Starring Will Smith in the title role of Richard Williams, ‘King Richard’ is the story of the dedicated father and coach of Venus and Serena Williams.
Earning Will Smith an Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA for Best Actor (amongst many other accolades), this is a stunning performance from Smith – and is as much about the power of his unyielding belief as it is about two girls from Compton breaking through the glass ceiling of professional tennis.
Driven by a father who had already planned their tennis stardom well before they were even born, the movie tells the early years of the girls ‘training in the hood’ through to Venus’ first professional match in 1994 at the age of 14.
With a pig-headed, uncompromising determination, Richard Williams lives and breathes the motto ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’. And watch out anyone who gets in the way! He is surrounded by those who are either swept up or exasperated by his belief.
Worth noting is that both Venus and Serena are listed as Executive Producers on the film – a stamp of approval which was only given once they had viewed the finished product.
One of the few detractors for the film is that it clocks in at an overlong 2h 25m and so I recommend this movie for an early evening on the weekend.