It’s been three years since the world last saw Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Regina King on screen. In her first project since The Harder They Fall, King tackles the change-making leader Shirley Chisholm.
Shirley is a biopic that tackles Chisholm's historic run to be president, starting with her 1968 election as the first Black woman to Congress and ending with her suspending her campaign to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for the Oval Office in 1972.
King has a knack for embodying these big on-screen personalities (like Sharon in If Beale Street Could Talk, Angela in Watchmen and Margie in Ray), yet is remarkable in ensuring that no portrayal is the same. This is a testament to her talent and dedication, which shines equally as bright as she transforms into Chisholm. While it may be too early for Oscar nomination conversations for King's latest role, she deserves a place in the conversation when the time comes for her work in Shirley.
Of special note is the accent King used in playing Chisholm. The tell-it-like-it-is politician was the child of Guyanese and Bajan emigrants and was raised in New York City. The mixed cultural identity is uniquely reflected in King's accent.
The costuming of Shirley is also worth being highlighted. From the outfits to the wigs to the glasses to the apparent dental prosthetics, King used them all to give viewers the impression they were meeting the politician in the movie. Not to mention, King seemed to have a stately poise throughout Shirley befitting her subject.
While I could continue raving about King's work, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the movie's glaring shortcomings. For anyone who's never heard of Chisholm, the biopic is a great introduction to the politician's legend. However, for those who had a sufficient American history course in their lifetime and are familiar with changemaker, the movie doesn't go far enough in diving into her life.
Shirley doesn't adequately address what made Chisholm such a force to be reckoned with. Although the movie was written to really hone in on her presidential bid, it would have been more effective to see all of the reasons serving as a driving force in her desire to be an agent of change in politics.
Additionally, as it pertains to Chisholm's relationship with her family, the movie touches on her contentious dynamic with her sister, but does more tell than show in describing what led to their sibling rivalry. If Chisholm had led an active political life, with opposition from those who grew up with her, I think more time could have been spent to give viewers a more substantive understanding of the complexities there. Considering the film has a runtime of an hour and 57 minutes (I've certainly seen historical movies go longer), it just seems as if there was time to go deeper.
All in all, despite its shortfalls, Shirley is worth a watch. Especially, for those who've missed watching King and would love to see a fitting tribute to Women's History Month.
Shirley premieres on Netflix on Friday, March 22.
