“King Richard”
Will Smith convinces as Richard Williams
“King Richard”: Will Smith with his film daughters Demi Singleton (left) and Saniya Sidney.
© Warner Bros.
Will Smith stars as the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams in ‘King Richard’ – an inspirational story.
Hollywood couldn’t have dreamed up the story of Serena (40) and Venus Williams (41) rising to the tennis ranks better. Two African American sisters from Compton, a poor Los Angeles suburb and one of the most dangerous places in the USA, make it to the top in the white tennis world.
Based on the true events, the drama film “King Richard” (in cinemas from February 24) tells the story of the sisters’ careers from the perspective of their father Richard Williams (80). Even before his daughters Venus (Saniyya Sidney, 15) and Serena (Demi Singleton, 14) were born, he made a 78-page plan for how girls could one day become tennis champions. “King Richard” is played by Will Smith (53), who is nominated for an Oscar for best actor for the role.
“King Richard” goes his own way undeterred
Although Richard has never actually played tennis himself and has collected his coaching advice from magazines and radio reports, he teaches his daughters the intricacies of the game with great effort and tireless dedication. Despite the incredible talent of the two girls, their way to the top is extremely rocky. The color of your skin and your social environment make it difficult to find a professional coach and sponsors. But “King Richard” goes his own way undeterred.
With success: Venus and Serena Williams became pioneers in the tennis world and dominated women’s tennis for decades. However, her father was sometimes put in a bad light in public. In “King Richard” Will Smith succeeds in straightening out his image: he portrays Williams as an idiosyncratic father and coach who always follows the right intuition. His confidence in the talent of his daughters is unshakable, at the same time he forbids the girls long to participate in tournaments as long as they have not completed their school education. In one scene, he turns down a multimillion-dollar check from a sports brand rep because he thinks his daughter will get better deals.
“King Richard” is not only about the sisters’ sporting advancement, but also about the contrasts in American society. The Williams family comes from Compton, where, away from the tennis courts where the girls train, menacing scenes dominate everyday life. At that time, the tennis world was mainly dominated by white people who trained in exclusive tennis clubs. The strong contrast between the two worlds becomes clear in the film.
Conclusion
“King Richard” is far more than just a film about tennis or a biopic. It’s all that and more: a family story and an inspiring film that shows what you can achieve when you believe in yourself and those around you – and don’t always choose the easiest path. With his self-sacrificing performance of the multifaceted character Richard Williams, Will Smith shows the good and bad sides of a father who only wants the best for his daughters. At the same time, director Reinaldo Marcus Green succeeds in depicting the differences between the problems of the ghettos and the abundance of capitalism.
Six Academy Award nominations, including best picture, best screenplay and best actor, are an indication of how well King Richard is worth watching.