The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)

Simply A Masterpiece

Crappy film

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

To me this movie give the middle finger to all the b.s. movements today. Something serious happens in the movie and instead of trying hide behind social media or some liberal lawyer this chick does it on her own. He finds her true identity and stands up for herself. She knows it will take some extreme acts but also does it without dragging all men or race down. She's a strong woman and believes in herself. The way things used to be, not like the weirdos of today. Fair is Fair!

I recently purchased the special edition "Fair Is Fair" DVD version of "The Legend of Billie Jean". Partly because I thought it was a fun flashback to the 80s when I thought this movie was so cutting-edge cool when I was still a teenager, partly because it had a soundtrack commentary by stars Helen Slater and Yeardley Smith. I wasn't disappointed.I will say I've watched this movie more than a few times. Each time I am kinda in awe of how blonde and stunning Helen is. She was (still is) a beautiful actress. "City Slickers", "The Secret of My Success" both cast her as the sexy co-star and for good reason. Her sexiness is without question in this movie. This is one of Christian Slater's (no relation) first movies and he's exactly what you'd expect him to be at 15 years old. Yeardley Smith is and always has been a gifted ugly duckling that is as adorable as they get. This is no different. Priceless casting.The story is fairly silly and formulaic. A teenage girl and her brother have their motor scooter trashed by some bullies. The girl goes to the bully's father and demands money for the damages. The dad is worse than the son. They struggle. An accident occurs. The kids go on the lam. Good cop who can read between the lines trails the kids like a bloodhound. Kids become famous outlaws. Big climax at the end. Standard teenage 80s stuff. And it's worth every second of screen time!!!Watching the DVD with the voice-over soundtrack by both Helen and Yeardley made me laugh out loud a few times. It was hilarious listening to these two friends banter back and forth about who did what when and where, the horrible 80s styles and hair now that they're mothers themselves, how their daughters won't even watch it out of sheer horror their mothers were rebellious teenagers (Helen - "We're five minutes into the movie and my daughter has already left." - funny stuff), etc... The fact Helen didn't remember the real actress' name of her own mother character in the movie (Mona Lee Fultz) tells you how raw this audio take is. No editing, just middle-age friends talking into a microphone. It's genuine and even better than this classic 80s flick by itself.The movie is dated, even ridiculous in some cases, and totally awesome (yes, an 80s term)! How can you not sing a few bars of Pat Benatar's "Invincible" in this fantastically cheesy movie? It's self-consciously teeny throughout. Even the adults act more like enabling or overbearing parents than real adults. It's cheerful, uplifting, cool and just plain fun to watch. The writing is irrelevant. Holes in the plot are beside the point. Sit back, slide this piece of 80s nostalgia into your DVD player, put on your headphones, pump up the volume on the headphones at all the right places, and just enjoy the experience.Billie Jean RULES!!! :-)

Billie Jean (Helen Slater) lives in a Texas trailer park with her brother best friend Binx (Christian Slater). Local bully Hubie picks on them. He steals Binx's scooter and then trashes it while beating up Binx. Detective Ringwald (Peter Coyote) brushes Billie Jean off. She goes to get the money herself. Hubie's dad lures her upstairs and tries to rape her. Meanwhile Binx finds a gun in the cash register. The gun goes off accidentally and Hubie's dad is shot. Billy Jean, Binx, friends Putter (Yeardley Smith) and Ophelia (Martha Gehman) go on the run and become legends as she fights for "fair is fair". They break-in and befriends horror-fan weirdo Lloyd (Keith Gordon) who volunteers to be their hostage. He turns out to be the son of District Attorney Muldaur (Dean Stockwell).It is fun and energetic. It's not subtle. Richard Bradford is being a super villain. There is a lot of silliness going on. It has no believability. Yeardley Smith is ridiculous. But it's a fun campy 80s movie and there are stuff to like about it. Helen Slater and Peter Coyote are great at their roles. It's no surprise that they're the only two reasonable characters in the whole movie. Although Helen Slater striking that pose is hilarious. The movie tries to say something about girl empowerment with the Joan of Arc theme but the movie can't be taken seriously.

While this is truly an '80s movie and the acting is a little blah, the plot is actually an everyday event. There is such bullying and even though there are state and federal laws against it, it still happens. These teens tried to tell the truth and because of their age, were discriminated against, simply because of their ages. While I don't agree with vigilante justice, the end justifies the need to take people, no matter the age, serious. The "dad" in the movie, sad yet it happens on a daily basis. I watched this movie when it came out and I felt such a connection to Billy Jean. I know the injustice that children/young adults face. I hope you watch the movie and even though it is an "'80s" movie, the plot/story behind the movie, is a timeless truth... Enjoy!