On The Line follows the outspoken patriarch of the Williams family who beat incredible odds to help daughters Venus and Serena become two of the greatest athletes of our time.

Louisiana-born and Compton, California–based, Richard Williams dreamt of creating wunderkinds in a game he had little experience with. Tennis was historically a sport of the upper classes and a fixture of lily-white country club culture, and the Williamses were the ultimate outliers. They burst onto the scene with phenomenal fanfare, anticipation, and some skepticism - but the girls had the grit and raw talent to back up the hype. Fierce competitors on the court, the siblings remained consummate professionals despite enduring criticism and ugly rumors that wreaked of racism. Their father was often derided and dismissed as an opportunist, or worse, a cheat who fixed his daughters' matches, but the tight-knit clan, much maligned by the media, had a unique dynamic that was often misunderstood. Through exclusive interviews with Richard and rare home movies featuring the Williams sisters' amazing trajectory, this documentary is an illuminating portrait of a family that forged a path forward for future competitors of color while revolutionizing the sport of tennis.--Mimi Brody

Stuart McClave