King Richard, the recent biopic on the life of Richard Williams, father of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams, is now showing in theaters. It is also available for streaming on HBO Max.
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and starring Will Smith in the lead role as Richard Williams, the movie attempts to examine the lives of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams through the eyes of their mentor and father.
'King Richard': About the movie
Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus, was determined to tap into his daughters' talents and lead them on to the road to success. He even drafted an elaborate 'plan' to make sure his daughters became legendary tennis champions.
The father-of-five could barely make ends meet with his night shift job, let alone afford professional training for his daughters who showed incredible promise in the game. However, determined as he was, Richard hustled to get a coach for his daughters, who would believe in them and train them for free.
Initially, he was able to secure a coach for Venus, and from there, the family's fortune began to change. Seeing the young girl playing, coaches lined up to volunteer to train the two sisters. Richard took the opportunity and the family shifted to Florida, from where the two sisters' careers took off.
'King Richard': Ending
Venus and her sister became part of a tennis coaching club in Florida where they trained regularly, in addition to pursuing other interests. Up until that point, Richard refused to let them play any tournaments because he thought they weren't ready. However, after much pleading from Venus and their coach, Richard finally gave in.
Venus participated, went on to win many matches and is then faced with the world's best tennis player and six-time grand-slam champion Vicario.
After an intense showdown between the two, Venus loses to Vicario. We find her crying alone in the locker room when Richard comes up to her and makes her realize the feat she just pulled off. Never having played a tournament in her life, she had climbed to the top to face the best. She lost, but not before giving the six-time grand slam champion a run for her money.
When Venus exited the stadium, she was greeted by her large group of fans. Young women her age, mostly African Americans, had gathered to cheer for Venus, whose talent and hard work had taken her to the very top.
King Richard is a heartwarming and uncomplicated story that delves into the anxieties and stress of parenting. It provides an insight into the lives of those who stood by and supported the young prodigies on their way to success and fame.
Catch the movie at the nearest theater today.