Based on the incredible true story, the 1973 tennis match between women’s World #1, Billie Jean King (Emma Stone), and ex-men’s-champ and serial hustler, Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell), was billed as the "BATTLE OF THE SEXES" and became one of the most watched televised sports events of all time, reaching 90 million viewers around the world. As the rivalry between King and Riggs kicked into high gear, off-court each were fighting more personal and complex battles. Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis court, sparking discussions in bedrooms and boardrooms that continue to reverberate today.
Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris are a team of American film directors and music video directors who always work together. Not only do they work together on movies, but they are also husband and wife. Their first feature was the critically acclaimed Little Miss Sunshine (which also starred Steve Carell). Their only other feature film was the 2012 romantic comedy Ruby Sparks starring Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan.
The "Battle of the Sexes" was actually three notable tennis matches between a man and a woman. The first match was between Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court (1973). The second was a nationally televised match between Riggs and Billie Jean King (1973). The final match was between Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova (1992). SPOILER ALERT: Billie Jean was the only woman to win and not only did she win, but she won in three straight sets!
This trailer acts like a great supplement to the first trailer. About a third of the footage is the same, but we get about two-thirds of new footage. Which I think is perfect for a movie like this that is based on a real life event. It is no secret how the movie will end, so they do a good job at setting up the tone of the film and give us some insight into the event that lead up to the main event (which a lot of people are probably not too familiar with).
It is hard to believe that this event happened almost 45 years ago and sexism is still at the forefront today. Of recent, especially in Hollywood, there has been talk about the unequal pay for women when compared to men. From Jennifer Lawrence to Patricia Arquette, they have been pushing for a woman to be paid the same of her male counterpart. Also, the US Women's recently got a raise to bring their pay closer to the Men's team.
All in all, I like what I have seen in these trailers and think this movie's timing is perfect. It has a compelling story line that seems made out of Hollywood and you couple that with the great list of actors and you get what should be a solid film.