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Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The Williams sisters revolutionized the sport of tennis. They became the best in the sport while facing discrimination in a predominately white sport. Venus Williams is a seven-time Grand Slam title winner, and Serena Williams is a twenty-three-time Grand Slam title winner and is considered the G.O.A.T of women’s tennis. Both sisters have been ranked #1 by the WTA in both singles and doubles. Venus made history by being the first black #1 player, and don’t get me started on Serena’s career accomplishments. It could take me fifty pages to get through all of it. A special moment was in 2002 when the sisters were ranked #1 and #1 in the world. With all their accomplishments, the sisters were trained by their parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price. Richard proclaimed that the sisters would be Wimbledon champions while they grew up in Compton’s mean and hard streets.
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Zach Baylin, King Richard is the story of Richard Williams and his belief in his daughters playing world-class tennis. Richard Williams (Smith) lives in Compton, California, with his wife Brandy (Ellis), his three stepdaughters, and his two daughters, Venus (Sidney) and Serena (Singleton). Richard firmly believes that Venus and Serena will be world-class tennis players and has written a 78-page plan. Training in Compton, California’s neglected tennis courts, Richard and Brandy coach Venus and Serena daily while working as a security guard and a nurse. Richard works tirelessly to find professional coaches for the girls while creating brochures, videotaping their skills, and ensuring that his daughters live like children.
To me, the whole movie was more about how Richard believed in his daughters and his belief in them against all odds. Some would say that Richard was an overbearing, stubborn father who didn’t play by any rules but his own. LeVar Ball definitely got his wisdom and belief from him. I want to give this film major probs because Richard had a plan, and he stuck with it. When he could’ve been the stereotypical black father, which he was with his other kids, he stuck beside Venus and Serena through their ups and downs.
Richard believed he knew more about tennis than some of the world-class coaches and argued with all of them. He was all about his wide stance. Unlike many parents, Richard worked his ass off for his girls and should be commended for it. For one, they lived in Compton, and the pressure of being on the streets or dealing drugs was high. The scene where Richard gets jumped is one thing until the one dealer gets gunned down. Richard was also a man who wanted his two girls to have a childhood and not get burned out. When the neighbor called the police on his family, it was telling that no one wanted him to succeed. Yet, Richard was also a man who was afraid of failure. He took his girls all the way to Florida just for them to sit out for three years. I understood that you were protecting your children, but you also hampered them. In the end, he did have the last laugh, and it was sweet to see him show his prediction.
Since the film is about Richard, let’s touch upon the tennis of Venus and Serena. This was more about the rise of Venus than Serena. I felt like the movie really focused on her more than anyone else. The reason was that Venus was the eldest of the two and was the pioneer to walk through the door. I loved the talk she and Richard had about how she will face true pressure, but he was going to be there. The film showed Venus getting the shoe deal offer and playing in the tournaments. When it came to Serena, she played the second fiddle, and the film had her in one tournament where she had to sneak in and play. I want to say that the touching moment with Serena came as she was looking at the stadium. Richard told her that her time would come and to not get frustrated.
Let’s take a moment to talk about the tennis from the standpoint of the Williams family. Tennis seems to be a discriminatory sport, just like golf. The family was poor, but how they were treated at the tournaments was sad. I’m sorry, but black people can play just as well as anyone. Look at Arthur Ashe. Love how the girl tries to cheat with her father’s permission during one scene, and then the next point, Venus, dominates her.
I want to give it up to Will Smith for his portrayal of Richard Williams. Smith gave such a powerful performance that this might be one of his finest performances. This role brought him his coveted Best Actor award at the Oscars. I don’t know what place Smith went to, but he embodied and brought Richard to the big screen. Smith had all the mannerisms and drive that Richard displayed.
I also want to give Aunjanue Ellis as Oracene “Brandy” Price a major shout-out. She was powerful as the mother of Venus and Serena. At the start of the film, she was pretty quiet, but as time passes, she had her voice heard. She rolled up on her next-door neighbor and told her off. She also told off Richard because she was not having it and said she was an equal.
King Richard is a strong film set up by the powerful performance of Will Smith. Smith went hard in this role and finally won his Oscar. The story is uplifting, showing the hard training and belief of a father who developed the two most successful black female tennis players of all time. All Hail King Richard.
