Review of Gender Wars (2015) by Joshua S — 06 Oct 2017

Considering how misogyny, male chauvinism, and feminism are back in focus due to a recent election and ahem...certain head of state...then it's kind of surprising that Battle of the Sexes isn't a bigger thing. I mean, yes it's a smaller movie that may or may not pick up some nominations this award season, but it appears to be one those prestige pictures that's more talked about than actually watched. Perhaps it's because professional tennis no longer holds the same attention in the American consciousness as it did in the 1970's and 80's. Or because in an age of instant digital entertainment there really isn't room for small movies at multiplexes anymore. But this is mostly information that you are aware of already. Battle of the Sexes tells the story of the legendary match in which Billie Jean King took on and soundly defeated Bobby Riggs in a highly publicized game that affirmed the women's liberation movement of the era and legitimized female athletes to the American public in ways that no one thought possible. Battle chooses to tell its narrative in an unpretentious, straightforward manner focusing on both King and Riggs objectively and giving them equal amounts of screen time and sympathy.

Now for a bit of a history lesson. By the early 1970's, Billie Jean King and a group of disaffected female tennis players secedes from the Association of Tennis Professionals and founds the Women's Tennis Association. The new league is successful, drawing crowds and attention to Women's tennis and becomes emblematic of the culturally and sexually liberalized 70's. Around this time, retired former champion and consummate gambler Bobby Riggs seeks to reenter the limelight with an audacious gambit - he challenges the best female players in the world in an exhibition match, claiming that despite his advanced age he could defeat them soundly. Billie Jean King refuses, but the number one ranked Margaret Court accepts. Riggs stuns the world by defeating Court using drop shots and lobs that keep her off balance. It was called the "Mother's Day Massacre," and retains the reputation as being something short of a Pearl Harbor for Women's Tennis. King, feeling the need to save the reputation of the league and to put male chauvinism in its place, accepts the challenge. Riggs uses his fifteen minutes of fame to employ his flamboyant personality to attract media attention and becomes the standard bearer of the "old men's country club," despite his personal distaste for such organizations. The match is called "The Battle of the Sexes" and is decided in the Houston Astrodome in 1973. The media circus reaches a fever pitch and great fanfare before the match threatens to overshadow the game itself. The battle was one-sided. Despite an early few points favoring Riggs, King quickly turns the game against him by shooting from the baseline, countering his drop shots and forcing the 55-year-old to run across the court, quickly tiring him. King wins in straight sets. She becomes a celebrated hero, and Riggs slinks back into ridicule and obscurity. Despite the match, Riggs and King become friends for several decades until the former's death.

The film ends up being quite similar to the criminally underrated Ron Howard movie Rush, in which two VERY different athletes collide and compete, but end up respecting each other in the end. And the dichotomy is fascinating. Emma Stone gives a bravura performance as King who must both lead Women's tennis and struggle with the fact that she is a closeted lesbian and cannot publicly lead the life she desires. Steve Carrell has proven he can do dramatic roles before and he employs both this and his comedic talent as the over-the-hill gambler Bobby Riggs. His Riggs is revealed to eschew the misogyny his public persona displays, but wishes to reenter the spotlight and win back the affections of his wealthy wife. Both are motivated by things they cannot control - King is a fighter who cannot deny that she is a lesbian and Riggs is an old gambler who cannot quit his risk-taking ventures. The two clash. The fighter wins. The gambler loses.

The production value is adequate but not mind-blowing, with real archival material blended in with the film in a similar manner to Argo. The look of the characters and setting were spot-on and downright impressive. The tennis matches are absorbing and tense and the minor characters are all impressive and reinforce the narrative. Notable supporting performances include Sarah Silverman, Andrea Riseborough, Bill Pullman, and Alan Cumming. It's a solid and engaging picture that tells a story that more people probably need to hear. There's a good chance this will pick up a few nominations and awards for performances. And if not, who cares. See it, rent it, download it. Love, set, match.