So much average

hyped garbage

Good movie but grossly overrated

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

It's the 1973 "The Battle of the Sexes" tennis match between Billie Jean King (Holly Hunter) and Bobby Riggs (Ron Silver). This concentrates mostly on the year before the iconic match. Billie Jean had never been lady-like and her parents forced her to play tennis instead of playing sports with the boys. She tries to set up a ladies tour and fight for equal pay to the men. She organizes the ladies but number one player Margaret Court (Jacqueline McKenzie) is not cooperating. Bobby is a degenerate gambler and a loudmouth hustler. He keeps challenging Billie Jean to play for the new women's lib movement. Margaret accepts the payday and quickly loses. Billie Jean is forced to accept for the honor of the women's game.This is a perfectly TV movie and there is poetic justice with the original being an iconic TV event. There are some simplification with history that makes this an easy underdog sports story. It treats both Billie Jean and Bobby rather well. The two performances are great. Bobby comes off as a loveable lout and his respect for Billie Jean's game is a great asset to his character. His connections to the darker side of gambling is papered over and the theory that he threw the match is never mentioned. Billie Jean is of course the heroine but her lesbianism is never mentioned. The simplification highlights the bigger woman's liberation ideas and makes for an easy good sports movie. The tennis action could use a little help. This is a great story and this is perfect for the TV treatment.

An enjoyable dramatization of this famous battle of the sexes. Hunter and Silver were wonderful as King and Riggs. Worth catching. If you liked this movie, then catch a more current retelling in the Battle of the Sexes with Stone and Carell.

"When Billie Beat Bobby" is a fast moving fun movie. Even though the outcome is known, this is such an uplifting film that the journey is what it's all about. Ron Silver is terrific as the constant hustler, Bobby Rigggs, and Holly Hunter more than adequate as his adversary. Make no mistake this movie belongs to Ron Silver, because he absolutely nails his character. Throw in the always interesting Bob Gunton and Fred Willard, and it is easy to see why "When Billie Beat Bobby" is so entertaining. I did not find the overplaying of womens lib to be distracting, as it was the critical motivation for the match to be played. This is worth seeking out, even if tennis is not your game. - MERK

I was blithely unaware of the existence of the Battle of the Sexes until happening upon this film one evening on my way to bed.I ended up staying awake for the whole film simply because its manner of taking classic caricatures of personality extremes and making them not only something to laugh at, but human and warm and intelligent.I am NOT a tele movie type of gal, but this one took a hold somehow and just went from strength to strength. I will be looking for it to add to my DVD collection.I know the whole women's lib thing was a significant event to which I should be eternally grateful etc etc, and that theme was well developed of course, but what this film really showed me is that in any situation where people are oppressed and undervalued there can be a positive, friendly and adamant attitude that can bring about real and genuine change - not just in the rules but in the attitudes of the masses, the place REAL changes occur.I'll be looking for this film to add to my DVD collection and I'll be making sure I show my children when they are older to inspire them and prove that we are able to stand up for what we believe in without putting others down.Two enthusiastic thumbs up!!