“Battle of the Sexes” is more than a movie. It is a rallying cry for feminism that uses Billie Jean King’s defeat of Bobby Riggs to remind the audience of persisting gender inequities — and it does all this while entertaining audiences and showing off a magnificently star-studded cast.
Emma Stone has played wives, girlfriends, struggling actresses and aspiring writers. She has made her name by charming audiences and smiling her way to stardom — but her casting as King in “Battle of the Sexes” is a drastic yet welcome departure from her usual roles.
Stone’s portrayal of King is jarringly accurate. She combines the tennis star’s rugged determination with her discomfort in the spotlight, putting an emphasis on King’s reluctance to be seen as anything more than a tennis player. In this way, the film humanizes the women’s rights icon and explores the complexities of her character.
Riggs, on the other hand, is shown as a bored ex-athlete, past his prime and using gambling as a way to escape his dead-end career. Rather than giving the audience a one-sided villain, “Battle of the Sexes” puts forth a cocky showman who brands himself as a chauvinist to attract attention.
Steve Carell’s portrayal of Riggs ranges from a tired middle-aged man with marital problems to a slightly more unhinged version of Michael Scott. At both extremes, he gives a dynamic view of Riggs’ character.
Though Stone and Carell are probably the biggest names of this film, the cast boasts several well-known actors. Notably, comedian Sarah Silverman gives a hilarious performance as the business-oriented Gladys Heldman, while Jessica McNamee is perfectly hateable as the subservient and homophobic Margaret Court. Even "Saturday Night Live" alum Fred Armisen — yes, that Fred Armisen — makes an appearance as Riggs’ nutritionist, though he says too few lines to really chew the scenery.
The tone of the film evolves throughout, from awkward moments of King’s uncertain character development to demoralizing periods of defeat by the patriarchy. The film ends in unmistakable triumph, and even includes frames of text that explain how King went on to become a feminist icon and advocate for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights.
Overall, this movie explores female tennis players’ fight for equal pay alongside King’s internal struggle with self-acceptance. Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris underscore her personal journey with not-so-subtle musical cues from Elton John, including “Rocket Man” as a metaphor for King’s coming to terms with her own homosexuality.
Dayton and Faris made a point in this movie to revive a sense of nostalgia for the women’s liberation movement. They shot it on 35mm film to give the audience a 1970s feel, while including a wide array of women’s fashions from the time period with bright splashes of color. These nuances allow the audience to see King’s victory as a beautiful triumph, without ever making the scenery look too grim.
