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When Billie Beat Bobby (2001)

Holly Hunter stars as tennis legend Billie Jean King in this highly entertaining flashback to 1973's historic "Battle of the Sexes." When aging, chauvinistic tennis pro Bobby Riggs (Ron Silver) begins to challenge the world's top ladies players.

Movie|PG|1 hr. 28 min.|

© Miramax

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Title Details

When Billie Beat Bobby

Title	When Billie Beat Bobby (2001)
Runtime	1 hr. 28 min.
Studio	Miramax
Genres	Comedy \| Family
Description	This 2001 TV docudrama relates the story of tennis' 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" between Wimbledon champions Billie Jean King (Holly Hunter) and Bobby Riggs (Ron Silver), an event considered by many to be an early victory for feminism. Riggs, 20 years past his prime, lives to wager on anything and everything. Seeing the rise of feminism, he decides he can make some money by challenging top female players, 30 years his junior, into exhibition matches. His first choice for an opponent is Billie Jean King, but she turns him down because she is too busy organizing the members of the female tennis tour into a de facto union, and winning tennis tournaments. After Bobby defeats the number one female tennis player in the world, Margaret Court, King realizes she needs to beat him. Following months of hype in which Bobby's bluster is matched at every point by Billie's confidence, the two face off in the Astrodome before a huge live and television audience. When Billie Beat Bobby was written and directed by Jane Anderson who had previously written The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom, which also featured Holly Hunter in the title role

7 months ago

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I remember watching this match live on TV.
Holly Hunter was amazing. She was reall in fantastic shape for this role. The genuine best side of the actress really shone through, which made her portrayal endearing, even if it did not represent the real Billie Jean King.
I cannot imagine anyone doing a better Bobby Riggs than Ron Silver. I did not recognize him until 20 minutes in. This is the most perfect portrayal of a real person I have ever seen. Too bad his career ended as it did.
The one thing I felt was missing was a bit at the end telling what happened to Bobby Riggs - how much money he lost and his immediate fade out from the public eye.

7 months ago

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This movie was great. Hurrah for the women who fought for their rights! Yeah to Billy Jean King and her awesome spunk!

7 months ago

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I´ve often wondered why I cannot find a documentary on this event. This was the biggest, I mean the BIGGEST event of that decade, if not 2 decades.

This was the talk EVERYDAY at that time.

Others have tried battle of the sex matches like Connors and Navratolova. If you weren´t a tennis buff, you didn´t hear about it.

I´m also glad they covered the battle of the Ages in this movie. I had not even known about that.

10 months ago

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This is a quirky, lovable period piece. I remember watching the King/Riggs match as a kid, and hearing all of the crazy sexist talk about it. It really was the end of an era when men could claim casual superiority over women. After this match, women started to see gains in equality, and 'feminism' became more socially acceptable. Such a strange time in American history... When Billie Beat Bobbie really captures the mood and excitement and anxiety surrounding the match, and has wonderful performances by Holly Hunter and Ron Silver. Vince Van Patton is good too :)

11 months ago

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BJK had a greater impact on women's rights than most folks today remember, extending beyond sports and the buffoonery of BR. Great movie -- excellent casting and great story that captures the era and the politics. Unexpected surprise to see Rainn Wilson in all his '70s pimped-out glory!