A woman trying to prove her worth, a man trying to gain fame again, an organization that is against all women’s rights and a tennis match that will change lives. “Battle of the Sexes” will empower and inspire all women while depicting the amazing journey of Billie Jean King.
Billie Jean King, portrayed by Emma Stone, faces the challenge of overcoming all stereotypical obstacles after winning the US Open. Set in the the 1970’s, King is challenged by Bobby Riggs, portrayed by Steve Carell, to play one tennis match. On one side, Riggs wants to defeat King in order to gain more money and to prove that men are superior to women. On the other, King wants to beat Riggs to assert that women should not be subjected to staying in the kitchen or the house but inspired to be liberated and to show that women aren’t inferior to men.
During this whole process we get to see the lives of both King and Riggs. Riggs struggles with a gambling addiction and a crumbling marriage. King struggles to accept her sexuality and with the tennis association’s sexism throughout the film.
Due to the film being based on a true story, it is very well put together and cohesive since it was following a timeline of events. However, since it was based on someone’s life, it dragged at parts and was very unsurprising. There was a lot of dialogue but the development of the story and the story in general was very interesting and made you think of how hard it would be to be a woman in that time.
To really represent the real life people and embody them, “Battle of the Sexes” required an amazing cast. These main characters were show stopping and made you believe they were as real as the people it was based on. The supporting characters were excellent as well. Sarah Silverman, known for being a stand up comedian and starring in the film “Wreck it Ralph,” played Gladys Heldman, and Natalie Morales, formerly casted in the show “White Collar,” portrayed Rosie Casals. All the characters worked very well together and did a great job presenting the relationships of the real-life people.
The cast definitely deserved attention and recognition for their acting in this film. They emotionally represented the roles they played and they show relatable emotions throughout the film. These actors couldn’t have succeeded as well as they did without their directors, Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton.
“Battle of the Sexes” is very memorable. Gaining 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, “Battle of the Sexes” proves to be an impressive film for the audiences. However, it’s not impressive when it comes to its profit. The film only accumulated 3.4 million dollars over the weekend compared to “American Made” that accumulated 17 million dollars.
“Battle of the Sexes” is definitely the film for those who want a realistic and well casted movie. If you also want a good laugh and a movie that has a positive message this is definitely one you want to see. This film is most suited for teens and adults due to some mature themes but it is one that should not be missed by the intended audiences.
