Emma Stone and Steve Carell star in this recreation of the legendary 1973 tennis match that pitted Billie Jean King against Bobby Riggs.

Scripted by Academy Award winner Simon Beaufoy (“Slumdog Millionaire”) and directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton (“Little Miss Sunshine”), “Battle of the Sexes” is a rousing depiction of a historical moment.

King (Stone) is a champion athlete and an outspoken feminist in her professional life, but her personal life is a struggle. Her marriage is failing. Her closeted sexuality feels like a distraction. Outraged that the National Tennis League won’t allow equal pay for men and women, King founds her own tour with Gladys Heldman (Sarah Silverman) as manager. Riggs (Carell) is decades removed from his last championship. Facing dwindling finances and desperate to win back his ex-wife, he proposes a publicity-snaring challenge.

The film reminds us just how much blatant sexism pervaded the so-called sexual revolution. But it also shows the great strides made by trailblazers like King.

Bursting with colorful period production design and costumes, “Battle of the Sexes” is as fleet and fun as it is politically acute, and Stone and Carell make hugely enjoyable adversaries.

The movie is also available on Disney Plus