Battle of the Sexes Parent Guide

Have you ever noticed how society links together some political and philosophical ideologies? For instance, if you have a conservative viewpoint, then you must champion the right to bear arms as well. If you lean liberal, you obviously support abortion rights. And, as is assumed in this movie, if you believe in feminism, you also endorse LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) rights.

With such convictions in mind, Battle of the Sexes frames its telling of the famous 1973 tennis face-off between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.

Emma Stone plays Billie Jean, one of the world’s most accomplished professional tennis players. Despite her success, the American still has issues with the compensation discrepancies between male and female athletes. Her fight to get women equal pay for equal work falls on deaf ears and soon the game is more about gender vying than comparative skills.

Steve Carell takes on the role of Bobby Riggs, a former tennis pro and active gambler who still wants a chance to shine on the courts. Baiting members of the Women’s Tennis Association with sexist remarks, he puts the “show in chauvinism” hoping to get one of them to agree to compete against him in an exhibition match. He not only wants to prove men are better than women – he wants to make some quick cash too.

While this would be ample material from which to make a movie, it’s not the story the screenwriters set out to tell. Instead the script focuses on the private life of Billy Jean. After a chance encounter with a hairdresser named Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough), the married athlete finds herself being attracted to the pretty stylist. A few sensual-but-awkward glances at one another eventually lead Billie Jean to invite Marilyn to stay overnight in her hotel room. That escalates into passionate kissing, undressing and implied sexual relations. Likewise, the tension explored by the plot is not that brought about by the highly-publicized match against Riggs, but the guilt and concern felt over the risks of having their very-secret lesbian affair discovered.

Other aspects of the sports industry are briefly glanced at as well. These include the sponsorship of tobacco companies who encourage the women to smoke, the differences between male and female attire while playing the game, and taking supplements to enhance performance. Frequent smoking and drinking are depicted, along with a few babes in bikinis. Riggs is seen downing a large quantity of pills, with some cryptic comments about vitamin power. Slanderous remarks, sexual innuendo and a smattering of profanities are heard too.

In the closing moments of the film, a character credits Billie Jean with changing the way the world looks at women and suggests that in the future she may yet change the way the world looks at same-gender relationships. What remains to be seen is if the filmmakers are correct in believing anyone who wants to learn about the career of Billie Jean King will also desire to examine her private love life. And if applauding her accomplishments in the sport also means viewing changing societal attitudes as a sign of progress.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.