Battle of the Sexes

[Drunk Monk]

I remember this happening quite well.  My dad was a tennis player and we watched a lot of tennis.  My mom and I still watch tennis for the majors.  I remember watching King vs. Riggs live as a kid and rooting for Riggs because that's what all males did.  Don't judge me.  I was like 10.  I don't remember it being as serious as this film made it out to be.  It was all sort of tongue-in-cheek.  But like I said, I was ten.  I have a strong memory of a reporter asking BJK if she was worried about Riggs during the match and her quipping that she was worried he wouldn't be able to jump over the net at the end.  That has always stuck with me as a great comeback to a dumb question because she totally dominated the match (the movie makes it look like she falters at one point, but that was dramatic license).  

I'm a big fan of Emma Stone with her gargantuan peepers, but they are hidden behind Billy Jean King's signature glasses, and it's kind of like Superman disguised as Clark Kent, emasculating her super power (yes, I use emasculating on purpose).  I felt she played BJK a bit too timidly as I remember her to be really tough.  Carell is a master at playing dicks, so Riggs was kind of perfect for him.  Cameos steal the show with Silverman, Cummings, Shue and Armisen bringing it, especially Cummings.  Cummings was great in the role of the gay clothes designer and in the end, offers the film's message in a wise whisper.  I'm a big fan of him too.  Silverman was Silverman, again well cast, and I wanted more Armisen because his role as the vitamin guy was prime for more humor (but were we really talking about amino acids back in the 70s?  I don't think so).  Shue looks great (she's had work around the eyes for sure) but in the wake of Karate Kid (where she always has my heart) it felt like she was still being cast as the sideline partner cheerleader.  The film is more about BJK's lesbianism than the man vs. woman aspect that really governed the match.  And while BJK was a great LGBQ champion, that was much later.  First, she was a champion of Women's lib, and that should've been the focus of this.  The LGBQ aspect muddled the story, at least in my mind having witnessed it.  It's should've been about the male vs. female battle of the sexes, not the homo vs. hetero battle.  It also could've been more retro.  They got the fashions and cars right, plus the faded polaroid color schemes, but they needed more, like the music maybe.  Remembering that the women's tennis circuit was funded by Virginia Slims was pretty retro, but there could've been more.

Not a great film but not bad either.  Not particularly DOOM recommended although not a bad wife-date-night film.

[Greg]

Hmm, my father loved tennis, too. For many years he would be jealous that I had the tennis channel from Directv and his cable company did not. It was a red letter day when he finally was able to watch ten year old tennis matches from his comfy chair. (Dad! That match is ten years old! It's okay. I don't remember who won)

And I remember this incident as well although not quite as vividly as the monk.

But I do remember it. So this movie is basically a snooze fest. Hey, we are building up to a tennis match for which you already know the outcome. So, hang out for two hours and see what you already know. There weren't a lot of tense moments except for the one at the hotel when two lovers are both coming up in the same elevator. 

I was unaware of the Margaret Court aspect of the story. I did not know she had played Riggs first. They could have done more with the rivalry between King and Riggs. And when does Larry King (Yes, I was expecting the talk show host when they said hey, Larry King is here) get beatified.

Alan Cummings seems to play that character a lot. A lot. But he does play it well.

Carrell seemed to be gone for a big chunk of the movie while they told the BJK lesbian story. I wish we had seen more of him hanging out with his tennis buddies. And why didn't he just sell the Rolls Royce rather than have it delivered to his home. And he is right. Only gamblers who lose should go to GA.

[Drunk Monk]

I’m retrospect, if you must see a contemporary historical sports flick where you totally know where it’s going to go, see I, Tonya.

[Greg]

That's on the list.

Next up, Victoria and Abdul. We are adulting this weekend.