice with its inherent beauty, gorgeous resonance and crescendos of emotion will never be beaten. Heather Headley is the only one to sing it as well. Different key. She doesn't offer a harsh high note or barely get there. (See Hudson and Streisand) She sets her intentions and HITS us over the head with them. Every other note of the song is beautifully rendered by her too. All the emotion and technique in the world. And some fool will say it's not as good as Barbra's safe pop rendition? Streisand can't do this. Never. Ever.

R174 had to cherry pick one phrase from my post at R172 to dispute. Why are elder gays so mentally ill that they dissect everything to the pointe of leaving nothing but dust?

Heather Headley is going to be the most extra Norma Desmond one day.

Let it happen, R176!

Broadway singers do not have commercial voices that the masses respond to. They lack warmth and depth.

Gavin Creel has a very good voice for pop. He's one of the few Broadway singers who can make that claim.

I manifested a moron. See R178. Taking the bait. Even though I presented it as bait. Stupid. Loves to argue every point. Keeps losing. Moron.

No, you made a reasonable claim. Broadway singers don't tend to make inroads as recording artists. No one needs to hear Patty Lapone sing "Get Here."

Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Holliday, Ben Platt, Lea Michele, Idina Menzel and Heather Headley all tried to have recording careers and failed miserably. The masses don't respond to Broadway voices.

Cynthia Evrivo vs. Jennifer Hudson as Aretha. Compare and contrast.

Isn't Cynthia's 8 hours? Oy.

Probably r184 (I was going to add if anyone watched it)

R175, can you just make your point without the obsessive ageism? Are you Peter Pan? Benjamin Button?

"Respect," by David Ritz is the go-to for the Aretha story. He co-wrote her panned autobiography but he's a respected writer and he finally released the fruit of his research in "Respect."

Don't even try it R182. You gross troll. Earlier you called Hudson a pop singer. Then you said they dragged her out when they needed a gospel voice. Now you say she's a failure because she comes from Broadway? Before that you called her ghetto. Are you by any chance some ancient white RACIST f@g?

Jennifer has been and will continue to be rewarded. She won an Oscar, Two Grammy Awards, the Bafta and SAG award. She starred on Broadway and was personally chosen by Aretha to portray her in this ultimately mediocre film. She sang the biggest Broadway aria of the last 40 years on film and rightfully won every single FILM award for her performance. The Oscar was not a fluke.

Ms. Hudson counts her blessings and knows that she will not alway win. She remains one of the most famous singers in the world.

Hudson is a SINGER. A singer, sings. No matter how much you want to dismiss or categorize her R182. She is also a woman who bore more pain and loss in her young life than you have any right to comment on. She's neither stupid or lacking soul. She has the brains not to trust many white people. Or the press.

JHud loved Whitney above all others. That will never change. Whitney was the greatest singer of them all. Forever and ever. Hudson's career continues to progress. She has moved from strength to strength because her talent and hard work are REAL. The world ain't flat. Everyone knows she's damn good. Very likeable and attractive. Talented. With a superior voice. Now shut the fuck UP. You're a RACIST troll.

Oh shut up, you bore.

You're welcome to appreciate and learn from my posts R186. I have no apology to offer you.

Audra McDonald plays Aretha's mom in the movie

The movie would have been more fun if, instead of being a dull biopic telling us stuff about Aretha's life we've heard a hundred times before, it had focused on all her quarrels with other women, her imaginary love affairs with the likes of Tavis Smiley, her shady behavior, her revoltingly hideous and obscene taste in clothing and outfits, and her delusional lack of any self-awareness. It could have been a camp howler.

Aretha mentions the film in the last 2 minutes of this interview and says Jennifer Hudson is in contention.

I would expect a nomination for Jennifer but not the Oscar. The movie is only at 64% on rottentomatoes.

After the interviewer says to Aretha that he knows that JHud is one of Aretha's favorite singers, he asks her why she might play her in the film. Aretha responds "Jennifer Hudson is a very good singer." And "She's very likable." Don't bury the lede, R193.

I'm sorry but the more I see stuff like this thread the more I feel sorry for Mo'nique. Yeah, she's a little crazy but she spoke the truth and she went the fuck off on Oprah Winfrey and her fag boy Tyler Perry. She refused to play the game and now she's relegated to nutty Twitter videos when her acting talent outweighs almost all the women mentioned for this film. But the nice black girls kowtowed to the power structure and get hired, as long as they keep their traps shut. And yet, Scarlette Johanssen is lauded, praised and celebrated for her fucking faux "bravery" against Disney.

[quote]Yeah Aretha was rather keen to be a judge on American Idol. They were either not interested or couldn't agree to all her terms, conditions and demands, so it never happened.

Because it most likely meant having to stay out in California for a couple of months. Aretha had no interest in moving back to California since she left in the early 80's.. It took her twenty years to even go back out there and perform concerts.

Aretha was great for putting her name out there in print for ideas, and then when push came to shove, reneging. She was supposed to play Mahalia Jackson on Broadway in the early 80's, and she wound up pulling out at the very last second. I think the producers sued her for breach of contract and she had to pay.

I don't think there were many women who could have pulled off the Aretha role......I enjoyed the movie as I didn't know much about the Aretha before the BLUES BROTHERS movie........Hudson makes her likable......I think they made the right decision to have Hudson do all the vocal performances...it would have been jarring to hear Aretha's vocals coming out of Hudson's mouth.....I do think the problem with the film that kept it from being COAL MINERS DAUGHTER was the formulaic plot and ending it with the gospel album.......her renaissance with George Michael, EURYTHMICS and her own pop songs introduced to her generations that weren't overly familiar with her.....her Diva behavior was much cooler than Miss Ross.....this film makes me want watch the ARETHA documentary that came out a few years ago....

Too bad about Aretha's ballet career. Haha. She was FUCKING delusional.

Lady Aretha was notoriously difficult. In DL's heyday, I remember some hilarious threads about her when she would try to sue someone or would allegedly throw something at a hotel worker or hit somebody. I can't remember many specifics but she definitely lived up to the diva moniker. She, allegedly also was no shrinking violet and was a shrewd player in Detroit, possibly dabbling in drug sales or shady loan sharking. I think it was Steve Harvey or someone like that who, a few years back, spoke publicly of going over to her mansion. Apparently, Aretha would often have loads of loose cash lying around, some of it stacked. One time, according to him, she was ill in her bed but the entire bed was covered in big, loose bills. She loaned people money and would charge interest and allegedly had a son or some relative work as her heavy to collect on the paybacks and interest. Who knows what is and isn't the truth but I've heard enough mentions of that stuff to figure she was no soft, grandmotherly type of gal. Even so, no bitch could ever so proudly march out on a stage wearing a 200lb sable coat and fling it off in the middle of a tune the way Aretha could. She didn't give two fucks if animal fur wasn't humane. She loved her fancy shit and she wore it like the queen of all diva bitches.

She’s not enough of a name, but Hudson and Erivo’s Color Purple co-star Danielle Brooks should have been the one to play Aretha. She’s a Juilliard-trained actress and can summon the bad bitch energy that was Aretha’s hallmark. Hudson’s a glorious singer, but there’s a slightly inhibited nice girl quality to her when she’s not singing - it’s why Heather Headley was such a better Shug Avery.

Speaking of Headley, it’s a shame she hasn’t done more Broadway. I don’t think there’s a mezzo soprano role in the musical theatre canon that I wouldn’t have wanted to see her tackle: Elphaba, Fantine, Bobbie in the gender-flipped Company, Evita (I know, I know), the first Black Mama Rose…

[Quote] the first Black Mama Rose…

Huggin-da-bejeepers!

Hudson is an absolutely terrible actress. THAT's why she shouldn't be playing Aretha. Every movie she's in instantly becomes a comedy

She was OK in the film. Really, just OK.

Hudson is so bad she makes Madonna look like a competent actress.

Aretha hand-picked Madonna to give her eulogy at the MTV VMAs right after she died.

Two Detroit Louises.

The oddest choice (to me) of Aretha's was Faith Hill... Faith Hill?! She sounded a mess too, though singers don't want to sing before midday for a reason, of course.

[Quote] Hudson is so bad she makes Madonna look like a competent actress.

Nonsense. Hudson is a flatline. Madonna is an embarrassment.

[quote]Aretha hand-picked Madonna to give her eulogy at the MTV VMAs right after she died.

She did not.

Madonna gives ALL the eulogies. And they are all in praise of ....MADONNA!

Then Gaga comes out and sings Bowie or Prince, because that's important too.

R-36 is correct. Highly recommend the unauthorized bio "Respect" by David Ritz. Ritz loves and reveres R & B and Black Gospel, and has written excellent biographies of luminaries like Etta James, Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye. And DL folk should know that the Black Gospel scene was one place where gay men and women were "safe" and could be themselves--behind the scenes of course. There is also "The Fan Who Knew Too Much" by scholar Anthony Heilbut that pulls no punches.

Did you know Shirley Caesar is a Star Wars fan? Lesbians love their Sci Fi.

Didn't Aretha say that she saw Tina Turner come out of Sam Cooke's hotel room?

Didn't Patti Labelle say he saw The Reverend C.L. Franklin's child coming out of his daughter Aretha's twat?

As opposed to his accountant Aretha?

Don't start with that miss warwicke racist hate speech and misogyny. This thread will be over in 30 minutes. Get lost with your stupid gross talk, R215.

Is the scandalous Dee Dee Warwick in the movie? They should have had Mary J. Blige play her.

I agree that David Ritz's Respect is very good. Well-researched. And I like that he focuses a lot on the music, how it was made and how Aretha's attention and ambition would come and go.

There's an interesting story where Arista hired a producer who had recently produced a hit record, sent him to Detroit to produce an Aretha song and according to him, she was more interested in cooking and eating fried chicken than recording LOL

Aretha's demonstration of her banana pudding recipe on Oprah was hilarious. Not unlike her ballet career - it was a bit underdeveloped.

Aretha loved her some Taco Bell! Let's be honest. Artificial flavor chemicals are tasty and satisfying. The only thing better than granny's fried chicken is KFC, am I right? Aretha had no mother, and it showed. But she survived. Fast food and Aretha Franklin kept Detroit solvent.

They really should have played her for more of who she really was. She is enshrined in musical greatness. And always will be. But we know she was nasty in so many ways.

R190, because you are arrogant as fuck, I have none to offer you either. Fool. You poison your own screeds with conceit.

Jennifer is known for hollering and screaming and shrillness. Black audiences were the first to notice this about her.

Nessun Dorma.

The film sounds like a second rate TV film.

[Quote] The film sounds like a second rate TV film.

No, that would be Toni Br-I mean, Whitney.

The New Yorker

“Respect” Gives Us an Aretha Franklin Without an Inner Life

Despite a reductive script, Jennifer Hudson’s performance nearly saves the movie.

By Richard Brody August 18, 2021

R225 Reminds me of that time Aretha threw Toni's ass under the bus without a second thought.

Starts at 0:00

[quote] Despite a reductive script, Jennifer Hudson’s performance nearly saves the movie.

And we all know he means her singing, not her acting.

Respeito.

-In a violet-tulle-and-silver Bob Mackie evening gown, Franklin performed at two inaugural balls and on the inaugural telecast. It was during the Clinton celebration that Franklin said tempers flared over an "innocuous statement" she made about another diva's escort and the pair of singers got in a heated argument under "one of the great works of art in one of the historic rooms" of the White House, Franklin wrote.

"As we sashayed away from each other, our parting gesture was the finger," she said.-

Who was the diva that did this? Was it Leontyne Price? A pop/soul diva?

[Quote] "As we sashayed away from each other, our parting gesture was the finger,"

That doesn't sound remotely like Aretha. Some gay writer was having a little bit of fun.

Aretha discusses the white house incident in the video at R227.

In her book she said she had made an innocent joke about the age of this woman's companion. This woman turned around and made a joke about Aretha's outfit which was her usual low cut number with breasts practically hanging out. The two almost came to brawls when security intervened. The rumor for years was that the other woman was Leontyne.

The video at R227 doesn't play. I tried it earlier to hear what Aretha had to say about Toni B. It doesn't direct you anywhere. There's no video attached to the link.

It's easy to know who Aretha was talking about at the White House. That was the night she mutilated I Dreamed a Dream. And the front row.

Aretha's titties were no joke.

Glynn, did she slap you with her tits and try to smother you with them when Ree allegedly walked in on you having sex with another man who might have been her son?

R233, who was it?

R236, I read somewhere that it was Jessye Norman, but another poster upthread wrote that it was Leontyne Price. Other popular guesses around the time Aretha's book came out were Babs Streisand and Diane Ross. I didn't think it was Miss Ross because she was still married to Arne Naess back then and the incident was triggered by ReRe saying something bitchy about the other woman's much younger date.

Cher?

Bump

So, when is the Patti Labelle biopic "If Only You Knew", coming, starring Fantasia???

Who will play Diane Ross in the Patti LaYelle biopic? The scene where Miss LaYelle pimp slaps the heifer (as she used to refer to Miss Ross) could be Fantasia's highlight reel.

When did Patti backhand Diane?

They used to get into fights back when Diane was a Supreme and Patti was a Bluebell. Patti alleges that Diane was a sneaky little minx who would snoop on the other groups and then buy exactly the same gowns and the same wigs for the Supremes, making it seem as though the Bluebells were stealing ideas from the Supremes. Later their feud got worse when Cindy Birdsong left the Bluebells to replace Flo Ballard and become a Supreme.

[quote] The guy who plays Martin Luther King lacks the requisite charisma. And the abrupt activist awakening of Aretha is a big flaw in the fillm. When she started showing her sudden approval of Angela fucking Davis I didn’t buy it.

I don't know how it is depicted in the film but her support of Angela Davis is historical fact.

[quote] The very first thing I remember JHud singing on American Idol was “Respect.” And Aretha was apparently a huge fan of American Idol.

JHud auditioned for AI with a powerful acapella rendition of Aretha's "Share Your Love With Me." Aretha handpicked her because she knew Jhud had a good voice and could do serviceable renditions of her songs without a hope of eclipsing her legendary recordings. Aretha was notoriously protective of her place at the top of the heap. Aretha didn't want a female singer who might distinguish herself with memorable versions of her classic songs.

One of the Holland wives tore Diana's dress clean off her at a club.

I presume there will be a screen adaptation of The Color Purple musical. I hope Fantasia gets it over Cynthia Erivo. Though... is Fantasia a homophobe?

Can Fantasia spell homophobe yet?

Fantasia is a great talent. Her voice is much more similar to Aretha's in timbre and texture. Even in her approach to a song, her breathing and her rhythmic let it simmer and soar timing. That is what Aretha had that made her unique - a soar to her vocal production. It wasn't a screech until later in life. Part glissando, part taking a lot of runs to the high notes, then a yelping exclamation. At her best, she had great sensitivity. Her voice traversed her registers fluidly - until it didn't. Fantasia has inexplicable musicality and vocal soar, but not the same range or depth to her voice. Besides, Aretha only wanted to be played by a pretty woman. Like JHud.

Jennifer Hudson is a beautiful woman with a glorious voice. Fantasia has that extra something that can't be taught. She was born with the true spirit of all her musical ancestors. She's undisciplined, but she's also unfairly maligned.

Yawn

Fantasia says stupid things, like "We didn't have sex before getting married" when she married her husband two weeks after meeting him. Aunt Bunny would agree that she's not unfairly maligned.

^ ANCIENT WHITE FAG ^ alert @ R251.

*yawning* like a teenage girl.

Fantasia can SANG. Aretha would never give this spotlight and props to her backup girls. NEVER. I was at this concert and Tashia lit up the night. Her voice always strikes sparks and is often incredibly beautiful. She's an exciting performer and terrible dresser who sometimes forgets that she's not in church. That's not a compliment btw. The old men on this thread haven't seen a live performance in 40 years.

THIS is a great song. Should have been an even bigger hit for our girl.❤

Cissy had plenty prominence of "Ain't No Way." Ditto all the Sweet Inspirations on "I Say a Little Prayer."

At least Fantasia isn't as stupid and annoying as the jibbering black queen loon on this thread.

^ You obviously didn't watch the Fantasia performance, R254. Aretha, like Streisand gave no one credit and barely even paid them. She expected them to be there when she needed them. Two of the least gracious performers of all time.

Fantasia highlights her backup singers and interacts with them, vocally and personally. During THE show. As did the greatest one of all, Whitney Houston. She took those girls and her band with her around the world and back for two decades - first class all the way.

Fantasia got IT! Musicians and the world of music know IT. Most white people don't get her.

Datalounge understands nobody black. R255 paid for black dick once, FIFTY years ago. When he was 35.

Stevie gets Fantasia. How could you not? She's a freakin soul filled vocal artist.

Even Jennifer's name is average.

That was lit R253. Thanks.

Judy Tenuta.... is Aretha.

Give her some love.

She didn't even deserve her FIRST Oscar! 🤮

She won't get a 2nd, Abigail.

Marisa Tomeii got a second.

Marisa only has one Oscar.

In The Bedroom?

R264, she didn't win for that, you dumb twat.

My Cousin Vinny

Do not fuck with Fantasia. When Prince and Diana Ross are dancing in their seats and Stevie jumps to his feet - you done alright.

Fantasia is Aretha, Patti, Tina, Anita and a bit of Diana all in one. AND, she's got her own. She didn't care to be classy or change to please the masses much. She's gonna do what she does. Flat foot sing. Legs apart. So she's not a popular star. But she's on every guestlist and tribute.

It's sad that Shawn Mendes and Camila Carbarona are worth a few hundred million dollars. For what?

A talent as profound and undeniable as Fantasia is still taking the bus.

JHud being flying private for a long time now. She's a STAR. Don't deny her.

[Quote] and a bit of Diana

Fantasia owns some sequins, is that what you're saying?

Nothing wrong with taking the bus.

Nope, not what I said, R268. You have opinions and biases but no knowledge of musical history or vocal production. There are numerous ways that Fantasia's singing suggest Diana Ross. Fantasia was discovered at 19 years old. She was not "imitating" anyone. She contained multitudes in her ancestral musical soul. Watch the fucking videos before you open you uniformed mouth again. Listen to Clive Davis and Paula Abdul's comments on this one.

Aside from the song and her singing, Fantasia was a fucking STAR. Everything that Paula said came true for her. Clive tried.

[Quote] There are numerous ways that Fantasia's singing suggest Diana Ross.

Name some.

You're too rude and stupid to access more of my time, R271. I can't make a dead old white man sing. Or teach you how to hear. Your stupidity on this thread is beyond belief. Of course - you are primarily a RACIST NUTJOB. AWF.

You are welcome to enjoy my posts as they appear. You're trolling me anyway.

Matt, is AWF Troll one of your alters?

A question you should be asking yourself R273. You ARE Matt.

Did you WW your own comment, r274?

If you know this song by Patti Labelle - watch how Fantasia just bodies it so beautifully. I've been around and around and around.....Fantasia has the most unique and beautiful voice, with a spirit to match. Gorgeous singing and emotion.

Fantasia is/was shit. Get real, Fantasia's Only Fan. 🤮💩

Cher, Madonna, Barbra, Celine, Cleopatra, Fantasia...

Poor R217. Toothlessness AND those ugly buboes.

Jennifer another Oscar?

Sure. Why not.

Do I need to point out why, after the last five Oscar nights?

Give her one of those big ones they have towering over people like Rameses II's. After they're done shoving it up R217's dirty ass.

Jennifer Hudson was supposed to perform at the doomed NYC Homecoming. Other performers, like Barry Manilow and The Killers phoned in performances. I know we heard from Elvis Costello. There were lots of people grumbling on the way out that they missed Bruce Springsteen, but I didn’t hear a single word about Hudson.

Did she get mentioned or show up somewhere else, via Zoom?

Bump for that person who started a new thread

I saw it. It made me cry.

MJ Blige as Dinah Washington was hysterical

They kind of didn't get into her mother's story. She left the family after Aretha's father got a 12 year old pregnant himself. Had many affairs. But led this powerful church. She later died of a heart attack.

They also danced around the fathers of her two kids before she married Ted White. Apparently they had the same fathers and Aretha named the boy Clarence's father as being the same one of her second boy.

Also during the film, I couldn't understand why the father and everyone hated Ted White, the first husband. Apparently he was a local PIMP.

"She is, to put it bluntly, too stupid and bland to play one of America's icons."

This. Absolutely this.

I've already said that too much of the criticism of the film is about Jennifer Hudson. Any actress in her place would be in the same situation. And again, you don't have any other actress you can name who could improve it. The story itself is a watered down version of Aretha's real life, which is often the case with biopics about black icons. That's the real issue. The families want it that way.

[quote]And again, you don't have any other actress you can name who could improve it

Cynthia Erivo?

Was she better? (didn't watch it, nobody did.)

Stop acting like the mediocre film is your reason to deny Jennifer Hudson's greatness. She's grew up with that great big voice and she was born to play Aretha. But these films never work well when the voice is a great one and the singer is still so alive in memory. Hudson's singing on the soundtrack alone will get her an Oscar nom though. Jhud is spectacular and it's time that people were reminded. Aretha is a lot of fun to watch in old performances but she was not a charismatic woman. So Hudson does her just fine. She's pretty as fuck too. There are many JHud performances posted on this thread that prove her more than worthy. Amazing. If JHud wasn't such a soulful black girl church singer from Chicago with that GREAT BIG VOICE - she most likely would have a more successful recording career in her time. Jennifer and Fantasia are throwbacks. Mary J is a favorite of mine, but lets not pretend she can sing well. She's the Hip Hop queen of Drama with all that feeling in her sound. A different kind of greatness. JHUD can SANG. And her Aretha songs are much more than covers. Some have their own greatness. Y'all are old and biased. Aretha never sang a non raspy note in the last 30 years of her life. She just threw her bingo arm up and dropped the mink coat and people pretended she was great. She roared like a lion, but her singing was seldom good. What's worse - in person for her fans, she made next to no effort at all. Aretha was an asshole by the end of her life. And in the middle. And before.

tl;dr

^ what idiot still thinks that tl/dr is anything other than a pissy old fag response from 2006?

What kind of person still uses "fag" on a gay board.

(oh you're that nut job. I see. Never mind.)

Hopefully, it's more deserving than her first

tl;dr? What are you 12?

Hudson is was and always will be a magnificent singer. Aretha is before my time. Nice recordings, bad gowns.

Gaga's got this. Saw a pre-showing of Gucci, and she is nothing short of brilliant. Funny, terrifying, scheming. Multi faced and Oscar knows she was robbed before.

Aretha's family played little part. Bunch of grifters.

Jennifer deserved a better film than this.

R293, Kristen Stewart may have something to say about that.

Aretha's a legend, if anything she's timeless. Hudson is nowhere near that.

Jessica Chastain among others might disagree OP

Is some idiot really trying to argue Jhud is better than Aretha? What kind of young and stupid zoomers are posting on here? Da fuck?

Aretha had more talent in her left nipple than the moron JHud has in her entire body. The only one worse than JHud is the illiterate piece of trash, Fantasia.

Fantasia was very effective in Color Purple. Hudson is a cold fish.

Bumping original thread for the trolls

So...this movie bombed, right?

Bombed beyond belief r303

One good thing is that it did clearly illustrate Jennifer Hudson lacks any real intelligence or acting talent. Cynthia Erivo, on the other hand, is the real deal. Jennifer can find her niche by performing at American Idol shows in Branson.

What a fool is R304. Venom drips from that toothless old man.

But you did not say I was wrong R305.

Best Actress SAG nominee : Jennifer Hudson

The Oscar nom is coming.

Bumping because I just watched this today. I have a neighbor that comes over, we chit-chat, and watch different shows/movies. She's a 59 year old black woman with a good heart, and a bad attitude.

Anyway, we "rented" this on Youtube today. It is long. 2 and a half hours. My neighbor and I gave it two thumbs up. Jennifer Hudson, and everyone in this gave a very good performance. There was a part where I felt the length was getting to me, as in, when in the fuck is this thing ever going to end? But even in those moments, I was interested, and wanted to keep watching more, just not right then and there.