Critical Reception & Box Office Performance:
- Rotten Tomatoes score: 84/100 (critics), 71/100 (audience)
The film received mostly positive reviews from audiences and critics, according to Rotten Tomatoes, especially for its costuming and superb performances from Carell and Stone. Ultimately, though, the movie was a commercial failure as it grossed only about $18,600,000 worldwide—$12,600,000 in the U.S. and Canada—from an estimated budget of $25,000,000, according to IMDb. A combination of its limited release on debut and the timing of the film, released more than 40 years after the real-life events took place, could have turned off audiences.
Accolades, Awards & Nominations:
Battle of the Sexes received two nominations at the Golden Globes, Best Actor (Musical or Comedy) for Carell and Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) for Stone. The pair lost in their categories to James Franco (The Disaster Artist) and Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), respectively. Both actors also earned Critics Choice Awards nominations for their performances, with Carell getting another nod from the Screen Actors Guild. But, like Challengers, the film was panned by the Academy and didn’t get any nominations on Hollywood’s biggest night.
Verdict:
Does it pass the tennis fan test? Yes
Eight years after its release, the film is still much loved among tennis fans for its true to life details, from the meticulously recreated dresses and tennis outfits to Stone and Riggs spot-on performances. The film has earned permanent cult favorite status among tennis fans, while also being a great feel-good crowd pleaser for all fans of a good sports movie despite its commercial failure.
