Borg vs. McEnroe(2018)

NEON

R
1h 47m

Release Date: Apr 13, 2018 | Limited

The story of the 1980 tennis rivalry between the placid Björn Borg and the volatile John McEnroe.

Official Website

Releases

Original Release | Apr 13, 2018

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Box Office Results

Results

Opening Weekend US & Canada:
$52,625
Total US & Canada:
$231,346
Total International
$3,200,521
Total Worldwide:
$3,431,867

Current Showtimes

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(U.S. Only)

Director & Top Cast

Janus Metz
Director

Sverrir Gudnason
Björn Borg

Shia LaBeouf
John McEnroe

Stellan Skarsgård
Lennart Bergelin

Tuva Novotny
Mariana Simionescu

Leo Borg
Young Björn Borg - Age 9-13

Marcus Mossberg

Young Björn Borg - Age 15+

Jackson Gann

Young John McEnroe

Scott Arthur

Peter Fleming

Ian Blackman

John McEnroe Senior

Robert Emms

Vitas Gerulaitis

David Bamber

UK Commentator George Barnes

Mats Blomgren

Rune Borg

Julia Marko-Nord

Margareta Borg

Jane Perry

Kay McEnroe

Demetri Goritsas

Björn Borg's Agent 1

Roy McCrerey

Björn Borg's Agent 2

Björn Granath

Bengt Grive

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Aspect Ratio 2.35:1

Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: Sweden,Denmark,Finland,Czech Republic

Language: English,Swedish,French,Spanish,German

Summaries

Plot Summary

Bjorn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) is a Swedish former world # 1 tennis player. John McEnroe (Shia LaBeouf) is An American former world # 1 professional tennis player and Borg's rival. Their rivalry changed the world of tennis and changed both men, forever.Before all this, it's the summer of 1980 and Bjorn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) is the top tennis player in the world, dominating the sport both on and off the court. A powerful and rigorously disciplined player, there is only one obstacle in his pursuit of a record-breaking fifth Wimbledon championship: the highly talented but ferociously abrasive young American, John McEnroe (Shia LaBeouf). Borg has won 4 Wimbledon titles, while McEnroe is the upstart who is believed to take over the mantle from Borg. Borg is ice cool, while McEnroe is famous for displaying all emotions on court and throws regular tantrums during matches. McEnroe is chasing his first Wimbledon title. He is dubbed as the worst representative of American values since Al Capone. The British hate McEnroe and have already nick named him Superbrat.With three days until the tournament begins, Borg trains religiously in his lavish Monaco home, aided by his coach and mentor Lennart Bergelin (Stellan Skarsgard) and girlfriend Mariana (Tuva Novotny). But McEnroe's explosive confidence and wrecking-ball persona continue to infiltrate Borg's ice-cool and normally unshakable temperament.Borg reflects upon his early days as a teenager, when he was known for his own tantrums on court and was very dismissed by his academy as a boy (for being abusive and unsportsmanlike on the courts) who would never reach his potential. Tennis was an elite sport and not considered suitable for "all levels" of society. Thats when Lennart spotted him and his potential (Borg had a 2 handed back hand which was very powerful) and started grooming him. Lennart is the captain of the Davis cup team, and it is his job to keep an eye on the talent. After years of rigorous practice, Lennart is forced to enter a 15-year-old Borg into a Davis cup match when his superiors threaten to fire him if he would not. That was the start of Borg's career. Lennart trained Borg to channel his emotions into the force of his shots on court. Borg won the Davis Cup match against the world # 20 ranked player and became an overnight sensation.Arriving in London, Borg sets out his meticulous Wimbledon routine, and McEnroe draws his own tournament bracket on his hotel room wall. The press only has questions for Borg and are not interested in talking to anyone else. Borg is laser focused even as he is chased by women everywhere he goes. Borg is already planning his retirement with exhibition matches all over the world, paying $1 million per match. He still refuses to play in South Africa to oppose Apartheid. Borg and Marinara want to get married and the marketing agency advises them to sell the photo rights to their wedding, else it will be invaded by Paparazzi.They proceed through the first and second rounds, and McEnroe and fellow player Vitas Gerulaitis (Robert Emms) discuss rumors of Borg's superstitious habits, including fine-tuning his rackets and cooling rooms (to 50 degrees Fahrenheit) to lower his heart rate. His parents are allowed to attend every 2nd year and they wear the same clothes and sit in the same spot for the entire tournament. He trains at the same court, stays in the same room every year. He never treads on the baseline as that is bad luck. Borg's meticulous preparation is extended to Lennart and Borg testing the strings on his 30 rackets every night before match day. Borg holds it all in, before it explodes like a volcano on court. McEnroe creates his own draw on his hotel room wall to track progress of his biggest rival. Borg watches McEnroe's game and understands that McEnroe's aggression on court is a way for him to get back his focus.When his third-round match is paused due to rain, an overwhelmed Borg lashes out at Bergelin and Mariana. Flashbacks to Borg winning his first French Open in 1974 and Wimbledon two years later, as each tournament's youngest player ever, emphasize the pressure his career has placed on him. At one point, Borg insults Lennart by saying that he doesn't understand the pressure he is under as Lennart never anything more than the semifinals at a major grand slam (Lennart lost at the Quarter finals of the Wimbledon 3 times). That night, Bergelin and Mariana commiserate over the toll Bjorn's success has taken on their lives.In the quarter-final, McEnroe faces his own doubles partner Peter Fleming (Scott Arthur). The day of the match, he snubs Fleming, who accuses him of stealing his ankle brace. McEnroe wins and tries to reconcile, but Fleming warns John that he is not well liked and will only be remembered for his temper, not his skill. McEnroe's father arrives in London to watch him play.Borg wins his semi-final match, but still struggles to cope with the pressure. A year earlier, he agrees to recreate a home movie for a television interview - playing tennis outside his childhood home in Stockholm - but becomes agitated when he is unable to relive the exact experience, and leaves. At Wimbledon, Borg is comforted by Bergelin, and reaffirms his commitment to win.McEnroe's reputation and confrontational attitude lead him to be booed by the crowd throughout his semi-final match. He wins but storms out of a contentious post-game press conference, and later completes his handmade bracket: Borg faces McEnroe in the Wimbledon final.With each man the antithesis of the other, both players delve into their formative memories as the climactic tournament draws near and anticipation reaches fever pitch. Visceral and breathlessly tense, the match itself--regarded as one of the greatest of all time--would mark the pinnacle of the 'Fire and Ice' rivalry between Borg and McEnroe; an exhilarating battle of personalities that set the world of tennis alight.Lennart leaves Borg but comes back just before the finals, when he sees Borg barely scraping through to the final of the Wimbledon with an extremely erratic performance.Meanwhile McEnroe has a typically mercurial ascent to the finals which ends up alienating the entire crowd. But during the final against Borg, McEnroe manages to keep his cool at every contentious decision, eventually winning back the support of the crowd. After an intense 4th set tiebreak, McEnroe manages save 7 match points and takes the final into the fifth set. Borg rises to the occasion, digs deep and wins the final set. He hugs McEnroe at the ceremony. At the airport, Borg and McEnroe part on friendly terms. An epilogue reveals that John defeated Bjorn at the following Wimbledon championship, with Borg retiring that year at the age of 25, but they later became close friends - "Former rivals, best enemies".

Storyline

Björn Borg and the volatile John McEnroe . It is the 1980 Wimbledon tennis championship. Bjorn Borg is the number 1 tennis player in the world and the undisputed king of Wimbledon. He has won the tournament four times in a row - a fifth consecutive time would be a world first. However, a new face has appeared in the tennis world and presents a serious threat to Borg's title hopes - John McEnroe. — grantss It's the summer of 1980 and Björn Borg is the top tennis player in the world, dominating the sport both on and off the court. A powerful and rigorously disciplined player, there is only one obstacle in his pursuit of a record-breaking fifth Wimbledon championship - the highly talented but ferociously abrasive young American, John McEnroe.