Battle of the Sexes Page #14

Tight-lipped, Barry drives Margaret. The radio is on.

RADIO:

...and in today’s much-publicised

tennis face-off between Senior Pro,

Bobby Riggs and Women’s Number One,

Margaret Court, the self-styled

Male Chauvinist Pig beat Mrs Court

in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1 in what

the press has dubbed ‘the Mother’s

Day Massacre’

Barry switches off the radio.

MARGARET COURT:

Oh, for goodness sake. It was just

a tennis match.

She looks over at Barry.

MARGARET COURT (CONT’D)

Wasn’t it?

95 OMITTED 95

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16

81

96 INT. BILLIE JEAN’S HOTEL ROOM. HAWAII. NIGHT. 96

Billie Jean is trying to wrap iced towels around her knees,

but is making a mess of it.

BILLIE JEAN:

This isn’t tennis, it’s a soapopera. I don’t want anything to do

with that!

MARILYN:

Then don’t.

BILLIE JEAN:

The women’s number one can’t beat a

fifty-five year old?! Are youkidding me?? She just made women’s

tennis look like a joke.

MARILYN:

Nobody thinks you’re a joke.

BILLIE JEAN:

Hell, she just made women look like

a joke.

MARILYN:

Billie, since when did it become

your job to defend the whole ofwomankind?

Billie Jean pushes the ice packs off, annoyed.

BILLIE JEAN:

Who else is gonna beat him? Don’t

you get it? I don’t have a choice.

MARILYN:

You always have a choice.

Billie Jean grabs her racket and a bucket of tennis balls.

MARILYN (CONT’D)

Where are you going?

BILLIE JEAN:

I need to think.

She grabs her key and walks out.

97 OMITTED 97

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16

82

97A INT. DESERT TENNIS CENTRE. CANTEEN. NIGHT. 97A

Bobby, Lornie and Larry sit in the only pool of light in thevast, empty dining hall. At the table is a half-finishedmeal, a bottle of Scotch and beside him, a cart with a

telephone on it.

Ignored, Larry is watching Bobby obsessively play patience.

Eventually, Larry gets up.

LARRY:

Well, I’ll- get some sleep.

BOBBY RIGGS:

Oh. Okay.

And he goes back to his cards.

LARRY:

Hey, Dad, you really did it.

BOBBY RIGGS:

This? This was nothing. You wait,

kiddo, you just wait.

Larry waits for more, but Bobby has disappeared back into thecards once again.

98 EXT. TENNIS COURT. HAWAII. NIGHT. 98

Darkness. One by one, the arc lights above the tennis courtcome on. Billie Jean carries a bucket of balls onto the

court. She starts serving. And serving and serving.

99 INT. BILLIE JEAN’S HOTEL ROOM. HAWAII. NIGHT. 99

From the balcony, Marilyn watches.

100 INT. HOTEL LOBBY. HAWAII. NIGHT. 100

Billie Jean makes a call from a pay phone in the lobby.

101 INT. KING RESIDENCE. BEDROOM/INT. HOTEL LOBBY. HAWAII. 101

NIGHT. (INTERCUT)

The phone rings in the dark bedroom. Larry wakes up, turns ona light. Discombobulated. He answers the phone.

LARRY:

Hello?

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16

BILLIE JEAN:

Larry, I’m sorry to call so late,

but I need you and it can’t wait.

LARRY:

Quit apologizing. We’re married,

you can call any time. What’swrong?

BILLIE JEAN:

Bobby Riggs beat Margaret Court.

LARRY:

I was watching. It was a travesty.

BILLIE JEAN:

You think I can beat him, right?

LARRY:

Riggs? In a heartbeat.

BILLIE JEAN:

Then call the bozo. Tell him it’s

on. But nothing gets agreed onwithout my approval. Venue, date,

TV rights. Everything. Which balls

we use. I know Bobby, he’ll be

doing deals on his deals by now.

LARRY:

I’ll reach out first thing in the

morning.

BILLIE JEAN:

No, now. He calls me at midnight.

If we’re going, let’s go.

LARRY:

Billie Jean? You know the press aregoing to be all over you, right?

BILLIE JEAN:

Yes.

LARRY:

About everything?

BILLIE JEAN:

Larry. I know. Let’s do this.

LARRY:

All right. I’ll call him now. Get

some sleep.

BILLIE JEAN:

Larry? Thank you.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16

84

LARRY:

What for?

BILLIE JEAN:

This. And everything else.

LARRY:

Do anything for you. You know that.

(Beat)

Good night, Billie.

BILLIE JEAN:

Night, Larry.

They hang up. Billie Jean stands there for a moment,

thinking.

102 INT. DESERT TENNIS CENTER. CANTEEN. NIGHT.

Alone in the canteen, Bobby is still playing Patience. Thephone rings. He searches in his pockets until he finds whathe’s looking for- a hearing aid. Puts it in his ear and

snatches up the phone.

BOBBY RIGGS:

Larry!...Sleeping? No, no, we got a

party going on here! To the victor,

the spoils, right?

He waves the phone around vaguely in an attempt to createsome atmosphere...

BOBBY RIGGS (CONT’D)

You spoke to Jerry? You should.

He’s the man. Uhuh, uhuh- of course

we’ll agree, you know me, I’m a

gentleman...Well, that’s just great

news, Larry. Great news. Send my

love to Billie Jean.

He puts down the phone, puts up both arms in victory.

BOBBY RIGGS (CONT’D)

Alright! Alright!

An echo. He looks around.

BOBBY RIGGS (CONT’D)

Maybe some dessert? Hello?

The hello reverberates around the empty hall.

103 OMITTED

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16

85

103A OMITTED 103A

104 INT. BILLIE JEAN’S HOTEL ROOM. HAWAII. NIGHT. 104

Billie Jean opens the door. Marilyn is packing her bag.

BILLIE JEAN:

What are you doing?

MARILYN:

Don’t like to stay where I’m not

wanted.

Billie Jean sits on the bed.

BILLIE JEAN:

Come here.

Marilyn keeps packing.

BILLIE JEAN (CONT’D)

Please stop. Look at me.

Marilyn looks at her, arms held across her chest.

BILLIE JEAN (CONT’D)

It’s not that I don’t want youhere. The opposite, actually.

Billie searches for the right words.

BILLIE JEAN (CONT’D)

It’s just not safe for me to carry

on like this. I’ve decided to play

Bobby. And the scrutiny I’ll be

under... I can’t risk people

finding out.

MARILYN:

So, what? You’re going to stay withLarry and keep pretending for therest of your life?

Billie Jean looks down, trying to gather her strength.

MARILYN (CONT’D)

Billie? Do I or do I not make youhappy?

BILLIE JEAN:

...It’s not about me right now. It

isn’t even about tennis. This is a

chance to do something that couldreally change things, somethingeveryone will take notice of.

(MORE)

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16 86

BILLIE JEAN (CONT'D)

Not just a few sports fans.

Everyone.

(Beat)

I can’t let my personal business

get in the way of that. Do youunderstand?

BILLIE JEAN (CONT'D)

Not just a few sports fans.

Everyone.

(Beat)

I can’t let my personal business

get in the way of that. Do youunderstand?

After a moment:

MARILYN:

...I hope you have a happy life,

Billie Jean. I really do.

She starts to pack again.

BILLIE JEAN:

You don’t have to go right now. At

least stay the night.

MARILYN:

No. I can’t.

Marilyn continues packing. Billie Jean watches her.

105 OMITTED 105

105A INT. HOTEL. HALLWAY. HAWAII. NIGHT. 105A

Marilyn drags her suitcase down a long hallway.

106 INT. HOTEL. BILLIE JEAN’S ROOM. HAWAII. SIMULTANEOUS. 106

Billie Jean sits on the bed, alone, processing what happened.

107 EXT. BOBBY’S HOUSE. DAY. 107

Priscilla opens the door. Bobby stands there.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes