Shirley (2024)

Regina King is a bit of a force of nature herself. So her casting as Shirley Chisholm feels perfect. She brings the necessary strength and charisma to inhabit the role of one of America's most important figures. Chisholm helped move the country forward in a turbulent time defying all who said she couldn't. King, with her impassioned performance, and Ridley, with his lovely direction, have paid tribute to her by bringing her story to generations who may not know as much as we should about her. 

Ridley's screenplay for 12 Year's a Slave was masterful. Here he shows some strength as a director by managing to tell the story of this pioneer in a linear and accessible way, juggling the issues and perspectives of the time with the events of her presidential campaign. Perhaps the film smooths over some things and drops the ball on focusing on who Chisholm was as a person. Despite some efforts with scenes with her sister and with her husband, the film holds her up on a pedestal that doesn't give us as much of a three dimensional personhood. The film's strength is instead the way it shows just how much of a struggle she took on and just how far she dragged her country. He also films it with a loving glow making it delightful to watch, even in the difficult moments. 

The entire cast is strong including one of the Reddick's final performances but also Holland in a small but standout part. But it is really all about how amazing King is, continuing to show us she is one of the best actors of her generation. She not only takes on Chisholm's affects but truly inhabits her. She shows us just how much she was able to do in the face of so much opposition, the extraordinary strength it takes to accomplish all she did. There are small moments in the film featuring her struggling with all of the weight on her, but sometimes I wished this was more palpable as even in those moments she triumphs. 

Shirley is wonderfully watchable as a movie, the kind you can put on and it will engross you. But it also reminds us of so much we have forgot and, hopefully, that we can still move things forward, even in the face of some of the worst write supremacy and misogyny we've faced.  

Shirley

Starring: Regina King, Lance Reddick, Terrance Howard, Lucas Hedges, André Holland

Writer/Director: John Ridley