Like any biopic, “King Richard” takes its share of liberties with the real-life story that served as its source material. What it does have going for it, according to Decider is that both Venus and Serena Williams not only gave the film their blessing but also served as producers. They were, however, open to giving director Reinaldo Marcus Green creative freedom to change things up should the need arise. “They were very receptive to me taking some liberties,” he said to Vanity Fair.
The film does accurately portray some major aspects of Williams’ story. The sisters did grow up in Compton where their father began their professional tennis training regiment when they were only 4 years old. It’s also true that Williams hailed from Louisiana and really did have some experiences crossing paths with the Ku Klux Klan. The film also tried to hit on some of the smaller details to add to its authenticity like the family’s Volkswagen Bus and the way the sisters would use hand signals during practice.
However, some critics feel that having the Williams Sisters’ stamp of approval might mean that the movie is a sanitized version of the real story. A review posted on Slant referred to the film as “ultimately less a biopic than an act of image rehabilitation.”
