Inside The Making Of 'Battle Of The Sexes' With Directors Valerie Faris And Jonathan Dayton

The 1973 tennis match between women’s world champion Billie Jean King and former men’s champ Bobby Riggs was one of the most highly televised sporting events of all time, reaching 90 million viewers around the world. But as the confrontation between the tennis superstars loomed, both were facing complex personal issues as well. The 29-year-old King was grappling with her sexuality as her relationship with her hairdresser Marilyn Barnett deepened. At the same time, the 55-year-old retiree was on the verge of divorce due to his gambling problems.

Their personal stories, the spectacle of their tennis showdown and the '70s crusade for gender equality all come to life in the biopic “Battle of the Sexes,” helmed by husband-and-wife directorial team Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton (who also directed Academy Award-winning film “Little Miss Sunshine").

The film stars Emma Stone as Billie Jean King, Steve Carell as Bobby Riggs and Andrea Riseborough as Marilyn Barnett. And while its plot certainly revolves around tennis, the movie also touches on other deeper themes.

---

“It is a sports movie and a love story that is about finding one’s true self and the quest for social change,” Dayton told Patch. “It touches on so many levels of human emotions. Sadness, happiness, disappointments, setbacks, thrills and joys— so our goal was to empathize with all of the characters and to experience the complexity of the situation.”

The couple started work on the movie in 2016, and it was the most challenging project of their careers, according to Faris.

“We had the physical challenge of creating a massive tennis match, the creative challenges of how to show a compelling relationship, how to shoot love scenes and how to strike a balance between Bobby’s story and Billie Jean’s story — plus the stories of other characters,” she said.

“Apart from it all, we were lucky that Emma, Steve and Andrea wanted to be involved with the project. They love projects that challenge them as do we,” chimed Dayton.

The love scene between Stone and Riseborough is one the most poignant moments in the movie, and Faris explained the build-up to it — and how they made it lyrical and captivating for the audience.

“There are two love scenes in our mind,” she said. “There’s the haircut scene in the movie when Marilyn begins touching Billie Jean’s hair while quietly talking to her. An intimate exchange yet it is in a public place. This is the first time they bond. Then later, the other love scene in the movie is when they finally get to be together alone. At this point, we thought of Billie Jean — how that must have felt for her to face something she’s wanted for a while but hasn’t acted on it. We then choreographed it to a certain degree.”

“Andrea and Emma also made it possible for us,” added Dayton. “They were great. They had worked together in ‘Birdman,' and were comfortable with each other.”

Related: Interview With 'Battle Of The Sexes' Star Andrea Riseborough

To capture the essence of the then-29-year-old champ, the directors consulted with King before filming began.

“She came to the set only once, but of course not while shooting the love scene,” Faris said, laughing. “We knew it was going to be a delicate balance, knowing that she’s now 73 years old, and we’re talking of a woman who was 29 at that time, and that it was a very terrible and painful time in her life.”

Behind the scenes, the directors pulled together a female-dominated production team, which they explained was not by design.

“We always hire the best people, and it just so happened that most of them were women in this case,” said Faris.

“We had a lot of women in the cast, more women than men, but the men and women did get paid equally,” added Dayton.

Watch: Cast members talk about "Battle of the Sexes"

They filmed the epic tennis match in an L.A. sports arena where there was little margin for error behind the camera.

“The Houston Astrodome still exists, but it’s not in any good condition for filming,” explained Dayton. “We then filmed in a sports arena in Los Angeles, and we were the last people to shoot in this building before they tore it down afterwards. Really, there were no re-shoots, so we had to get it right the first time around.”

So, what do the two directors want the audience to take away from the movie?

“We want them to be moved. We want them to feel a powerful experience, that they were entertained,” said Dayton.

“We want them to be inspired to look at their own lives,” added Faris.

“Battle of the Sexes” opens in theaters everywhere on Friday, Sept. 29.

More movie news:

• Reviews of 'Battle Of The Sexes,' 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle,' 'Victoria And Abdul,' 'Ninjago,' 'Stronger'
• Interview with 'Battle Of The Sexes' Star Andrea Riseborough
• Stars Shine At 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle' World Premiere
• Reviews of 'Mother!,' American Assassin,' 'Brad's Status,' 'First They Killed My Father''
• What's New On Netflix: September 2017

  ---

  Top Photo: (L-R) Emma Stone, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris at Fox Searchlight's "Battle of the Sexes" Los Angeles Premiere on Sept. 16 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Fox Searchlight)