Will Smith plays Richard Williams, the father who turned his daughters Venus and Serena into tennis legends, and he turns in the performance that anchors King Richard (2021). The film, directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Zach Baylin, follows Williams as he coaches his two girls from Compton to the top of the sport. It is a story about love, sacrifice and the stubborn refusal to accept the limits others set for you.
Smith carries the film from start to finish. He plays Williams as a man who believes in his daughters with every fiber of his being, even when the world tells him he is wrong. His performance is the reason the film works, and it is why the Academy recognized him with a Best Actor win.
Trailer, via Warner Bros..
The Plan
Williams has a plan for his daughters’ greatness, and he puts it into motion before they are born. He coaches them himself, alongside his wife Brandy, while working as a security guard and a nurse to support the family. The film shows the daily grind of that work, the hours spent hitting balls in the sun, the constant effort to find a professional coach willing to take the risk on two young girls from Compton.
Paul Cohen becomes the first coach to believe in them, but the family cannot afford his fee. He picks Venus to train, leaving Serena behind. That choice sets the story’s central tension: the push toward the top of the sport, and the fear that comes with it.
“Venus, Serena and a plan for greatness.”
The Outsiders
As Venus starts winning tournaments, the family feels like strangers among the wealthy, white crowds at the courts. Richard meets with agents but pulls the girls out of the junior circuit entirely, worried they will be used. The film does not soften this decision. It shows the cost of it, and it shows Richard standing firm even as Paul protests that the move will ruin their chances to turn pro.
Rick Macci arrives in California and takes the girls on. The family moves to Florida to train, and the film follows the shift from the streets of Compton to the courts of a new life.
The Cast Around Him
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays Brandy, and she grounds the film’s emotional core. Saniyya Sidney plays Venus and Demi Singleton plays Serena, and both deliver the performances that let the story work. Jon Bernthal plays Rick Macci, and Tony Goldwyn plays Paul Cohen, giving the film its full weight.
The film premiered at the 48th Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2021, and was released in theaters on November 19, 2021, along with HBO Max. It did not perform well at the box office, earning $39.4 million against a budget of $50 million.
The Verdict
King Richard is a film about believing in yourself and your children, even when everyone else doubts you. It is a story about the cost of that belief, and about the price paid along the way. The script is tight, the performances are strong, and the film earns its place among the best of the year.
It is not a perfect film. Some scenes feel stretched, and the pacing slows in the middle stretch. But the heart of the story is true, and Smith’s performance is enough to carry it through those rough patches.
Key Facts
– Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green
– Written by Zach Baylin
– Runtime: 144 minutes
– Box office: $39.4 million against a budget of $50 million
– Won Best Actor at the 94th Academy Awards
King Richard is a film about a father’s dream and the daughters who made it come true. It is a story worth telling, and it tells it well.
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