Billie Jean King’s Sundance documentary “Give Me the Ball” is a hit

Photo: covergirl

PARK CITY, Utah — Magical moments unfolded on Monday at the Park City High School’s Eccles Theater where the Sundance Film Festival’s premiere of ESPN’s documentary “Give Me The Ball” about tennis legend Billie Jean King, was less a Sundance screening and more a true Sundance experience.

At Sundance, where organizers pride themselves on starting films right on time, the sold out crowd was left waiting as publicists insisted King wrap up red carpet media interviews. But King kindly and lengthily answered every single one of the enamored media’s questions with answers about all things global, sports, gender equality, the Olympics, the Australian Open, filmmaking, politics, you name it.

She then sat in the audience and watched the film, which has something for everyone. Whether movie watchers are fans of her sport, all sports, history, culture, legal battles, business battles, marital drama, Elton John, a six year old Serena Williams, or a modern day Serena Williams, people are going to run, not walk, to see this film. 

Above she discusses how she’ll be at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games as an ambassador for the Team USA and cheering on the women’s hockey team.

Below King embraces her wife Ilana Kloss.

King gives praise and chats about fond memories with “Lefty” and Sundance Film Festival Founder Robert Redford in this video of her on stage at the Q&A.

She spent lots of time on the High School stage after she’d spoken off camera about the importance of student-athletes striving to do well and do good.

Fans showed up in costumes like these retro, neon tennis outfits. The crowd enthusiastically and uncharacteristically clapped a dozen times intermittently during the showing. Many audience members were simultaneously laughing and crying. 

Fifty members of the Utah Tennis Organization watched the screening, some having flown in from New York just to see it, all coordinated by Lori Lambert (not pictured).

Watch as King hits personally-signed tennis balls all the way up to the balcony seats at the end of the night. Those trying to catch just one elbowed each other as if they were trying to catch a World Series baseball.

Here’s a lucky fan who caught one proudly showing it off. The title of the documentary comes from home movies of King at age 10, before discovering tennis, when she refers to her love of sports saying, “Football, baseball, basketball any ball, just ‘Give Me The Ball.'”

All photos and videos by TownLift // Michele Roepke