While the story of Venus and Serena Williams’ rise to fame and superstardom is well-documented, some may not know how they got that initial push. Venus burst onto the scene seemingly fully formed as an A-tier athlete and that was by design. Williams’ father, Richard (Will Smith), outlined a specific plan for Serena and Venus to become tennis superstars. His unconventional training methods and his aggressive pursuit of the right coach for his daughters made many feel he was crazy. Of course, time has shown that Richard was not and King Richard highlights that unique story.
As the name implies, King Richard puts the spotlight on Smith’s portrayal of the Williams family figurehead. With a singular focus, Richard Williams may have seemed a little nuts, but he believed in the talent of his daughters. The only problem is the film doesn’t do a great job of explaining what makes the Williams sisters unique.
Again, it’s not a biopic of Venus or Serena but still, it would have been helpful for the film to highlight how Richard impacted their talent, beyond just pestering a few coaches to take them on. Clearly, Venus and Serena are some of the most dominant tennis players ever, but the film isn’t concerned with highlighting really how they got there.
Smith’s performance is the true standout of King Richard, which shouldn’t be a surprise. There is some heavy material to cover and only an accomplished actor like Smith could have done the role (and the man) justice. However, the film is a bit too long and it doesn’t really feel like it has any true purpose outside of giving Will Smith an opportunity to showcase his range and offering a little backstory on the Williams sisters.
Those who are familiar with their upbringing, or at least their father, likely know all they need to know already, which takes a lot of the traditional intrigue out of this biopic. It also feels like the film downplays the role of the Williams’ mother (played by Aunjanue Ellis) in everything. Ellis is strong in the role and could very well draw attention come awards season, but Smith's performance is likely to be the one talked about more than any other.
King Richard is a performance-driven biopic that is well executed and ticks all the important boxes when it comes to character drama. But it's hard to escape the feeling that there is a better way to tell this story or at least make it cover more than just a small piece of a larger history for these individuals. And for being so narrow, the film is far too long. Smith is great, as he typically is with poignant material, but there isn’t much the film offers beyond that.
King Richard is available now on HBO Max.
King Richard
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- Release Date
- November 18, 2021
Based on the true story that will inspire the world, Warner Bros. Pictures’ King Richard follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever. Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard plans to take Venus and Serena Williams from the streets of Compton, California, to the global stage as legendary icons.