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Battle of the Sexes

Name: Battle of the Sexes
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport, Comedy
Released: September 22, 2017
Duration: 121 min
Rating: 73
Cast: Agnes Olech, Alan Cumming, Andrea Riseborough, Bill Pullman, Chris Parnell

2017

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 46 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 141 Ratings

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6.3

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6.3	Your Score
6.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 141 Ratings

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Battle Of The Sexes

Movie Details & Credits

Fox Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: September 22, 2017 | PG-13

Starring: Agnes Olech, Alan Cumming, Andrea Riseborough, Bill Pullman, Chris Parnell, Elisabeth Shue, Emma Stone, Eric Christian Olsen, Fred Armisen, Jessica McNamee, Martha MacIsaac, Natalie Morales, Sarah Silverman, Steve Carell

Summary: The electrifying 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and ex-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. The match caught the zeitgeist and sparked a global conversation on genderThe electrifying 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and ex-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. The match caught the zeitgeist and sparked a global conversation on gender equality, spurring on the feminist movement. Trapped in the media glare, King and Riggs were on opposite sides of a binary argument, but off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. With a supportive husband urging her to fight the Establishment for equal pay, the fiercely private King was also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, while Riggs gambled his legacy and reputation in a bid to relive the glories of his past. Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis courts and animated the discussions between men and women in bedrooms and boardrooms around the world. [Fox Searchlight]… Expand

Director: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Sport, Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 121 min

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Awards & Rankings

91	#91 Most Discussed Movie of 2017
67	#67 Most Shared Movie of 2017

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Critic Reviews

100

Mick LaSalle

Sep 21, 2017

All this is dramatized expertly and with a lightness of touch in Simon Beaufoy’s screenplay and in the direction of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the team behind “Little Miss Sunshine.” Read full review

Richard Roeper

Sep 20, 2017

Battle of the Sexes stands on its own as a finely tuned period piece, a vibrant comedy, an effective character study and, yep, an inspirational sports movie. Read full review

Kate Stables

Nov 20, 2017

Stone and Carell ace it in this smart biopic, stylishly recreating the champ-vs-clown clash of the tennis titans that electrified ’70s America. Read full review

Gregory Ellwood

Sep 10, 2017

The conflicts are obviously real, but there is something about the tone that’s just off through most of the picture. Read full review

Consequence of Sound Allison Shoemaker

Sep 21, 2017

If Battle of the Sexes is more than a little slight in places, it more than makes up for its shortcomings through sheer entertainment value. Read full review

John Anderson

Sep 21, 2017

An extremely good-natured, upbeat recounting of the infamous Bobby Riggs-Billie Jean King “man vs. woman” match of 1973. Read full review

Christopher Gray

Sep 12, 2017

Battle of the Sexes sacrifices some of its innate appeal by making ham out of the supposed relics of a less enlightened era. Read full review

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User Reviews

neenah

Oct 1, 2017

Great story, great cast, relevant themes. The social themes are so poignant still today and its amazing to see how far we've come yet still have to go in 44 years.

4 of 13 users found this helpful49

vinicius96

Mar 9, 2018

Emma Stone gives another Oscar worthy performance! Great movie, with some screenplay issues.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Ittiaces

Dec 2, 2017

Wonderful retelling of the events leading up to and around the 1973 iconic tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Solid performances by Emma Stone and Steve Carell who are in turn very well supported by an excellent cast. Overall the film is very well put together, and theWonderful retelling of the events leading up to and around the 1973 iconic tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Solid performances by Emma Stone and Steve Carell who are in turn very well supported by an excellent cast. Overall the film is very well put together, and the story told in a way that keeps your interest piqued even if you are already familiar with the outcome. There were a few dips in the middle where the pace slumped slightly, but thankfully they were shortlived. The focus of the film is divided between the match itself and King's sexuality which she felt the need to keep hidden. Homosexuality being a more taboo subject in those days. I thought the film would flowed more easily had less time been devoted to King's love-life. Although interesting, the level of detail was far and above what was necessary to tell that aspect of her character, and it definitely distracted from the main subject. An excellent account of this event all said, and I really enjoyed it.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

paulofalmeida

Dec 21, 2017

It was really interesting to watch this movie, given that it is based on real life events.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

NightReviews

Dec 18, 2017

The match is set; a stand-off between a woman and a man; the man, a chauvinist who thinks he is better than any woman in the game of tennis; the woman, a strong, determined and ruthless competitor. The match already took place, in 1973 no less, yet the issues plaguing the game, the genderThe match is set; a stand-off between a woman and a man; the man, a chauvinist who thinks he is better than any woman in the game of tennis; the woman, a strong, determined and ruthless competitor. The match already took place, in 1973 no less, yet the issues plaguing the game, the gender issues that were relevant then, are still relevant now, which is a problem. Regardless of who won (if you don’t already know, you are a couple words away from finding out on Goggle), the real issue present is that a battle of sexes in 2017 shouldn’t exist, but it does. So the question remains, who really won in 1973? While anyone born after 1973 don’t really know anything about the infamous match between the macho-showman Bobby Riggs and female rights activist Billie Jean King, the newest film from directing duo Jonathan Dayton and Valarie Faris, the team that brought us Little Miss Sunshine and Ruby Sparks does a wonderful job of setting up a very relevant film for young and older people alike. While Battle of The Sexes misses the charm of Little Miss Sunshine and the imagination of Ruby Sparks, the flair that Dayton and Paris bring is a vintage stylistic that helps drive the narrative; even though the film doesn’t really need it. While the film at times, seems to act almost identically to Bobby Riggs, played lively by Steve Carell, Battle of the Sexes is hardly a film about tennis, which becomes apparent quite quickly, and more about the build up of two very different individuals, using an infamous match for their own personal gain; one, financially and for monetary gain, the other, for change and action.

Billie Jean King played by the nerdy and bashful Emma Stone, does have her spotlight within Battle of the Sexes. King, who is almost immediately labelled as the protagonist in the film, facing many personal conflicts that preens themselves annoyingly upon the build up of the iconic match. Stone, coming off her Academy Award for playing the tap-dancing, lovably heart-broken Mia in La La Land, brings an authenticity to King, a hard-hitting, truth telling, tough as nails professional tennis player who hardly takes no for an answer. Still alive and paving various paths for woman even in 2017, this vanguard of woman’s rights explores ideas of lesbianism, true love and most of all, the equality of female competitive sports and their valour and level of respect that is already present in male sports entertainment.

While Faris and Dayton do a wonderful job of building up their two main set-pieces, showcasing many of what may have gone right for one, and wrong for the other, the duo never really explore the dynamics of the tennis world and how woman and men were perceived in the seventies and how the sport has gone to change today. This is not to say, that I am a tennis aficionado by any means, but even today, woman and men play in separate leagues in tennis. So what does this say about the film? Does one triumph over the other? What changes did this match make and how did King progress her woman’s liberation movement? Is tennis the one sport that women are paid equally to men?

It is not shocking to see that, even without even doing any research, women’s sports struggle to find an audience. Most of the televised sports are male sports, with the exception of the Olympics, that happen bi-yearly. Upon further research, I was not shocked to see that the top-seeded male tennis player averages a salary more than double the female top-seeded player. So, my one and only question for Battle of the Sexes is, what exactly has changed since 1973? Is this film another attempt to shed light on the very obvious gender defamation of female athletes? Why are women’s sports not televised unless for special events? What are we doing to change this, other than making a very appealing and stylized film with some very attractive stars?

While Battle of the Sexes does have very deep and powerful messages, as well as compelling speeches and monologues by both protagonists, the uber exciting and explorative final epilogue, full of images and captions about the change the match did to present day sports, Battle of the Sexes is a very anti-climatic inspiration sports story, with very little sports and more of a playful attitude towards change that could have been more relevant. The battle the film faces mostly, is the one deciding whether it is just a sports biography, or an agent of real change.

Battle of the Sexes is a Hollywood film through-and-through. With immensely powerful and effective supporting performances from everyone involved, from Elisabeth Shue (a real tennis lover and an actress initially interested in playing King), to Sarah Silverman, who provides the majority of the film’s comedy and humour, from the the women’s side of the film. In addition, Andrea Riseborough does a wonderful job of presenting Stone’s king with a very worthy distraction and is solid throughout the film; a real undervalued actress.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

TVJerry

Oct 11, 2017

Anyone alive in 1973 will remember the hype around the famous match between tennis star Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and the misogynist ex-champ Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell). The narrative fills in the personal perspectives of both players, with LOTS of emphasis on King's life-changingAnyone alive in 1973 will remember the hype around the famous match between tennis star Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and the misogynist ex-champ Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell). The narrative fills in the personal perspectives of both players, with LOTS of emphasis on King's life-changing relationship with a woman. So much that it dilutes the focus on the competition. Stone and Carell are enjoyable and the directors manage to capture exciting energy of the time and the rivalry. The ultimate match is shot mostly in wide shots, which dilutes the impact of the experience on the two players and renders the climatic conflict less thrilling. Still, it's an absorbing look at a time when gender equality and sexual orientation were just starting to be recognized as significant issues.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

Broyax

Dec 10, 2018

J'ai rien contre la parité, ni le féminisme que ce soit dans le tennis ou ailleurs, je vous assure. Et Billie a bien raison de remettre à sa place ce vieux macho bourré de pillules (le dopage, c'est mal). Même que si Billie veut tondre la pelouse, je n'y vois pas d'inconvénient. M'enfin...J'ai rien contre la parité, ni le féminisme que ce soit dans le tennis ou ailleurs, je vous assure. Et Billie a bien raison de remettre à sa place ce vieux macho bourré de pillules (le dopage, c'est mal). Même que si Billie veut tondre la pelouse, je n'y vois pas d'inconvénient. M'enfin... sauf si j'étais son mari bien sûr parce je serais énervé, un petit peu quand même...

M'enfin cela dit, Emma Stone, j'ai du mal avec ses yeux de poisson frit et son talent sans talent et j'ai du mal à garder les yeux ouverts dans cette comédie à la fois féministe et LGGTBLGTBGTLTG et tout ça... Un agenda SJW à respecter, pourquoi pas, on commence à en avoir l'habitude mais faites de préférence un film, pas un somnifère nunuche et concon.

Putain, qu'est-ce que c'était chiant cette battle ! ça ressemble à un long article de Elle ou Biba ou Comopolitan sous perfusion de sédatif avec la guimauve syndicale qui s'auto-congratule en boucle.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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