Shirley, 2024.
Written and Directed by John Ridley.
Starring Regina King, Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, André Holland, Terrence Howard, Michael Cherrie, W. Earl Brown, Christina Jackson, Dorian Missick, Amirah Vann, Ethan Jones Romero, Loren Escandon, Mellanie Hubert, Mike Seely, Alex Barone, Micaela Wittman, Aqeel Ash-Shakoor, Marcellus Bassman Shepard, Rob Grant, Clark Harris, and Brad James.
SYNOPSIS:
Shirley Chisholm makes a trailblazing run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination after becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress.
A Brooklyn schoolteacher, Shirley Chisholm went on to become the first congresswoman of the United States of America and the first Black woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, and given how Regina King captures her never-back-down attitude and firm determination blended with compassion for everyone in this biopic simply titled Shirley, that achievement is not entirely surprising. What director writer/John Ridley (the Oscar-winning screenwriter behind the phenomenal 12 Years a Slave) lacks in compelling visual direction (it’s mostly a series of depicted events, sometimes jarringly jumping forward without much grace), Regina King makes up for with a rich, captivating portrayal of that willpower and resolve, even when facing strategical failure and absurd hoops.
Attempting to collect delegates for the 1972 presidential election, Shirley Chisholm, together with a trusted party consisting of her longtime political advisor and mentor Wesley McDonald ‘Mac’ Holder (a moving, beautifully dignified final performance from Lance Reddick), youth movement coordinator (the first election 18-year-olds could participate in) Robert Gottlieb (Lucas Hedges), longtime friend and civil rights figure Arthur Hardwick Jr. (Terrence Howard), and her self-acknowledged shadow of a husband (respecting how important gender equality and independence is to his wife while trailblazing this path) Conrad (Michael Cherrie), confront hurdle after hurdle head-on. Sometimes feeling defeated and unsure how to proceed or questioning Shirley’s choices and thought process behind delivering long-winded explanations on hot-button topics when people tend to prefer simple yes/no answers, her team also finds themselves feeding off of her resilient energy to course correct and try something else for public favor.
Naturally, the main obstacle here is that the American people likely will not put their support behind a woman, let alone a Black woman, with part of the reason Shirley exists as a film is to remind the world how much there is left to accomplish. It’s also maddening watching the movie with the knowledge that America is yet to have a woman president, which further fuels engagement watching Shirley butt heads and fight for the nomination.
As a devout Christian woman, Shirley also staunchly believes in understanding and finding common ground across the aisle, which unquestionably leads to some groan-worthy scenes (even if it did happen in real life), such as a meeting with a hospitalized notorious racist George Wallace (W. Earl Brown) following a nasty shooting; perhaps back in 1972 something good would come of a meeting like that, but in 2024, another sure to be volatile election year where all manners of human rights hanging the balance, it’s a bit nauseating to watch.
Far more compelling are her viewpoints on the Black Panthers (she says it is a shame that they have to exist) while coming around to working together and boldly filing lawsuits against supposedly liberal television networks that restrict her from on-air debates because she doesn’t have enough popularity. Not to mention, there are all sorts of backroom politicking going on with names such as Walter Fauntroy (André Holland) and others looking to cut deals and relinquish delegates to one another to ensure that the right candidate gets the nomination and Richard Nixon does not get reelected.
There is also a side-serving of family drama, with marital struggles, a sister who doesn’t buy into Shirley’s activism, assuming that she believes she is too special for her good, which feels forced in and distracts from the drama surrounding delegates and the nomination. Again, John Ridley thrives as a screenwriter more than a director, keeping the information flowing fast in straightforward exchanges that keep the politicking engaging and everyone’s motives clear. As a whole, Shirley might be too broad to dive into her as a person fully, but it succeeds as a fascinating look at one Black woman’s ambition and a whirlwind Democratic Party nomination process
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
