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Battle of the Sexes

Play trailer 1:50 Poster for Battle of the Sexes PG-13 2017 2h 1m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 314 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
The 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs became the most watched televised sports event of all time. Trapped in the media glare, King and Riggs were on opposites sides of a binary argument, but off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. With her husband urging her to fight for equal pay, the private King was also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, while Riggs gambled his legacy and reputation in a bid to relive the glories of his past.
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Battle of the Sexes

Battle of the Sexes

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Critics Consensus

Battle of the Sexes turns real-life events into a crowd-pleasing, well-acted dramedy that ably entertains while smartly serving up a volley of present-day parallels.

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Critics Reviews

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Heather Hogan Autostraddle 07/02/2018
It's a sports movie, complete with breathless action sequences, overwrought crowd reactions, and a soaring score. It's a biopic about a legend. And it's one of the best lesbian films I've ever seen. Go to Full Review
Tara Brady Irish Times 12/01/2017
4/5
At 121 minutes, Battle of the Sexes occasionally drags, but it's the Hairy Legged Feminist-Male Chauvinist Pig showdown that we needed right now. Go to Full Review
Deborah Ross The Spectator 11/29/2017
The film is not unsuccessful, as it's mostly entertaining enough, and if the gender politics seem oversimplified, there are reminders of some real-life commentaries. Go to Full Review
Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson 02/16/2024
4/5
Injecting earnest drama and profundity into the tried-and-true sports movie formula, directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton have crafted a gratifying yarn packed with contagious enthusiasm. Go to Full Review
Brian T. Carney Washington Blade 12/14/2022
Andrea Riseborough is great as Billie Jean’s first girlfriend and Austin Stowall and Elisabeth Shue turn in fine performances as their conflicted spouses. Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 03/17/2022
3/4
Fortunately, the film never becomes a hype machine or gets caught up in the bizarre media circus around the central match. The concentration remains on the players and the emotional stakes, as well as what King's victory represents. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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alan g @agenser Dec 28 One of the worst sports movies ever. Waste of Emma Stone. Steve Craphole is shit as usual. He should not be allowed to make movies or anything. See more Mickey B @Mickerdoo Dec 26 Tremendous cast, groovy 70s aesthetic and a wacky hinge point in equality. An easy, fun watch. Glad it played out the right way. See more Sandro C @Katsu_689 Nov 25 Its hard for me to like a main character who cheats on her husband. See more Julia L Jun 30 A brilliant film which will stay with you. See more kevenquinlan May 20 Great Movie. I was there for the actual event- they completely Nailed the environment and Times. Emma's great in everything, Pullman was great, Steve Carell is such a fun actor to watch- always nice seeing him in anything. As easy add to any collection regardless of historical relevance. I was watching it an it ended so quickly- I enjoyed all of it. See more thiago s @Thiagostone May 12 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, o elenco é mais ou menos, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, a história é fraca, os personagens sao fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes para fazer o filme ser bom. See more Read all reviews
Battle of the Sexes

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Movie Info

Synopsis The 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs became the most watched televised sports event of all time. Trapped in the media glare, King and Riggs were on opposites sides of a binary argument, but off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. With her husband urging her to fight for equal pay, the private King was also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, while Riggs gambled his legacy and reputation in a bid to relive the glories of his past.
Director
Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
Producer
Christian Colson, Danny Boyle, Robert Graf
Screenwriter
Simon Beaufoy
Distributor
Fox Searchlight
Production Co
Cloud Eight, Decibel Films
Rating
PG-13 (Some Sexual Content|Partial Nudity)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 29, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 19, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$12.6M
Runtime
2h 1m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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