Battle of the Sexes

In 1973 Bobby Riggs beat Margaret Court and then challenged Billie Jean King. Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton's film covers the match but is far more interested in what happened off the court: the fight over equal prize money, King's relationship with Marilyn Barnett, and what being out would have cost her then. Emma Stone plays King and Steve Carell plays Riggs. Real players stood in for the tennis, with Kaitlyn Christian doubling for Stone and Vince Spadea for Carell. The film's better instinct is declining to cartoon Riggs. He is drawn as a showman and a gambling addict for whom misogyny was a bit he could sell tickets with. That does not shrink what King won; it clarifies it. It underperformed badly, taking 18.6 million dollars worldwide against a budget over 25 million, though reviews were strong and both leads picked up Golden Globe nominations. Who it is for: viewers who like sport and politics handled in the same frame. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a tense sports movie. The result is known going in, and the film looks for its tension elsewhere.