King Richard
The Last Dance + Captain Fantastic + Little Miss Sunshine = Will Smith’s best film in years and hopefully first Oscar ever
Six Degrees of Separation, Legend of Bagger Vance, Ali, Pursuit of Happyness, Seven Pounds, Seven Pounds, Concussion—every once in a while Will Smith will step away from the sci-fi action comedy to remind people he can actually act. These films stand out in his career, even if some are obvious Oscar baits. None have been successful. Some are more blatant and embarrassing (Collateral Beauty—how did that movie get made!).
King Richard. A biopic about the Williams sisters and their impossibly confident and driven father—may have finally balanced Smith’s talents with the perfect vehicle. He is charming like many Will Smith stereotypical characters but in a much more subdued and layered manner. This true-to-life character has depth and sides that Smith explores in every scene. I hope he is rightfully recognized in awards season, even if it is a long-overdue nod like Dicaprio winning for Revenant when he should have won for Aviator.
In a previous post, I mentioned my niche love for movies about troubled fathers doing their best. Think of films like Captain Fantastic, Pursuit of Happyness, Leave No Trace, and Fences. King Richard is a great example of this category. Richard was a protective, strict, and loving father who claims to have planned the girls’ entire lives, sports careers, and massive success before they were even born. He planned and facilitated their rise, every step of the way, making controversial decisions along the way. He kept his daughters focused on school and sports as a way to keep them safe from the otherwise limited options around them. As the girls become noticed and coached, he fights to make sure they succeed the right way, the Richard way. He doesn’t want them to be burnt out, used, and mislead from being kids—even if that means passing on million-dollar deals.
This is also a sports movie—and one of the best I have seen in years—but so much more. The Williams sisters are widely recognized as two of the greatest to play the game. But this incredible story of how they got there must be seen. It is impossible odds for two girls from the same family, growing up in such a restrictive and dangerous place like Compton, entering into an extremely biased and prejudiced game, to dominate as they have. They have not just won. They are the best. This means it also enters into another of my favorite movie trends: character studies of the absolute best. Think of films like Whiplash, the Last Dance, and Free Solo. I was reminded of Michael Jordan talking about his drive, completeness, and mindset. How that produced championships but also cost him personally. What does it take for a person to be the best in the world at something? It takes everything.
Mixed in, the film is also a family drama. The incredible success of the kids reminded me of Little Miss Sunshine or even the Royal Tenenbaums. Seriously, how did they predict such success for all of them? Smith’s performance is the driving force but he is well supported, especially by the young actresses portraying Serena and Venus. The script divides the screen time well among the family. The mother’s impressive contributions to the girls’ coaching and balance are presented as well, often as a more level-headed approach to rival Richard’s prideful motives. Besides the other three sisters whose character development goes to the wayside—which seems to be the point—you see the Williams’ collective family interaction, the parent’s strife, Richard and Venus, Richard and Serena, and of course Serena and Venus.
Serena and Venus were producers of the film. I don’t know the extent of their involvement otherwise. Will Smith has stated in interviews that he was nervous for them to see the finished product and was pleasantly relieved by their positive response. It must have been strange for them to know the film was being made and see it. King Richard as a film and Smith’s performance—his most transformative in years—paints all sides of their father. There are moments that I laughed at his absurd and brash behavior, shook my head at his incredible long-shot predictions (most of which became true), and cried at his complex expressions of love for his daughters’ future. But the film is not all praise and flash. It is left to the audience to decide how they feel about the extreme measures Richard took to ensure his dream for his daughters is realized and what the game required of the girls. At their young age and today.
