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Parenting is one tough job. Even if you make decisions with the best of intentions, things rarely go as planned. King Richard tells the story of a dad with a very specific plan—a plan that often put him at the center of attention but also the center of a lot of controversy.
King Richard stars Will Smith as Richard Williams, the single-minded father and coach of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams (Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton). Long before his daughters became superstars—even before they could walk, really—Richard had a plan for keeping his girls off the streets of Compton and setting them up for greatness on the courts. Relentless in his training and promotion and sometimes controversial in his decisions, he tended to butt heads with coaches, agents, and even his own family. But he went out of his way to make sure that his daughters had not just the best training but also well-rounded lives.
From the girls’ childhood training to their first competitions to Venus’s first major tournament, this eye-opening, sometimes jaw-dropping biopic offers a glimpse into the hard work, the dedication, and maybe even the sheer insanity that made the Williams sisters into international superstars. These women and their legendary careers did not happen by chance; they were carefully orchestrated.
Because this is a biopic about Richard, though, it doesn’t go into detail about his daughters’ training and career—especially Serena, who’s little more than a background character. That does seem strange, considering the tennis stars’ remarkable careers—and it might frustrate fans of the Williams sisters—but it also makes sense. The film isn’t trying to tell the whole story. It’s just trying to tell Richard’s story. And it’s certainly a captivating story—of a man who worked and pushed, wheeled and dealed, and took his daughters from the cracked courts of Compton to the grass courts of Wimbledon.
This remarkable character is brought to life through a brilliant performance by Will Smith. He embraces every strength, every weakness, every quirk that makes Richard so fascinating, and he steps right out of the screen. It’s an award-worthy turn that takes an interesting story and turns it into an incredibly entertaining film.
Whether you agree with Richard’s methods or not, you’ll still be captivated by this determined dad—and by Smith’s inspired portrayal. The story is sometimes shocking, often amusing, and incredibly inspiring, too.
Watch King Richard in theaters and on HBO Max starting November 19, 2021.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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