A Reminder: 'King' Richard Had This All Planned
King Richard (2021)
A Quick Film Review
King Richard: Venus, Serena and a Plan for Greatness keeps its lens on 'King' Richard Williams, but it is undoubtedly about Venus and Serena Williams as well, and their march toward professional tennis stardom.
A Quick Film Review
King Richard: Venus, Serena and a Plan for Greatness keeps its lens on 'King' Richard Williams, but it is undoubtedly about Venus and Serena Williams as well, and their march toward professional tennis stardom.
That's good, because any story about the Williams sisters' rise would need to also focus on their father. Especially leading up to and during their early pro years , Williams was a famously constant presence and a favorite media subject.
Outspoken, confident, and determined, Williams guided his daughters' growth and training according to his own plan (open stance!); eschewing 'traditional' tennis advice while navigating challenges from a gang-riddled neighborhood and an initially indifferent tennis establishment to raise his daughters according to his vision.
As Williams, Will Smith is enough of a star actor to handle the the constant spotlight King Richard places on his character And the performance pretty accurately touches upon most of the notes tennis fans and media remember of the some-might-call-stubborn Williams. One sensitive issue possibly not explored enough is the racial component of how the Williams were - still are - viewed. How much of the struggle Williams the patriarch encountered in bucking the system was racially based. It's an unavoidable thought not underlined here.
That said, King Richard is a reminder of how unique and inspiring the start to Venus' and Serena's careers is - from those early days far away from the perceived country club sensibilities of so many tennis prodigies, to the long dominance they've enjoyed on court.
Between them, the Williams sisters have won 30 Grand Slam singles titles, and Serena is often considered the best ever. Each also has an Olympics singles title, and together, three in doubles. They couldn't have done any of it without 'King' Richard.
Outspoken, confident, and determined, Williams guided his daughters' growth and training according to his own plan (open stance!); eschewing 'traditional' tennis advice while navigating challenges from a gang-riddled neighborhood and an initially indifferent tennis establishment to raise his daughters according to his vision.
As Williams, Will Smith is enough of a star actor to handle the the constant spotlight King Richard places on his character And the performance pretty accurately touches upon most of the notes tennis fans and media remember of the some-might-call-stubborn Williams. One sensitive issue possibly not explored enough is the racial component of how the Williams were - still are - viewed. How much of the struggle Williams the patriarch encountered in bucking the system was racially based. It's an unavoidable thought not underlined here.
That said, King Richard is a reminder of how unique and inspiring the start to Venus' and Serena's careers is - from those early days far away from the perceived country club sensibilities of so many tennis prodigies, to the long dominance they've enjoyed on court.
Between them, the Williams sisters have won 30 Grand Slam singles titles, and Serena is often considered the best ever. Each also has an Olympics singles title, and together, three in doubles. They couldn't have done any of it without 'King' Richard.
Combined, Venus and Serena have five Olympic gold medals (and one silver) (Getty, Clive Brunskill/PopSugar)
p.s. With the recent 'controversy' around men's tour player Stefanos Tsitsipas' bathroom breaks, it was amusing and timely to see the (gamesmanship?) issue addressed in a recreation of Venus Williams' second-ever professional match in 1994 against veteran Artanxa Sanchez Vicario, whose own break was credited as rattling Williams.
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