Battle of the Sexes
EVEN if you’re not a tennis fan or never heard of Billie Jean King, her name will be etched in your memory after watching this 2017 movie that details the monumental 1973 match between King and Bobby Riggs.
The film begins by showing how King (Stone) paved a way for women’s tennis to be regarded with the same respect as their male counterparts.
Together with eight other female tennis players, King and World Tennis magazine founder Gladys Heldman (Silverman) form the Virginia Slims Circuit, after the US Lawn Tennis Association chairman Jack Kramer (Bill Pullman) refuses to offer women equal prize money.
The circuit is a success, and King’s name becomes even more popular.
Retired tennis champion Riggs (Carell), a known hustler and gambler, wanted to cash in by lambasting the women’s circuit as being inferior.
The self-described ‘male chauvinist pig’, first plays against Margaret Court – after being declined by King – and wins the match.
His inflated ego causes him to proclaim his win as proof that women’s tennis is a joke, and dares more players to challenge him on the court.
In a bid to create change in women’s tennis, King agrees to take on Riggs, leading to one of the most prominent sporting events to take place.
Battle of the Sexes also touches on King’s sexuality, through her relationship with hairdresser Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough), depicting how she isn’t able to be honest about who she loves, in fear of repercussions on her sporting career.
Although the story is based on true events, the film does a great job of portraying the characters’ lives, both off and on the court, making it not only enjoyable but also inspiring.
The film will make you appreciate how far we’ve come in terms of gender and love equality (despite having a long way more to go), as it illustrates the sexist hardship that King and other female tennis players had to go through.
This, in part, is credited to the cast’s solid performance of being able to stay true to the essence of the story, causing you to root for women’s rights and King, along with the millions of people who watched the match in 1973.