Battle of the Sexes
Middling, pedestrian, unspecial: that is where Battle of the Sexes exists amongst the pantheon of great films released in 2017. As a testament to Billie Jean King’s life and legacy, though, I love it wholeheartedly—I adored every minute of it.
In a film ostensibly about one of the most publicized tennis matches in history, the focus of directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris rests squarely on Billie Jean King, her mind for equality, and her pioneering spirit—and rightly so. They capture her unwavering drive to fight for what is right regardless of individual cost. They clarify the deep, personal struggle surrounding her sexual awakening, situating it within the wider social context of the time. They champion her just as she champions women and the LGBT community to this very day.
Emma Stone portrays King as well as anyone could, penetrating deep into King’s tempestuous psyche with stark juxtapositions of external boldness and internal insecurity as well as outspoken gender-equality activism and unspoken homosexuality. Stone seems to have studied tape of her muse meticulously, nailing her mannerisms and speech, and their personal friendship no doubt inspired a particularly thoughtful and humanizing performance. Steve Carell’s Bobby Riggs can’t be beat; his roles as hapless hustler and extravagant chauvinist are on full display, marked by the special brand of clownishness that only Riggs could peddle. What we don’t see—and shouldn’t—is Riggs passed off as a prime paragon of patriarchal oppression, responsible for society’s ills and worthy of loathing. Carell’s Bobby Riggs, just as the real one, is an opportunist, certainly a true believer of the sexist ideals he purveyed but also willfully caricaturistic of the misogyny rampant in the greater American society, happy to over-inflate his antifeminism to make a quick buck.
In a demonstration of deft directorial decision-making, Dayton and Faris situate the Battle of the Sexes itself as both a centerpiece of and a springboard for King’s lifelong activism. Traditionally, the Battle is understood to have been a proving ground for gender equality, King’s defeat of Riggs having supposedly demonstrated the equality between men and women. This was, of course, not true, just as other losses by women to men did not prove the inverse. This is not to say the match was insignificant, however. The Battle of the Sexes inspired—even galvanized—a generation of women, and its widespread popularity enlarged the platform from which King expounded the moral philosophies of human dignity and justice by which she has long lived and by which she will always be known. Significant credit should be awarded to Dayton and Faris for recognizing this complicated truth and bearing it out in their work.
It is true that the film takes creative license at certain junctures in order to capture the essence of a moment rather than its specifics. At times, it comes off as ruthless and un-nuanced when addressing those who stood in the way of social progress. It is not the directorial masterpiece that Dunkirk is, and neither Stone nor Carell demonstrate the acting caliber of, say, Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour or Timothée Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name. No, what this film contains within it is perhaps more important—the distilled legacy of a prolific figure in modern sporting history who has devoted her life to the empowerment of women, the dignity of the LGBT community, and overall human equality.
Long after she has reminded us “pressure is a privilege” for the last time and long after journalists have put their final praises of her in published print, much of Billie Jean King will remain: her legendary tennis career, her central part in founding the WTA, her relentless assertion of women’s equality, her fight for LGBT rights, and her lasting role as an inspiration for people of all nationalities, genders, and sexualities. Battle of the Sexes captures all of this and more, highlighted by excellent acting and providing an entertaining viewing experience overall. The film is not only worth a watch now, but it is also one that you will want to revisit time and time again—if only to remember and relive the greatness of Billie Jean King.
