The historic 1973 tennis match between middle-aged champion Bobby Riggs and young feminist Billie Jean King.
Acting
Holly Hunter's serve is almost as good as her quiet fury.
Production
Nails the tacky, carnival atmosphere of the original broadcast.
Director
Jane Anderson
Holly Hunter
Billie Jean King
Ron Silver
Bobby Riggs
Matt Letscher
Larry King
Bob Gunton
Jerry Perenchio
Jacqueline McKenzie
Margaret Court
Elizabeth Berridge
Rosie Casals
Vincent Van Patten
Lornie Kuhle
Gerry Becker
Ted Tinling
Kathleen Gati
Debbie the Hairdresser
Michael Mantell
Sidney Schlenker
Kali Rocha
Connie
Maureen Mueller
Judith
Patrick Kerr
Rheo
Caroline Aaron
Gladys Heldman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real match drew 90 million viewers — still the most-watched tennis match in U.S. history. Riggs and King became genuine friends afterward, with Riggs finally admitting she would've beaten him even at his prime.
This TV movie aired on ABC just weeks after 9/11, giving it unexpected resonance as a story about American resilience and unlikely unity. Hunter reportedly trained for three months to approximate King's actual playing style.
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