Posted on Mar 17, 2022
'King Richard,' the Oscar-nominated film, authentically depicts the Williams' history
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https://www.npr.org/2022/03/16/ [login to see] /king-richard-the-oscar-nominated-film-authentically-depicts-the-williams-history
King Richard is up for Best Picture and five other categories at this year's Academy Awards. It's the story of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams and their family. To give their stamp of approval to the production, Isha Price, one of the three older sisters, was on set every day to make sure the filmmakers told their story authentically.
"We've been approached different times about doing a movie, and it never seemed to be right because the story's still being written," Price says. "This script was different."
Price says her family appreciated how the film is really Venus Williams' origin story, before she won seven Grand Slam singles titles, five Wimbledon championships and four Olympic gold medals. And long before her little sister Serena won 23 Grand Slam singles titles of her own, seven Wimbledon championships and four Olympic gold medals.
"Serena is hands down the GOAT, she's the best has ever done it," says Price. "But even she said historically that that doesn't happen without Venus, that there had to be somebody to bust that door open."
King Richard is up for Best Picture and five other categories at this year's Academy Awards. It's the story of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams and their family. To give their stamp of approval to the production, Isha Price, one of the three older sisters, was on set every day to make sure the filmmakers told their story authentically.
"We've been approached different times about doing a movie, and it never seemed to be right because the story's still being written," Price says. "This script was different."
Price says her family appreciated how the film is really Venus Williams' origin story, before she won seven Grand Slam singles titles, five Wimbledon championships and four Olympic gold medals. And long before her little sister Serena won 23 Grand Slam singles titles of her own, seven Wimbledon championships and four Olympic gold medals.
"Serena is hands down the GOAT, she's the best has ever done it," says Price. "But even she said historically that that doesn't happen without Venus, that there had to be somebody to bust that door open."
'King Richard,' the Oscar-nominated film, authentically depicts the Williams' history
Posted from npr.org
Tennis
Movies
Posted 2 y ago
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Nice share PO1 William "Chip" Nagel! I saw the movie & I thought it was pretty well done. It was interesting and informative of what the Williams' sisters had to go through growing up on the tennis circuit from beginner to becoming All-Pros on the Women's tennis circuit.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Price says her family appreciated how the film is really Venus Williams' origin story, before she won seven Grand Slam singles titles, five Wimbledon championships and four Olympic gold medals. And long before her little sister Serena won 23 Grand Slam singles titles of her own, seven Wimbledon championships and four Olympic gold medals.
"Serena is hands down the GOAT, she's the best has ever done it," says Price. "But even she said historically that that doesn't happen without Venus, that there had to be somebody to bust that door open."
It was Richard Williams who planned for his daughters to become tennis royals even before they were born.
"The size and scope of the dream was so huge that it it bordered on insanity," says Will Smith, who's nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for playing Williams." It's sort of where you have to live if you want to do something that's never been done before."
Aunjanue Ellis is nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for portraying Oracene Price, the queen to king Richard. Ellis says they shared the vision. "They were like, 'Let's create tennis champions. Mr. Richard was the architect of the dream and Mrs. Price was the builder of that dream.'"
The film opens in the late 1980's, early 1990's when the family lived in Compton. Venus and Serena practiced in battered tennis courts while their dad worked the night shift as a security guard, and reigned over his family with love, humor and determination.
"Have some fun out there," he would tell him daughters on the tennis courts. "That's what this is about."
Williams was their coach before moving the family to Florida for professional training. He made waves for his audacious business plans and for taking the girls out of stressful tennis competitions so they could be kids.
"This is a man who was battered and maligned in the press," Smith notes. "And in retrospect, if you look at it, it was only because he was trying to protect his daughters."...
..."Price says her family appreciated how the film is really Venus Williams' origin story, before she won seven Grand Slam singles titles, five Wimbledon championships and four Olympic gold medals. And long before her little sister Serena won 23 Grand Slam singles titles of her own, seven Wimbledon championships and four Olympic gold medals.
"Serena is hands down the GOAT, she's the best has ever done it," says Price. "But even she said historically that that doesn't happen without Venus, that there had to be somebody to bust that door open."
It was Richard Williams who planned for his daughters to become tennis royals even before they were born.
"The size and scope of the dream was so huge that it it bordered on insanity," says Will Smith, who's nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for playing Williams." It's sort of where you have to live if you want to do something that's never been done before."
Aunjanue Ellis is nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for portraying Oracene Price, the queen to king Richard. Ellis says they shared the vision. "They were like, 'Let's create tennis champions. Mr. Richard was the architect of the dream and Mrs. Price was the builder of that dream.'"
The film opens in the late 1980's, early 1990's when the family lived in Compton. Venus and Serena practiced in battered tennis courts while their dad worked the night shift as a security guard, and reigned over his family with love, humor and determination.
"Have some fun out there," he would tell him daughters on the tennis courts. "That's what this is about."
Williams was their coach before moving the family to Florida for professional training. He made waves for his audacious business plans and for taking the girls out of stressful tennis competitions so they could be kids.
"This is a man who was battered and maligned in the press," Smith notes. "And in retrospect, if you look at it, it was only because he was trying to protect his daughters."...
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