Aretha Franklin biographical film ‘Respect’ maybe too respectful IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The tag line for the latest biopic about an American icon reads: “Find out what it means.” Good luck with that.

After more than two hours of the new messy Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect,” it’s not clear what it means, wasting a lot of superb screen talent in the slapdash process.

This time it’s Jennifer Hudson portraying the Queen of Soul — a few months after Cynthia Erivo played Franklin in a National Geographic TV series — and you won’t be able to leave the theater without a lot of respect — yes, R-E-S-P-E-C-T — for Hudson’s abilities.

But a meandering, unfocused look at the first three decades of Franklin’s life will also leave you saying a little prayer for the filmmakers. After all, if you come for the queen, you best not miss. This is a miss.

Director Liesl Tommy, using a screenplay by Tracey Scott Wilson, offers a series of chronological vignettes to try to explain what fed Franklin, a preacher’s daughter from Detroit who would light up the world with her voice.

“Music will save your life,” is the Hallmark-like slogan used in the film — uttered by a soulful Tituss Burgess as the Rev. James Cleveland. But that’s not hefty enough to explain how a woman who endured rape, domestic violence, racism, misogyny, mental health challenges and addiction could go on to win 18 Grammys. Music will save your life? That may work for Nickelodeon. You need more here.

The script by Tracey Scott Wilson is a collection of scenes that don’t add up to much, never really building and interrupted with overly long music sequences. This film needed someone to sharpen and clarify. It needed what Franklin was, an ideal interpreter.

Hudson isn’t afraid to get ugly at rock bottom, though maybe not as harrowing as Andra Day did as Lady Day in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” “Respect” doesn’t dwell in the darkest depths like that biopic of another troubled superstar singer.

The film ends with Franklin at 29 recording her landmark album “Amazing Grace” and . alas, the film itself has grace but is not really amazing at all.

Quantrell D. Colbert / Associated Press This image released by MGM shows Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin, left, and Forest Whitaker as C.L. Franklin in a scene from “Respect.”