John Ridley won an Oscar for his screenplay for 12 Years a Slave, but his projects since have been far less impressive. The new Netflix biopic Shirley, starring Regina King as Shirley Chisholm, should herald Ridley’s return to the realm of prestige fare. Unfortunately, the film all too often takes the easy way out, making it yet another biopic about an unforgettable person.
Shirley tells the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, as she embarks on a campaign to receive the Democratic nomination to become President of the United States. Shockingly, despite her importance, there hasn’t been a major biopic about Chisholm yet, but this isn’t the tribute she deserves.
Unlike many biopics, Shirley is mercifully brief at under 2 hours long. However, perhaps ironically, this also causes the film to feel like a truncated, Wikipedia-esque telling of the details of Chisolm’s presidential campaign.
Shirley tells the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, as she embarks on a campaign to receive the Democratic nomination to become President of the United States. Shockingly, despite her importance, there hasn’t been a major biopic about Chisholm yet, but this isn’t the tribute she deserves.
Unlike many biopics, Shirley is mercifully brief at under 2 hours long. However, perhaps ironically, this also causes the film to feel like a truncated, Wikipedia-esque telling of the details of Chisolm’s presidential campaign.
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