Jan 27, 2026 6:27pm PT ‘Give Me the Ball!’ Review: Ferociously Entertaining Portrait of Billie Jean King as Athletic Superstar and Culture Hero Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff's inspirational documentary captures how the fabled icon of women's tennis was a game-changer in every way. By Owen Gleiberman Plus Icon Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic @OwenGleiberman Latest ‘Give Me the Ball!’ Review: Ferociously Entertaining Portrait of Billie Jean King as Athletic Superstar and Culture Hero 49 minutes ago ‘Run Amok’ Review: A Drama About a School Shooting, and Therapizing It Through a Musical, Is Notable for the Performance of Alyssa Marvin 19 hours ago ‘Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass’ Review: David Wain’s Antically Funny Satire of High-Concept Movies 1 day ago See All Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival “Give Me the Ball!,” the title of Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff’s ferociously inspirational and entertaining documentary about Billie Jean King, refers to something that the fabled tennis superstar would say repeatedly when she was growing up. King, born in Long Beach, California, in 1943, was raised in a 1950s world where girls weren’t supposed to want to play sports.
