Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Runtime: 144 minutes
Tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams share the story of their rise to stardom in their teenage years under the guidance and coaching of their father Richard Williams in King Richard. After seeing the trailer and learning that the sisters themselves served as executive producers, I thought this was going to be another safe and crowd-pleasing sports drama. The result both met and exceeded my expectations – this is a very good movie. While there is nothing terribly original about the production, it doesn’t go out of its way to make its titular character a fully-likeable person, which is surprising considering the real Richard is still alive and present.
Starting in the early-1990s, Richard (played by Will Smith) and his wife Brandy (Aunjanue Ellis) lived with their five daughters in a working-class, crime-riddled neighbourhood in Compton. Richard aspires to turn his two youngest, Venus and Serena (Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton, respectively), into professional tennis players – he’s been planning their careers since the day they were born. He works tirelessly training them and advertising their talents to potential coaches and sponsors, only to face rejection after rejection. Eventually, Richard impresses prestigious coach Paul Cohen (Tony Goldwyn), who only agrees to take on Venus as a student pro bono. Venus enjoys immediate success playing at local tournaments, and the family moves to Florida where she can train at the academy run by Rick Macci (Jon Bernthal).
It’s refreshing that King Richard isn’t littered with stock villains to generate tension. Even when the Williams are confronted by the gang members on the tennis courts in Compton, or the fact that they are the only black members at these white-dominated, upper-class tennis clubs, these moments do not hijack the production. We already know Serena and Venus go on to achieve worldwide success. King Richard’s suspense arises from Richard’s questionable parenting ways and methods for success.
While loving and supportive, Richard can also be overcontrolling and stubborn. For him, coaching and tournament wins aren’t enough – he wants Venus to still be a kid. He doesn’t take kindly to Venus being en route to the elite junior tournaments because he worries she will experience burn out at an early age. The moments where Richard butt heads with her coaches and interrupts them during practice lessons provide much of the film’s humour.
What makes King Richard better than a lot of sports films is its sense of balance. Richard’s tough upbringing is not neglected. An early scene involving violence in Compton shows how his obsession to manage Venus’ career forces him to make unorthodox decisions and refuse to listen to anyone’s opinion but his own. It’s one of those things where the conflict feels earned because it stems from character, not plot contrivances. Richard is a flawed and frustrating man, but we come to learn the pain that shapes his personality.
With a performance that shows off both his comedic and dramatic skills, Will Smith brings Richard to life with warmth, humanity and intensity. Aunjanue Ellis deserves just as much credit – she is excellent as the nurturing mother who is not afraid to stand up to her husband and put him in his place. Meanwhile, the supporting cast is all-around solid. It is so nice seeing Jon Bernthal being so buoyant and funny after making a name for himself in tough-guy roles. Saniyya Sidney is very superb as Venus.
King Richard was directed with skill and polish by Reinaldo Marcus Green; a step up from his other 2021 fatherhood drama Joe Bell. Even with the runtime of two hours and twenty-four minutes, the fast-paced plot never loses the audience’s interest. There is even unexpected craftsmanship in the tennis and training sequences in terms of sound design, editing and the score. The climatic 1994 match between a 14-year-old Venus and Spain champion Arantxa Sanchez Vicario will have you on the edge of your seat.
Every once in a while, a movie comes along that, despite stepping in familiar terrain, is made with enough all-around skill that it overcomes its formulaic origins. This is that movie. The characters and situations are vivid and its message is very inspirational. Whether or not you follow tennis, King Richard is the kind of bittersweet and big-hearted movie viewers are craving for.
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