In the wake of the sexual revolution and the rise of the women’s movement, the 1973 tennis match between women’s World #1 Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and ex-men’s-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, reaching 90 million viewers around the world.
As the rivalry between King and Riggs kicked into high gear, off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. The fiercely private King was not only championing for equality, but also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, as her friendship with Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough) developed. And Riggs, one of the first self-made media-age celebrities, wrestled with his gambling demons, at the expense of his family and wife Priscilla (Elisabeth Shue).
Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis court, sparking discussions in bedrooms and boardrooms that continue to reverberate today.
Starring Academy Award winner Emma Stone and Academy Award nominee Steve Carell as 1970’s tennis greats Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, the film is directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine) from a screenplay by Academy Award winner Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) Also staring Sarah Silverman, Bill Pullman and Golden Globe nominee Alan Cumming.
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