Regina King as Shirley Chisholm seemed like a no brainer in terms of Oscar bait. However, Netflix’s Shirley had these rumored poor test screenings, which is likely why it exited the 2023 Oscar race, and wound up in early 2024. That’s a shame, because while not totally breaking new ground, Shirley did mostly deliver as promised. King actually delivers a powerhouse performance as Shirley Chisholm.
Shirley is a captivating look at the politician’s 1972 presidential campaign. Shirley leans into the challenges presented by being the first black female Presidential candidate in a race dominated by white men. There’s a shot early on when she is first elected to the House Of representatives that highlights the contrast quite well. It doesn’t just use her as a benchmark in history, but rather celebrates her intelligence and tenacity through King’s portrayal. Regina King perfectly captures Chisholm’s steely determination and charisma, with a nuanced performance that tackles both Shirley’s strengths but also her vulnerability.
The late Lance Reddick is excellent here in one of his larger roles, helping Shirley’s campaign, and Terrence Howard is also a standout as Chisholm’s husband. These are all actors who feel the weight of their roles, and deliver nuanced work that helps to sell the film. Sadly, it’s the film that lets down the subject and not the acting. Director John Ridley has crafted a movie that has left critics divided. I wasn’t quite as divided as most, as perhaps not being from this time period, I didn’t have a real world comparison to work from. not living through 1972 myself, I couldn’t compare it to the events that actually transpired, and if the script chooses to move away from certain topics, I didn’t notice within the confines of the film.
I would argue that despite taking place in 1972, Shirley is still a very timely exploration of gender, race, and and politics in America. It directly attacks the sexism and racism that Shirley faced, which doesn’t feel too far removed from today as states seek to have their DEI initiatives squashed, and force history classes to teach about the positive sides of slavery. We often say that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it, but Holllywood is pumping out stuff like Shirley regularly, so how could anyone not know? this movie may condense the life of Shirley Chisholm, but it remains a film mostly worth watching, if not just for King’s performance. but also, the audio description.
The audio description, written by Beth Rand and Leslie Moni, SaundiHarrison-Cooksey narrates. the team at Descriptive Video Works crafted one of the best audio description tracks of the year. there is so much attention to detail, in how these actors were made to look like their real life counterparts, right down to some really specific notes about their hairstyles. Not only does this have a broad ensemble cast to follow, while also being a period drama of sorts, but the representation is all over this film. It’s immersive, and feels like a strong representation of this subject, and from a perspective that knew what to capture to help shape the experience of the life of Shirley Chisholm. I’ll remember this track at the end of the year. Not every great audio description track has to come from a horror or action film. Sometimes, a really solid track comes from a biopic.
It isn’t a perfect film, but it is such a shame to see Regina King doing such fine work in a film that will largely be overlooked and forgotten, while she clearly delivers a performance that should not be.
Final Grade: B
