Battle of the Sexes

"He made a bet. She made history."

Filmology Rating: 3 out of 4

The 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs became the most watched televised sports event of all time and was deemed, “The Battle of the Sexes”. King and Riggs, opposite sides of the argument but each fighting more personal battles of their own; the very private King struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, while Riggs gambling.

I have wanted to see this movie for weeks now but haven’t had the chance due to limited theaters showing it. Thankfully, with the critics giving positive reviews and some box office success, it expanded to more theaters near me! I am very thankful of that because I really enjoyed this movie and was not disappointed.

I have a confession…. I might be a little biased because I have been a tennis player my entire life. If you aren’t a fan of tennis, don't worry, it is not the central focus of the film. This is more a character study of the great Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. This film deals with their sexuality, addiction, and equal rights. BJK was a very pivotal woman in the growth of equal rights and pay in tennis/sports, and also an influential woman for the LGBT community and this film did her justice. It showed her bravery, emotional turmoil, and her fearlessness to challenge the system and to make a difference. Emma Stone was brilliant as BJK and I would almost guarantee she will be nominated.

Steve Carrell on the other side was also very good and was perfect for this role and he really nailed the circus clown Bobby Riggs. Carrell really does an excellent job in the dramatic roles because he is naturally funny to bring a great balance to a character.

Some might say that this film will be “Oscar bait”; an emotional drama, a historical and controversial event at the time, a lead struggling with sexuality and the other addiction, and more. While this film is all of that, it is far from “Oscar bait”. The drama and emotion is never forced, character development builds naturally, and the feel good ending uplifts the crowd.

“Battle of the Sexes” brings forth an emotional story that still holds as relevant today as it did 44 years ago.

Rating: See It

-Nick