The UK trailer for Battle of the Sexes has arrived, featuring Steve Carrell as the obnoxious ex-tennis champion, Bobby Riggs, and Emma Stone as female tennis icon, Billie Jean King. Battle of the Sexes tells of the historical 1973 tennis match between the pair, when Riggs was so certain he could beat King at the game, just because she was a woman. This was in spite of him being far past his prime, by the time the match took place.

The initial trailer for Battle of the Sexes gave a good look at a promising comedic melodrama. This second trailer gives greater insight into King’s relationships, her determination to receive recognition and more equality for women in sport, and Riggs’ goading of her, which resulted in her rising to the challenge he set. The pair went head to head both on and off the court, with King’s fight for women’s rights riling Riggs, who gleefully prided himself on being a misogynistic, chauvinistic male. Despite the media attention the match brought, and the recognition of King’s cause, there was still an awfully long way to go with the debate over how much money women should earn in comparison to their male counterparts.

Battle of the Sexes is directed by husband and wife duo, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who brought us the cult-classic, Little Miss Sunshine in 2006. The movie co-stars Alan Cumming, Andrea Riseborough, Elizabeth Shue, Austin Stowell and Sarah Silverman. Billed as a dramedy, that comes across well in the trailer; society has moved on to such an extent that we can now laugh in disbelief at lines from Carell such as “I am not saying women don’t belong on the court. Who would pick up the balls otherwise?” and his calling King a “hairy legged feminist," but the reality of the time was that many found that approach perfectly acceptable.

Both Carrell and Stone excel in what we’ve seen so far of Battle of the Sexes, and the movie should fare pretty well when it’s released later this year. Carrell is completely unlikable, in the best possible way, and we’re all behind Stone before she even sets foot on the court. Set to the 1973 Aerosmith hit, “Dream On”, one party is indeed the dreamer here, for thinking they can beat the other, but who will emerge triumphant? Battle of the Sexes also appears to give a greater insight into King’s personal life, and how it felt to be a woman in a man’s world, fighting against all the odds, as well as Riggs, whose bravado was merely a cover for his own inadequacies.

Source: Fox Searchlight

  • Battle of the Sexes Release Date: 2017-09-22