Battle of the Sexes
dir. Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton · 2017
Billie Jean King faces off against Bobby Riggs in a match that transcends tennis, reflecting the societal upheaval of the 1970s. As the world tunes in, both players grapple with their personal demons—King with her burgeoning sexuality and Riggs with his gambling addiction. Watching this film is like stepping into a vibrant time capsule, where the stakes are as high off the court as they are on it.
In the wake of the sexual revolution and the rise of the women's movement, the 1973 tennis match between women's world champion Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and ex-men's-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) was billed as the BATTLE OF THE SEXES and became one of the most watched televised sports events of all time, reaching 90 million viewers around the world. As the rivalry between King and Riggs kicked into high gear, off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. The fiercely private King was not only championing for equality, but also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, as her friendship with Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough) developed. And Riggs, one of the first self-made media-age celebrities, wrestled with his gambling demons, at the expense of his family and wife Priscilla (Elisabeth Shue). Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis court, sparking discussions in bedrooms and boardrooms that continue to reverberate today.
