WHEN BILLIE BEAT BOBBY
US, 2001, 90 minutes, Colour.
Holly Hunter, Ron Silver, Matt Letscher, Bob Gunton, Jacqueline Mc Kenzie, Elizabeth Berridge, Vincent van Patton, Caroline Aaron.
Directed by Jane Anderson.
When Billie Beat Bobby is the story of Billie Jean King and her feminist championship of equal rights and pay for women tennis players. It is also the story of her confrontation with Bobby Riggs and the match which she won.
Holly Hunter executive produced this film as well as starring as Billie Jean King – an entertaining and strong performance. The surprise is the performance of Ron Silver as the eccentric Riggs, fifty-five at the time that he challenged Margaret Court and Billie Jean King. Silver impersonates Riggs – but looks and acts very much like Michael Myers as Austin Powers.
The film focuses on Wimbledon, the matches, the American team at Wimbledon and other tournaments. At the time, Australian Margaret Court (Jacqueline Mc Kenzie) was world champion. However, she was beaten by Riggs. Eventually Billie Jean King, at the urging of her husband Larry, took up the challenge and won three sets against Riggs.
The film is interesting in its background of the tennis world, the supremacy of the men, the challenge by the women, the stuffiness of the establishment, especially at Wimbledon. Fred Willard appears humorously as the commentator Howard Cosell (not unlike his commentator in Best in Show).
Direction and writing are by Jane Anderson, writer of such films as If These Walls Could Talk II and How to Make an American Quilt.
1.An entertaining telemovie? Characters? Sports? Tennis? Women’s issues and equality?
2.The re-creation of the period, the 60s and 70s? American tennis? British tennis? Wimbledon? The Houston Superdome? The background of the world of Bobby Riggs, of Billie Jean King? The tennis sequences and their editing and pace?
3.Holly Hunter as Billie Jean King: appearance? The childhood sequences, the tomboy, her parents not wanting her to be like this, her determination to be the world’s greatest tennis player (and the recapping of this sequence right at the end)? Her achievement? Her practice, tournaments, skills? Her winning Wimbledon? Her relationship with other players, the issue of equal payment for women, the campaigns, the interviews with the Wimbledon executives? The media interviews? The meetings with the tennis players, their hesitations? Margaret Court not understanding it? The final meeting, her achievement? Her relationship with her husband, his being her manager, his joy at her winning Wimbledon? The phone call and her sleep? The nightmare about Bobby Riggs? The encounters with Riggs, the games, the wordplay, the television interviews, the commercials? The media exploiting this confrontation, ABC Sport televising it, Jerry Perenchio and his organising of the match? Howard Cosell and Rosie and their comments? Billie Jean King’s achievement?
4.Ron Silver’s performances as Bobby Riggs, the eccentric, the comic touch? His being a champion, the memories of the war?
5. Bobby Riggs’ comic touches, his interviews, his playing tennis, doing the rounds, his continued hustling? The challenge by the women? His reaction, the challenge to Margaret Court? The preparation, the interviews, the press conferences? His beating Margaret Court? His arrogant attitude? The challenge of Billie Jean King? The preparation, the clashes at the press conference, his really looking down on her? The build-up to the game?
6. The presentation of Larry King, his personality, his devotion to Billie Jean King, the management, his promoting her, supporting her?
7. Howard Cosell, the actual sports commentator, the impersonation? His manner, style? His presence on the sports circuit? His interviews with the personalities – and drawing out insights into their lives and techniques?
8. Margaret Court, the Australian background, championship, her relationship to Billie Jean King, the issues of women, rights, salaries, Wimbledon? Her playing Bobby Riggs and losing? The glimpses of other tennis players of the time?
9. The women players, gathering together, their discussions, women’s rights, salaries? The stuffy authorities at Wimbledon? The bases for their attitudes?
10. The matches themselves, the visual styles, the use of news footage? The imitation of television transmissions of sports events?
11. The match itself, the effect on Billie Jean King, on Bobby Riggs? The tension in the match, the skill of the play? Editing and pace? Billie Jean King winning?
12. The world of sport, the atmosphere of the 70s? The feminist movement? Women asserting themselves?
13. The comic touches – especially with the visualisation of Billie Jean King’s nightmares?
14. The final focus on women, listing them, indicating their achievements? The match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King as symbolic of changes?
