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Emma Stone and Steve Carell take it back to the seventies in the first trailer for Battle of the Sexes. A dramatization of the real-life tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, sees the two pitting themselves against one another both on and off the court. Oscar winner Stone stars as King, who was a world class tennis player as well as being someone who fought hard for equal rights for women. Carell plays Briggs, an arrogant, chauvinistic, misogynistic retired tennis champ, who assumed he could beat the World Number One, just because she was female.
The match took place in 1973, and became one of the most-watched sporting events of all time, bringing attention and prompting discussion around gender equality, though there was still an awfully long way to with that debate. The first trailer gives a good look at a promising movie. Take a look, below (via JoBlo Movie Trailers).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0FxwbPTjnA
What really stands out about the trailer is the 70’s feel it has; shot purposely to make the footage seem as authentic as possible. Stone really looks the part as King, and it’ll be fascinating to learn more about her as a person, her life, and the causes that were so important to her. As for Briggs, Carell does a fine job of being as dislikeable as possible, and it’s always a joy to see him showcasing his fine acting skills.
There’s been little buzz surrounding Battle of the Sexes so far, but this trailer certainly does the job of appealing to moviegoers. Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, Battle of the Sexes co-stars Alan Cumming, Andrea Riseborough, Elizabeth Shue, Austin Stowell and Sarah Silverman. The movie is billed as a ‘dramedy’ and that comes across; society has moved on to such an extent that we can now laugh in disbelief at lines from Carell such as “I love women in the bedroom and in the kitchen,” and his calling King a “hairy legged feminist.” At the time, many viewed the tennis match as a bit of lighthearted fun, but actually, it was about so much more than that, especially for King, a champion of women’s rights. And no, we won’t tell you who won.
Battle of the Sexes opens in U.S. theaters, September 22nd.
Featured Image: Fox Searchlight
