Why King Richard deserves to win Best Picture
The 2022 Oscars ceremony is coming up on March 27, and 10 new movies are up for the Best Picture title: Belfast, CODA, Don’t Look Up, Drive My Car, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, The Power of the Dog, and West Side Story. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, and any of them might end up winning big. In the leadup to the Oscars, we’re making a case for why each of them might deserve to take the big prize.
King Richard, directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, and produced by and starring Will Smith.
This biographical sports drama follows Richard Williams (Will Smith), coach and father to tennis superstars Venus and Serena, as he steers the young girls toward their professional debuts in the early ’90s. Single-minded and eccentric, Richard battles to overcome the many hurdles in their way: their lack of resources, the snobbery and racism of a blinkered tennis establishment, the dangers of the streets of Compton where they live, and his own fears and domineering impulses. Spoilers: his vision is realized, and they become two of the greatest tennis players of all time.
King Richard is an old-school star vehicle, and it’s primarily been set up for success in the Best Actor category (where Smith is the clear frontrunner) over Best Picture. Nothing is permitted to eclipse him; neither the relatively young director nor any of the other cast members can challenge Smith for clout, and the studio has worked hard to support him with a display of classic, unshowy craftsmanship. The true-life story is inspirational, and the role depends on Smith’s enormous personal charisma while also requiring him to transform his speech and bearing into those of another famous figure. In other words, it’s textbook Oscar-bait.
King
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