Battle of the Sexes 2017

     The focus of this film is the 1973 tennis match between women’s world champion Billie Jean King and the ex-men’s champion and hustler Bobby Riggs.  Prior to their match Bobby Riggs competed with Margaret Court and she lost.  This was one of the most watched televised sports events of this period and 90 million viewers tuned in.  There was a lot of off-court fighting along with personal and complex battles prior to the match.  King was playing this match for equality between the men and women and she was struggling with her marriage plus people in her life.  King needed to settle these issues in order for her to put her entire focus on training and the match.  Riggs was one of the first self-made media celebrities and he had a gambling addiction.   He didn’t want to admit this addiction and this caused conflict with his wife and family.  Riggs relied on vitamins, smoothies and diet instead of doing the intense training that King was doing.

     I thought this was interesting and good.  Prior to watching I didn’t have knowledge about the background and the match.  I didn’t see it on television at the time.  The women were not getting paid as much money as the men for their matches.  Statistics showed that they were getting as many spectators but the men were considered to be more important.  King and Gladys Heldman confronted Jack Kramer after he announced a tournament with the top prize for women as one-eighth of the men’s prize.  Kramer expelled the women from the Lawn Tennis Association in retaliation for starting a tour for women.  At first they struggled but Heldman won a lucrative sponsorship deal from Virginia Slims cigarettes.  King refused to play the match with Riggs if Kramer was to be the announcer and he was replaced.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

121 min, Bio directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris with Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Natalie Morales, Sarah Silverman, Bill Pullman, Alan Cumming, Elisabeth Shue, Eric Christian Olsen, Fred Armisen, Martha MacIsaac, Lauren Kline, Mickey Sumner, Fidan Manashirova.

Note:  Imdb 6.7 out of 10, 85% critic 72% audience on Rotten Tomates, Roger Ebert 2 ½*, Amazon Video 3.5* out of 5* with 140 reviews, Metacritic 73 out of 100 with 46 critics 6.3 out of 10 with 109 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles, California and StubHub Tennis Center, Carson, California.  At the time of the match Billie Jean King was 29 and Bobby Riggs was 55.  In the film, Emma Stone was 28 and Steve Carell was 54.  Stone was the first choice for her role but she had scheduling issues.  Brie Larson was to take her place but she dropped out and Stone’s schedule cleared.  Stone added 15 pounds of muscle.  Billie and Marilyn Barnett are listening to an Elton John song in the car.  John and King were friends by 1974 and they co-wrote his hit single Philadelphia Freedom as a favor to her.  In 1981, Marilyn Barnett sued King and it nearly destroyed her tennis career.  It took years for her to rebuild what she lost.  Vince Spade and Kaitlyn Christian served as tennis doubles for Carell and Stone.  Christian signed a five-week contract but filming took about four months.