King Richard–film brings the Williams sisters' story to life

COURTESY WARNER BROS. PICTURES

By Tom Hanks

Before his two daughters were even born, Richard Williams had their future mapped out in a 78-page plan.

This story is the heart of the film King Richard, opening in theaters and on HBO Max on Nov. 19, with a soundtrack including a powerful number from Beyonce.

While the Williams sisters have been household names since the 1990s, as well as symbols of Black female empowerment–their story has never been told to the extent that King Richard does.

Masterfully played by Will Smith, Richard Williams was coach, father and manager–all rolled into one–training with them on beaten-down courts in post-riots 1990s South Central Los Angeles, using a grocery store cart to carry their balls as well as battling derision and opposition from their neighbors–with one going as far as to get the police involved and another beating Williams.

Williams was a larger-than-life character who protected his children at all costs–as evidenced by a 1995 outburst at an insistent journalist–ABC News’ John McKenzie–who tried to break Venus’ confidence,

The video resurfaced over the summer and went viral, where the elder Williams told McKenzie to leave his daughter and her confidence alone:

”Listen, you are dealing with the image of a 14-year-old girl! This child gonna be playing when your old a** and me gonna be in the grave,” Williams told McKenzie. “You’re dealing with a little Black kid–let her be a kid. She answered with a lot of confidence, leave that alone!”

Smith said that this inspired him the most.

"It was like she had a lion. And she was so confident and so comfortable that her lion wasn't going to let anything happen to her," Smith said.

What makes the film unique, according to producer Isha Price, Venus and Serena Williams’ sister, is the specificity and the painstaking attention to detail paid by all involved–from the grocery cart used to carry the balls the sisters used to practice, to the van Richard drove.

“To have willing participants in that journey with this entire cast and the entire production team … is why I think the product ends up being what it is and the story ends up being what it is,” Price said. “It was a journey, and it wasn’t always an easy, direct one, but I think sometimes the best things come from a lot of people working really hard and digging in to get it right.”

Learning to love one’s self, the importance of family as well as to set goals and achieve those goals, were the lessons that producers wanted the viewer to go home with–according to none other than the Williams sisters themselves.

”Doubt does nothing for you,” Venus said. “The same time you use to doubt is the same time you could spend believing in yourself and putting the work in, so that way you do believe and build confidence. As a family, you can achieve anything.”

The film is released in theaters Nov. 19 and on HBO Max Nov. 18.