Ahh, Remember… ‘The Legend Of Billie Jean’

Melissa:

How have I not written about this movie yet! The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) is definitely on my list of favorite movies! I only wish that they would make my dreams come true and release it in the states on DVD.

Billie Jean Davy (Helen Slater) and her brother Binx (Christian Slater) live in the lower income part of town. They don’t exactly fit in, if you leave out the boys who hit on Billie Jean… I mean come on, she is incredibly gorgeous. While protecting his sister from some local boys, Binx manages to anger them to the point that they trash his prize scooter and beat him to a pulp.

Billie Jean runs to the police only to find that they won’t do anything, so she decides to take the matter into her own hands. While confronting one of the local boys who trashed Binx’s bike, the boys father offers to pay for the bike… as long as Billie Jean sleeps with him. When she refuses and tries to run, he attacks her, and that’s when the real trouble starts.

Now Billie Jean, Binx, and their friends Ophelia (Martha Gehman) and Putter (Yeardley Smith… Yes, the awesome voice of Lisa Simpson) are running from the law until they get paid for the scooter.

The awesome part about this movie is that Billie Jean becomes kind of a teenage martyr. She won’t accept that they won’t her and her friends seriously just because they are a bunch of kids.

“Fair is fair!”

In a state of rebellion, Billie Jean cuts off her golden locks, just like Joan of Arc did to prepare for battle. (Of course Joan of Arc did this to pass as a man. They leave Slater looking very feminine.) Girls all around the nation start cutting their hair like their new idol. The girl that is representing their generation.

The main song in this movie… Invincible by Pat Benatar, is the best possible song that they could have used. When that song comes on, you know just how bad ass Billie Jean is! If I could choose a theme song, I am pretty sure that I would pick this song. (Although I don’t know if I’m cool enough to pull it off!)

This movie offers some pretty positive messages. It’s about standing up for what’s right and any cost. It’s about doing the right thing. It’s about the underdog rising to victory… In other words… It’s awesome!

So, I think that you need to check out this movie. Remember, it’s not out on DVD, but for those of you true geeks out there, use that VCR that you still have around for moments like this!