THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN

Starring: Helen Slater, Christian Slater, Yeardley Smith, Peter Coyote, Martha Gehman, and Barry Tubb.

Billie Jean Davy (Helen Slater) and her younger brother, Binx (Christian Slater) are teenagers in Corpus Christi, Texas.  High school bullies steal Binx’s scooter, forcing Billie Jean, Binx, and their friends Putter (Yeardley Smith) and Ophelia (Martha Gehman) to report it to the police.  After they talk to Detective Ringwald (Peter Coyote) about it, and are not taken seriously, Binx takes matters into his own hands, and ends up getting severely beaten, and getting his scooter trashed.

As Hubie Pyatt is the bully that damaged the scooter, Billie Jean, Binx, and Ophelia go to his father's shop to get the money to get the scooter fixed. However, Mr. Pyatt tries to sexually assault Billie Jean and Binx accidentally shoots him in the shoulder. The teens take off into the night. Shortly after, Detect. Ringwald is beginning to realize that his lack of action set into pay a chain of events that is spiraling into chaos.

Just like Timmy the paperboy in Better Off Dead who just wanted his two dollars, Billie Jean just wanted the six hundred bucks to fix her brother’s scooter…and an apology from that dirt-bag Pyatt. But she becomes a symbol of the teen angst of the 80’s: not being taken seriously by adults, having to do for yourself when there is no one to help you do it (whatever “it” is/was), and living in an anti-John Hughes trailer park world.

Great film. Killer cast. Excellent soundtrack. The Legend of Billie Jean.


The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. - John 1:4