The question on everybody’s lips has to be whether Will Smith is going to dad bod his way to an Oscar with this story of the ego behind the father and coach to Venus and Serena Williams (Sanniya Sidney and Demi Singleton).    Perfectly timed for the awards season Queerguru was there to assess whether this attempt might just be a little too family-friendly.

In the Q&A after the VIP screening in London, the producers (Tim White and Trevor White) made it clear that they chose to focus on the story of Richard WIlliams because they considered his story to be complete, whereas the story of Venus and Serena is still unfolding. At 41 and 40 Venus and Serena remain unsurpassed as a tennis duo but their origin story is anchored in Richard’s plan and his choices, written for them from the day of their birth. The inspiration for this story came from when the producers first saw Richard holding a placard at one of the sister’s greatest tennis triumphs. It simply said “Told You So”

Recounted as a slice of life from his early coaching of the sisters, Richard has a huge ego but his saving grace is that he is fully employed in the service of his family. He pushes, pulls, hustles, and takes a fair few punches to the face to get them to perform to their peak potential without sacrificing either their goodwill or grace. Driven by the racism experienced in his childhood, and the failings of his own father in the face of it, he has a scorching vision of both black pride and family pride. He wants his girls to be an inspiration to each other and to a wider community of young black women. Starting with no resources other than his and his wife’s determination his main tool is to get up in the face of the white establishment of tennis. His will is that his daughters be seen for their talent but his methods were attacked as a form of snake oil self-promotion. 

It is a great performance from Smith, larger than life but never straying into caricature. He captures the full body of Richard from his pulled-up socks, to his short shorts and idiosyncratic accent. It is let down by the writing choices as the minimal back story leaves us seeing who he is whilst only glimpsing why he is. Venus and Serena are secondary characters but the performance they give, while also demonstrating the athletic excellence of the pair,  is essential to the movie’s credibility.

It is all very feel-good. The five sisters to which Venus and Serena belong are all unquestionably supportive. A good hair braiding session with Mom sends the kids sailing through puberty without teenage angst. The extremes of conflict come early in the movie while the family is in Compton. Setting off from there to Florida in a camper van seems to solve a little bit too much. Even close to the climax when Venus loses her first major tournament the key point of tension is her opponent spending over long in the toilet. We were not shaken. 

However, it is a touching story of family love, black excellence, and the drive to succeed. The performances soar above the potential Hallmark mediocrity. And if Sandra Bullock can Blindside us then Will Smith deserves a crown for King Richard.

 

 

Review by ANDREW HEBDEN

Queerguru Contributing Editor ANDREW HEBDEN is a MEDIA & CULTURAL STUDIES graduate spending his career between London, Beijing, and NYC as an expert in media and social trends. As part of the expanding minimalist FIRE movement, he recently returned to the UK and lives in Soho. He devotes as much time as possible to the movies, theatre, and the gym. His favorite thing is to try something (anything) new every day.