King Richard
King Richard looks at the upbringing and development of Venus Williams and Serena Williams, largely through focusing on their father, Richard Williams, and the 'plan' that he created for turning them into champions. The movie recounts their early training, attempts to find high-level coaching, the girls' early success once they start competing in junior tournaments, their move to Florida for elite talent development, and finally, Venus Williams' professional debut.
Released 2021; Runtime 144 minutes
Concepts- Parents & Family: The Williams family is very tight-knit, with Venus' and Serena's mother (Oracene) and three other sisters all supporting the plan to develop them into champions. For his part, Richard blurs the line between father and coach, but tries to be each to his daughters. But because Richard is so focused on following his plan, deviations from it are met with resistance and conflict.
- Career & Economic Issues: A large part of the movie is focused on the best way to develop and train Venus and Serena, which ties into money. They live in an impoverished part of Compton, California, and trying to find a coach who will take on the girls for free is challenging. Deciding on the best course of training (such as whether or not to participate in junior tournaments) and when to turn professional are also large issues because the Williams' take an approach that falls outside the 'normal' way of doing things.
- Race & Ethnicity Issues: Richard is cognizant that his girls are typically the only black girls competing at their junior tournaments, not to mention being the only black people at the nicer clubs and facilities that they train at. Race also factors into negotiations with coaches, agents, and sponsors. Richard emphasizes to Venus that once she goes pro, she will be a role model for all black girls, which is a burden that she will have to carry.
- Burnout: Burnout is a secondary issue throughout the movie. Richard and Oracene try to prevent their daughters from burning out by making sure they are involved in activities outside of tennis and also emphasize getting high grades in school. Additionally, Jennifer Capriati's early success - and her subsequent struggles - are referenced multiple times.