(1985) 2.5 Brian J. Dillard This teen flick-cum-parable is probably best remembered for spawning Pat Benatar's hit theme song, kicking off Christian Slater's celluloid career, and introducing the world to the voice of Lisa Simpson. However, The Legend of Billie Jean is actually an overlooked '80s gem whose working-class, trailer-dwelling, proto-feminist protagonist is a lot more heroic than actress Helen Slater's previous star turn in Supergirl. The best thing about this film is the sympathetic but rarely condescending eye it casts on the poor, picked-on but proud folks who live on the wrong side of the tracks in Corpus Christi, TX. Though unrelated, Helen Slater and Christian Slater slide with equal ease into the roles of siblings Binx and Billie Jean Davy, he the impetuous little scrapper, and she the goodhearted older sis. The supporting cast is even better, from Keith Gordon as rich proto-alternateen Lloyd to underrated comic actress Martha Gehman as Ophelia, the "Billie Jean Gang's" no-nonsense getaway driver. The most distinctive role, however, belongs to future Simpsons performer Yeardley Smith, whose foul-mouthed adolescent character, Putter, gets the best laughs. The likelihood of a white-trash Texas girl becoming America's voice of the people may be slim, but the filmmakers do a great job of describing how it would actually play out, from the Madonna-style wannabes who emulate Billie Jean's androgynous 'do to the "just plain folks" who share their opinions in simulated eyewitness interviews. Perhaps the film's excellent storytelling is the result of its pedigree; director Matthew Robbins and producers Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal are all screenwriters; Robbins, for instance, penned The Sugarland Express, another excellent tale of Texas outlaws. These filmmakers conspired to give their popcorn flick a thoughtful side, a sense of humor, and a dose of low-income girl power -- qualities that have held up years after the teen zeitgeist has moved on.

cast-crew for The Legend of Billie Jean on AllMovie

The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)

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The Legend of Billie Jean

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flags

Adult Language
Adult Situations
Not For Children
Violence

genres

Drama

sub-genres

category

Feature

directed by

Matthew Robbins

countries

USA

released

1985

run time

92 min.

produced by

Delphi III Productions, Tri-Star, Tri-Star Pictures, TriStar

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cast

Helen Slater: Billie Jean

Keith Gordon: Lloyd

Christian Slater: Binx

Richard Bradford: Pyatt

Peter Coyote: Ringwald

Martha Gehman: Ophelia

Yeardley Smith: Putter

Dean Stockwell: Muldaur

Al Geatano: Worker No. 2

Angela Churchill: Cadillac Driver

Antony Peraino: Kid in Crowd No. 1

B.J. Thompson: Interview Boy

Barbara Durham: Teen Customer

Barry Tubb: Hubie

Bobby Fite: Mini-Mart Boy

Bobby Jones: Kenny

Caroline Williams: Woman in Pickup

Cass Gabriel: Young Boy

Cathleen Sutherland: Girl in Camaro

Celia Newman: Interview Girl

Charles Redd: News Announcer

David Lee Morgan: Kid #2

Forrest Patton: Policeman No. 2

J.C. Minter: Bert

James Miller: Boy #2

Janet Smalley: Putter's Mother

John Edson: Marksman

John M. Jackson: Kenny's Father

John Wolfshohl: Kid No. 1

Joshua Butts: Tape Delivery Boy

Joy Swan: Young Customer

Kathryn Childers: Anchor Woman

Kenneth Beall: Kid in Crowd No. 2

Kenneth Searle: Worker No. 1

Kim Valentine: Mini-Mart Girl

Mona Lee Fultz: Donna Davey

Peter Bonanno: Reporter No. 1

Ray Hanna: Jimmy J. Judge

Robert Scott Cate: Boy #1

Robert Wassell: Parking Attendant

Rod Pilloud: Robbery Victim

Rodney Rincon: Police Sergeant

Rudy Young: Man in Pickup

Sage Parker: TV Reporter

Sharon Holmin: Reporter No. 2

Sharon-Marie Stolar: Teen Girl

Sonya Robbins: Young Girl

Stephanie Shook: Cadillac Passenger

Steve Uzzell: Poster Customer

Thomas M. Jarrett: Policeman No. 1

Tony Slowik: Interview Teen

crew

Matthew Robbins: Director
Lawrence Konner: Producer, Screenwriter, Co-producer
Mark Rosenthal: Producer, Screenwriter, Co-producer
Rob Cohen: Producer
Walter Bernstein: Screenwriter
Jeffrey Kimball: Cinematographer
Craig Safan: Songwriter, Composer (Music Score)
Holly Knight: Songwriter
Mark Mueller: Songwriter
Simon Climie: Songwriter
Cynthia Scheider: Editor
Edward S. Haworth: Production Designer
Jon Peters: Executive Producer
Peter Guber: Executive Producer
R. Chris Westlund: Set Designer
Donna Linson: Costume Designer
Michael Abbogast: Special Effects
Bobby Bass: Stunts
Alan Friedman: Makeup