ReelBob: ‘I Am Woman’ ★★½

By Bob Bloom

In the minds of many people, Helen Reddy is defined by one song — “I Am Woman.”

The song, co-written and recorded by Reddy in 1972, became the anthem for the women’s movement.

And while Reddy has had an illustrious career with several chart-topping songs, she is as tied to “I Am Woman” as peanut butter is to jelly.

Reddy’s life is chronicled in “I Am Woman,” a standard biopic, directed by Unjoo Moon — in her feature-film debut — and written by Emma Jensen. The movie, as the end credits state, was inspired by Reddy’s book “The Woman That I Am.”

“I Am Woman” follows the usual formula for biopics — especially those of entertainers. It highlights Reddy’s career trajectory; her struggles to be heard in an industry dominated by male executives and her breakthrough hit, a cover version of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” from “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Keeping “I Am Woman” from just being another biopic is the performance of Tilda Cobham-Hervey (“Hotel Mumbai”) as Reddy.

Behind her soft-spoken demeanor is a determined woman who knows the potential of her talent and refuses to be deterred from getting what she wants. She believes in her voice and wants to share it with the world.

When need be, she can be obstinate and demanding. She also is a loving mother and loyal friend.

The movie follows the usual genre shortcuts: we see an inspired Reddy at a desk writing a couple of lines for what is to become “I Am Woman.” Then, the film cuts to a conference room at her record label where a group of all-male executives are unimpressed by the song. One even says he believes it is “too angry.”

Reddy’s career is going nowhere until she meets aspiring and brash talent manager Jeff Wald (Evan Peters), who marries Helen and begins taking over her career.

The new family moves to Los Angeles where Wald secures a position with a recording company. He begins managing Deep Purple and Tiny Tim, putting his wife’s career on the back burner.

Early on, we see the bloom fading from the marriage as Reddy reminds her husband that he promised to land her a recording contract. Her badgering and persistence finally pay off, and Wald helps launch her career.

Of course, as Reddy records and tours, strains develop in the marriage, abetted by Wald’s emerging cocaine habit.

With a booming managerial career of his own — among his later clients was Sylvester Stallone — their lives continued to drift apart and they later divorce.

“I Am Woman” is basically a highlight reel of Reddy’s life — skipping from her first successes to her touring, having her own summer TV variety series, performing in Las Vegas and her ultimate retirement. Then comes the big finale in 1989, where — with the Equal Rights Amendment three states short of ratification — she performs at a large rally in Washington, D.C., to help bolster the movement. (BTW, the amendment still has not passed.)

The film covers both Reddy’s music and her part in helping shatter a glass ceiling for female singers at a time when male groups dominated the industry and the charts.

The cast, which includes Danielle Macdonald (“Patti Cake$”) as Lillian Roxon, a fellow Australian, Reddy’s best friend and one of the first and most influential women rock critics, helps overcome the clichés that punctuate the script.

Fans of Reddy, though, will be tolerant simply to enjoy the music and Cobham-Hervey’s fierce presentation of a singular artist.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

I AM WOMAN
2½ stars out of 4
Not rated, language, brief violence