Borg vs McEnroe
Some stars shine forever
Overview
The Swedish Björn Borg and the American John McEnroe, the best tennis players in the world, maintain a legendary duel during the 1980 Wimbledon tournament.
Backdrop
What makes this movie Worth Watching
The film delves into the personalities behind two tennis legends, beyond their public images. It explores the price of fame and the mental fortitude required to compete at the highest level, in a sport often seen as embodying grace and discipline, yet hiding intense personal struggles.
- Excellent portrayal of the intense pressure and psychological toll on elite athletes, showing both Borg and McEnroe's anxieties and vulnerabilities.
- Shia LaBeouf delivers a compelling performance as John McEnroe, capturing his fiery spirit and on-court outbursts convincingly.
- The film provides a gripping and suspenseful recreation of the iconic 1980 Wimbledon final, building tension effectively.
- Exploration of contrasting personalities and playing styles, highlighting the duality of Bjorn Borg's stoic demeanor and John McEnroe's explosive temperament.
Fun Facts
- Shia LaBeouf's own volatile personality is often cited as contributing to his convincing portrayal of John McEnroe. He reportedly researched McEnroe extensively, studying his mannerisms and interviews.
- The film uses actual footage from the 1980 Wimbledon final, seamlessly blending it with the recreated scenes to enhance authenticity.
- While Sverrir Gudnason portrays Bjorn Borg, Borg's actual son, Leo Borg, played the younger version of his father in flashback scenes.
Available Languages
English
US
Title:
"Some stars shine forever"
Italiano
IT
Title: Borg McEnroe
""
Français
FR
Title: Borg McEnroe
"Wimbledon 1980. Deux légendes."
Deutsch
DE
Title: Borg vs. McEnroe
"Borg vs. McEnroe"
Dansk
DK
Title: Borg
""
български език
BG
Title: Борг-Макенроу
"Някои звезди блестят вечно."
Where to Watch
Cast
Crew
Reviews
You can't be serious!
Borg vs McEnroe is directed by Janus Metz and written by Ronnie Sandahl. It stars Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård and Tuva Novotny.
The Swedish Björn Borg (Gudnason) and the American John McEnroe (LaBeouf), the best tennis players in the world, maintain a legendary duel during the 1980 Wimbledon tournament.
Cut to the chase, this is one for tennis fans to gorge upon, but even then it's a bit too lop sided to fully delight. Being a Swedish production it's heavily loaded towards the personal worries that were plaguing Borg in the very early 1980s. Sadly this renders McEnroe - one of the games greatest and most colourful characters - as being a support player in what set out to be a biographical pic about sports rivalry.
However, what does come across is that both men were driven and actually both were tits for varying reasons. There's unsurprisingly some parental pressures, while Borg feels the strain of breaking records (as his wife chain smokes) and McEnroe strives to get on the ladder to greatness. Sure the tennis sequences don't hold up to scrutiny but both Gudnason and LaBeouf (excellent and excellently cast) come out of the physicalities very well.
Ultimately it's a character study that doesn't delve too deeply for equal parties, but come the 1980 Wimbledon final, with one of the greatest 4th sets ever played, you should be hard pressed not to rejoice. Not only in the sport of tennis played to the max, but in how two supposed rivals actually became the best of friends. 7/10
Oscar Awards
Wins
Haven't Won A Oscar
Nominations
Haven't Nominated for Oscar
Media
Trailer
BORG VS. MCENROE [Trailer] – In theaters & On Demand 4/13
Teaser
Borg vs McEnroe teaser trailer - in cinemas 22 September