by Jeffery J. Rahming, Contributing Writer
If you follow Will Smith’s filmography throughout the years, one thing becomes evident: he really wants an Oscar. As big as a movie star as he is, it feels like he has to constantly prove to audiences again and again — whether it be in Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness, or Concussion — that he’s not just a movie star; he’s an actor. When discussing great actors, Smith doesn’t come up in the same conversations as Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington, or Joaquin Phoenix, who are all generally regarded as both stars and masters of their craft.
I was apprehensive going into King Richard. The film had every chance of being a completely Smith-driven vehicle that shunted the story of Venus and Serena Williams to the side as he took center stage. But instead of what easily could’ve been an overblown mess devoted to Smith’s ego, we got a legitimately heartwarming sports film featuring the unlikeliest of heroes.
King Richard follows Richard Wiliams (Smith) as he attempts to make his two daughters, Venus and Serena, the best tennis players on the planet. With no money for a coach, few connections, and a dangerous living environment, the likelihood of these lofty goals seems impossible. But Richard pushes on anyway, using every bit of his power to take his girls to their destiny.
While most people are probably coming into this film more interested in the Williams sisters than their father, it was a stroke of genius to focus it around him instead of them like most biopics would’ve done. Richard Williams is a fascinating character to explore. His constant conflict between pushing his daughters to be the best that they can be while equally struggling to make sure they still get to be kids sets his story apart from the typical sports biopic where the parental figure/coach is just an antagonistic drill instructor that pushes their kids to the breaking point. On the contrary, throughout many moments of the film, Richard prevents his kids from doing things that would advance their careers for the sake of preserving their childhood.
King Richard once again proves that Smith deserves to be regarded as an Oscar-caliber actor. It’s a difficult task to be one of the most recognizable people on the planet and still disappear into a role, but Smith pulls it off. His artificially greying hair and somewhat overblown southern accent may come off a bit jarring at first, but by the time I got to the end of the film, I forgot I was watching a “Will Smith movie.” All I saw was Richard Williams.
Smith is not the only one turning in a great performance. Any great movie needs to have a solid supporting cast behind it. One of my favorite things about this film was that it wasn’t just about Richard and his superstar daughters. Writer Zach Baylin made sure the story highlighted all the people that helped them along the way. We get to see the whole family dynamic of Richard’s seven-person household, the bonds that develop between the girls and their tennis coaches, and Richard’s contentious relationship with everyone in the story in the pursuit of his goal. Richard’s stubbornness constantly pushes up against the wants and needs of his daughters, their coaches, and the rest of his family. While every actor in the film hit their marks, my favorite supporting performances were Jon Berenthal as the girl’s tennis coach and Aunjanue Ellis, who played their mother both of whom put on performances as equally engaging as Smith’s.
This is one of those films that simply doesn’t have any significant flaws. Director Reinaldo Marcus Green isn’t the most stylish filmmaker in the world, but he gives this film exactly what it needs. The emotional scenes all hit at just the right intensity, all the tennis matches are shot well, and the film is incredibly well-paced. I was surprised to find out it was a two-and-a-half-hour movie after I watched it, because I was so engaged in the story it didn’t feel anywhere near that long.
King Richard is a great film. It’s not one of those movies that will blow you away or change your life, but it’s still definitely worth a watch, either at the big screen or at home for Smith’s incredible performance and a heartwarming tale about what can happen when you have a vision and do everything in your power to pursue it.
Grade: A-
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