Respect

If all she’s asking is for a little Respect, then Aretha Franklin might have appreciated this conventional crowd-pleasing biopic that mostly sidesteps mere celebrity hagiography.

Galvanized by a deeply committed performance by Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson, this celebration of the late Queen of Soul’s talent and versatility as an artist hits some inspirational notes even if it rarely digs beneath the surface.

It chronicles her rise to prominence as a music pioneer and civil-rights activist during the 1960s while overcoming turbulence both in society and in her personal life.

With her talent evident from a young age, Aretha falls under the tutelage of her overbearing and temperamental father (Forest Whitaker), a Detroit preacher with high-profile celebrity connections who steers his daughter into gospel music.

Aretha (Hudson) finds her loyalties torn years later, between her alcoholic first husband (Marlon Wayans), pressure to participate in the civil-rights movement alongside family friend Martin Luther King Jr., and her sisters who also seek stardom.

Soft-spoken by nature, Aretha learns to speak volumes through her songs, as she transitions from gospel and blues to more mainstream anthems under the tutelage of producer Jerry Wexler (Marc Maron). “I’m still trying to figure out who I am,” she explains even after making it big.

Sudden fame later comes at a cost, as Aretha struggles to suppress her demons to balance motherhood with obligations tied to family and fans.

Respect connects the dots between her causes and personal struggles and some of her iconic chart-toppers, as Aretha refused to be defined by the men in her life who wouldn’t put her career above their own self-interests.

The feature film debut of Tony-winning stage director Liesl Tommy features some musical highlights, including Aretha’s first recording session with a mostly white band in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and her 1968 rendition of the title song at raucous Madison Square Garden.

Along with the obvious vocal chops, Hudson’s portrayal combines swagger and sensitivity as she captures a woman who used her struggles to become a role model for women everywhere, regardless of race or background.

Covering plenty of narrative ground within a conventional biopic framework, rookie screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson tends to emphasize elements of her story that feel familiar rather than the details that make her life and career so distinct.

Overall, it’s more respectful than revelatory. Yet as Aretha finds her voice, the film finds its soul.

Rated PG-13, 145 minutes.