A Father Helps His Daughters Make History on the Tennis Court

Demi Singleton, Saniyya Sidney, and 
Will Smith in "King Richard"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

The story of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams is probably one of the most recognizable and inspiring in the last 25 years of sports history.  Becoming prodigies at a young age and taking the world by storm was an impressive feat to behold, and it couldn’t have been more clear that they would be considered as some of the greats when it came to tennis.

Their story is the center of director Reinaldo Marcus Green’s biopic, “King Richard,” a fine addition to the sports drama that boasts powerful performances and a deep love for tennis.

Richard Williams (Will Smith) is a tennis coach living in Compton, California with his wife Oracene (Aunjanue Ellis), daughters Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton), and step-daughters Tunde (Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew), Isha (Danielle Lawson), and Lyndrea (Layla Crawford).  As Venus and Serena continue to train, Richard will do what he can to make sure that they reach their fullest potential.

Smith provides his greatest performance in years as a hardworking father who’s adamant about giving his family the best life that he can.  He sheds his blockbuster persona and digs deep into this character to give us an inspiring view into a parent who doesn’t see anything less than the greatest of prospects for his daughters.  Just like his performances in “Ali’ and “The Pursuit of Happiness,” Smith shows his intense capability of wielding a dramatically rich role when given the opportunity.  There’s an optimism that Smith’s character carries throughout the film that keeps you absorbed in Richard’s journey to help his daughters.  However, there’s also a troubled past hidden behind the cheerfulness, with Richard revealing a part of it to Venus in a heartrending scene that reinforces Smith’s dramatic talents.  Smith does superb work in balancing the joyous and sad sides to his character, offering a performance that blurs the line between “movie star” and “actor.”

Ellis delivers terrific work as Venus and Serena’s mother, showing her support for their efforts while also having her character exhibit a calmness that lets us see her high tolerance for Richard’s stubbornness for sticking to his special ways of training Venus and Serena.  But, in one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Oracene pushes back against Richard, creating a poignant sequence where she picks apart Richard’s character to get to the core of why he is the way he is, and Ellis makes this a prime example of a character providing a quiet, yet impactful presence, only to burst through it all when the timing is right.

Singleton has several opportunities to make an impression as Serena, and succeeds, but the movie then shifts of a lot of its focus to Venus as we follow her career taking off before that of Serena’s.  Sidney exhibits a fierceness and determination whenever she steps onto the court, exemplifying a character who, despite just being a teenager, is aware of who she wants to be and what dream she wishes to achieve.

Jon Bernthal gives an energetic performance as Venus’ coach, Rick Macci, showing his character’s enthusiasm for the sport and the strong work ethic with which he trains his athletes.  The vibrancy of his character exhibits an intriguing contrast between Richard’s obstinate persona and unconventional approach to training, leaving Bernthal and Smith to have some great interactions when they disagree with the other’s athletic plan.

The screenplay by Zach Baylin doesn’t focus on the lives of the Williams sisters in full, but instead hones in on 1994 at the start of their professional careers.  By the time the movie begins, Venus and Serena are avid tennis players, so the movie doesn’t have to spend time on them learning the game, and can instead focus on what they’re going to do with their talents.  The narrative has family drama and sports drama in equal doses, providing us with a detailed look into how the two intertwined within the Williams family.  It’s a straightforward movie, but one that unfolds with a heartfelt view into the story behind Venus and Serena’s success.

As a director, Green is able to maintain the strong camaraderie of his cast and have the near two-and-half-hour runtime move at a good pace.  But, the rest of the filmmaking sometimes carries the feel of a TV movie, and the camerawork from renowned cinematographer Robert Elswit doesn’t quite live up to what he’s done before.  Despite that, you’ll still be won over by the power of the story and performances.

While many have enjoyed viewing the Williams sisters’ talent on the court over the years, “King Richard” gives you the chance to see how their uplifting story began.

Grade: A-