King Richard

Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green (2021)

Cast: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singelton, Tony Goldwyn, Jon Bernthal

Despite Will Smith’s Oscar slapdown of Chris Rock, he was awarded Best Actor that year for his performance as the father of Venus and Serena Williams. Will Smith became the story after the film won its awards, but don’t let the fact that it is a fantastic performance in a great film keep you from watching the movie.

Plot: The film follows the fearless path of Richard Williams, who along with wife Brandy devised a plan to turn his daughters, Venus and Serena, into the best professional tennis players in the world — out of Compton, Calif., an impoverished city out of which not a single professional tennis player had previously been produced.

A combative and controversial character in the game early on, Richard booked convention at virtually every turn, earning almost universal scorn. But his conviction, Brandy’s support, and the undeniable talent and intelligence of Venus and Serena brought all of his visions to light.

Opinion/Review: Smith, whose Oscar-winning performance will be forever overshadowed by the Oscars slap drama that followed, delivers a remarkable performance that truly deserves the admiration upon which The Academy bestowed him as Best Actor. He turned Richard Williams, a previously hard-to-like character as the result of his prickly personality, into a complicated hero we can and should all embrace, and that in itself is a triumph.

Fun Facts: Venus and Serena Williams both served as executive producers on the film. … Smith has called the film “The most significant I have done in terms of representing the struggles — and triumphs! — of an African-American family.” … Said former world No. 1 John McEnroe: “I don’t know their whole story top to bottom, but from what I know this is about as real as it gets.“