Battle of the Sexes (2017)
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A legendary tennis match serves as the backdrop for a fight against gender inequality in sports.
The story
In 1970, pro-tennis player Billie Jean King and her manager, Gladys Heldman, confront promoter Jack Kramer over unequal prize money for women. After being banned from tournaments by the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association, King and the "Original 9" form the WTA Tour. While King navigates personal struggles and a growing tour, retired pro-tennis player Bobby Riggs, struggling with a gambling addiction, announces a challenge match against the top female player, boasting he can beat any woman despite his age.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1970, Billie Jean King and manager Gladys Heldman confront promoter Jack Kramer over the fact that women's tournament prizes are only one-eighth of the men's. When Kramer refuses to change the terms, King and eight other players form the "Original 9" to create the WTA Tour, leading to a ban from U.S. Lawn Tennis Association tournaments. While King deals with personal affairs and the demands of touring, retired player Bobby Riggs—distressed by a gambling addiction—challenges the top female player to a match, claiming he can beat any woman at 55. King initially declines, but Riggs convinces Margaret Court to play first. After Riggs defeats Court, King agrees to a second match on her own terms. King trains intensely while Riggs remains indifferent. Despite a slow start, King defeats Riggs, fundamentally changing the future of women's tennis. The film concludes with a textual epilogue noting King's later life, including her divorce, retirement, and same-sex relationship, while Riggs reunited with his wife but continued his gambling.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 121
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Valerie Faris; Jonathan Dayton
- Writers
- Simon Beaufoy · writer; Simon Beaufoy · writer
- Cast and characters
- Emma Stone · Billie Jean King; Steve Carell · Bobby Riggs; Andrea Riseborough · Marilyn Barnett; Sarah Silverman · Gladys Heldman; Bill Pullman · Jack Kramer; Alan Cumming · Cuthbert "Ted" Tinling; Elisabeth Shue · Priscilla Riggs; Austin Stowell · Larry King
- Genres
- biographical; sports; comedy-drama
- Themes
- Gender inequality; Persistence; Sports history; LGBTQ identity
- Tone and mood
- Inspirational; Dramatic; Comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- Biographical; Sports; Comedy; Drama; LGBTQ-related; Feminist
- Source material / true-story basis
- The 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs
- Content notes
- LGBTQ-related
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was described as a crowd-pleasing, well-acted dramedy that serves up present-day parallels. It received an 'A' grade from CinemaScore audiences.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 84% · review count: 313; Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 46; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 74%
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe · Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy · 75th · Nomination; Golden Globe · Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy · 75th · Nomination; Critics Choice Awards · Best Actress in a Comedy · Nomination; Critics Choice Awards · Best Actor in a Comedy · Nomination; Screen Actors Guild Awards · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role · 24th · Nomination
- Production trivia
- Brie Larson was briefly set to replace Emma Stone due to scheduling conflicts.; The film's weekend gross was noted as disappointing by Deadline Hollywood despite its positive reviews.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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