What's so special about the movie that helped Will Smith win an Oscar?

The Williams sisters were deeply moved when they watched “King Richard” – a film honoring the father, the teacher who nurtured and created two top talented athletes for the world.

On the morning of March 28, Hanoi time, the 94th Academy Awards ceremony took place at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Will Smith had two memorable marks at this year’s awards ceremony: a slap in the face of MC Chris Rock and the award for Best Actor for his role as a father in the movie “King Richard”.

Actor Will Smith cried when he received the "Best Actor" award at the Oscars 2022. Photo: AP. — Actor Will Smith cried when he received the “Best Actor” award at the Oscars 2022. Photo: AFP.

This victory has been predicted by experts since before the Oscars took place. The CBR once wrote: “It’s not the first time Smith has been nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars, but maybe this will be his convincing victory.”

“King Richard” directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, tells about the journey of sisters Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena Williams (Demi Singleton) to become the great pair of tennis players in the world.

In that journey, father Richard Williams (Will Smith) plays an important role. He is determined to turn his children into champions. During the day, he trains his children. At night, he worked as a security guard at a market to earn money to cover living expenses.

Smith and two young actors transformed into the father and son of the tennis fairy Williams. — Smith and two young actors transformed into father and son tennis players Williams in “King Richard”.

To play the expensive twins, both actresses had to attend intensive training courses, learning how to play tennis like the Williams sisters. Saniyya Sidney – a left-handed person – had to get used to how to hold the racket with his right hand.

Will Smith told Entertainment Weekly about why the film appealed to him: “Richard reminds me of my father. The two of them live in the same generation – men who fix things with their own hands. I understand what it feels like to be on the edge of life and trying to achieve your dreams.”

Richard Williams played an important role in the careers of his children, but he received little attention. Will Smith hopes the film will preserve Richard’s legacy, saying, “One of my greatest honors as an actor is to honor someone’s legacy while they’re still here and creating more things. good every day”, the actor wrote on his personal page.

Over the course of nearly 3 decades, the Williams sisters have gone from teen icons to the pride of world sports, winning 30 prestigious Grand Slam titles. Serena once said her father was the driving force behind the sisters’ success. That’s also why the movie is named after him, Richard.

Athletes pair Venus and Serena also joined the film as executive producer. Will Smith said he was very nervous and afraid when waiting for the reaction of the two sisters when he first saw the film. The 53-year-old actor shared on Jimmy Fallon’s show: “We have to wait until the movie is over before they decide whether to put their name on the credit or not. When I got the call that Venus and Serena were going into the theater, it was the most anxious two hours I’ve ever had.” Smith only dared to expect the sisters to enjoy this work, but more than expected, they loved the movie.

In a November 2021 interview with EW , Serena said: “There are so many ways to tell this story. But I think telling it through my dad’s point of view is the best way, because he knows how to do it.”

Richard didn’t know how to play tennis, but he “was up all night watching and teaching us how to play,” said Serena in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2003. my sister. However, my father is not remembered enough for what he did. Dad taught us how to serve, and we had some of the best serves in women’s tennis history,” added the athlete.

The film tells the story of a time when Richard tries to get elite coaches to notice his two daughters, but sometimes they are ridiculed, belittled. Serena admits when watching the movie, there are scenes that give her very real emotions. She shared: “There was a scene where my dad – I mean Will Smith – said, ‘You guys are representing every black girl in the world. This scene made a big impression on me.”

Commenting on the actors’ performances, the Hollywood Reporter wrote: “Smith’s excellent performance dominates the film, but he is not the only bright spot. Aunjanue Ellis also shines when playing a mother who knows right and wrong. She doesn’t have a prominent role like Smith, but she helps balance it out with wisdom and warmth. Jon Bernthal also excels as Venus’s knowledgeable coach, bringing a mixture of wit and frustration and patience to each matchup with the Williams sisters. In the role of Venus, Saniyya Sidney plays with grit and tenderness, but sometimes a little overshadowed.”