King Richard (movie 2021) The story of short shorts and tall ambitions

​      If Joe Jackson was a nice man who genuinely had his children’s best interests in mind when he pushed them to become famous and if he only selected two of them (the talented ones, Michael and Janet) and concentrated on them, well, he’d probably be a lot like King Richard – the man behind Serena and Venus Williams’ tennis Cinderella story.
     Which is to say, yes, it’s cinematic-worthy. The audiences love these types of heartwarming underdog stories, predictable as they are. And throw in Will Smith in the mix while you’re at it for a surefire winner.
      And this movie does require Will Smith’s powerhouse personal appeal, otherwise Richard might easily go from a King to a Joker. Not an immediately likable figure, he’s pushy, overbearing, scandalous with the press and, though he initially and foremost presents a devoted family man, there’s one time when his wife lets us in behind that curtain to show a man with a trail of abandoned kids and dreams in his wake.
       It is unclear what makes him zero in so obsessively on making only two of his five daughters into sports stars – apparently, both him and his wife were some time ago atheletes as he says it in his patois, so it’s likely just one of those tales of parental frustrated or unrealized ambition transferred to their kids, but his dedication is impressive. That level of drive, of unquestionable faith in his plan (his written plan in a brochure no less), that level of commitment to the goal, to the dream, to the teeny-tiny tennis shorts…well, yeah, it’s quite something.
       But the most impressive thing is the stress him and his wife place on their girls’ education and character. Not a frequent thing to see and especially (literally) Straight Outta Compton. Time and again, King Richard and his infinitely accommodating wife opt out of easy money and easy fame to make sure their girls have a proper childhood and a proper education. That’s probably the most inspirational thing about this story, though a 14-year-old kid holding her own against the best player in the world is up there too.
       Overall, hitting every branch on the tree of tear-jerking fist-pumping cliché-ridden sports movie this one lands down quite nicely and most of the credit goes to the acting talent in general and specifically Will Smith, who got aged, stooped and scruffed-up for this and still shines his Nova-bright charisma through the movie screen.
       To be fair, I don’t know enough about Williams family to know how authentic the movie adaptation of their story is, so these are just thoughts on the movie itself. They must have gotten some things right, going by the documentary footage thrown in and the fact that the Williams sisters are the best tennis players in the world. And to think it all started with a man with a plan…
        Pushy/stage/Svengali parents everywhere might want to take a page out of King Richard’s book brochure.