The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)
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A young woman becomes a teen icon after a violent confrontation with a local bully leads her and her brother on the run.
The story
Billie Jean Davy, a young woman from Corpus Christi, Texas, and her younger brother Binx, become fugitives after a confrontation with a rowdy teen named Hubie Pyatt turns violent. After Binx's scooter is stolen and he is subsequently beaten, Billie Jean seeks justice from the authorities. When a local shop owner attempts to assault her, the siblings flee with friends. Billie Jean eventually creates a video of her demands, transforming into a teen icon with a revolutionary-style wardrobe. As she gains massive media attention and a following of young fans, she must navigate the physical and legal dangers of her new status as a symbol of rebellion.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Billie Jean Davy and her brother Binx are traveling to a lake when they are harassed by a rowdy teen, Hubie Pyatt. After Binx humiliates Hubie, Hubie steals Binx's scooter. When Billie Jean discovers Binx has been beaten and the scooter damaged, she seeks help from the police, but is ignored. She later visits Pyatt's shop, where he attempts to rape her. Binx defends her by shooting Pyatt with an unloaded gun, wounding him. The siblings, along with friends Putter and Ophelia, flee as fugitives. Billie Jean creates a video of her demands, adopting a 'Joan of Arc' persona with a pixie cut and combat boots. She becomes a teen icon, but is forced to turn in her friends for their safety. During a rally where a new scooter is offered as a peace gesture, Binx disguises himself as Billie Jean to trick the police, but he is shot. Billie Jean later confronts Pyatt, who is selling her merchandise. She refuses his money and mocks him as his stand catches fire. Finally, she departs for Vermont with Binx, who is in an arm sling.
- Original title
- Fair Is Fair
- First release year
- 1985
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Matthew Robbins
- Writers
- Lawrence Konner · writer; Mark Rosenthal · writer
- Cast and characters
- Helen Slater · Billie Jean Davy; Keith Gordon · Binx; Christian Slater; Peter Coyote
- Genres
- action; drama
- Themes
- Rebellion; Justice; Iconography
- Tone and mood
- Anarchic; Youthful; Dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- Action; Drama; Teen; Chase; Social Bandit
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with some critics praising Helen Slater's performance and the film's energy, while others found it to be a disjointed and 'bankrupt' retelling of a legend. It holds a 39% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 39% · review count: 38
- Production trivia
- The original title of the film was Fair Is Fair.; The film's theme song 'Invincible' by Pat Benatar peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1985.; The reissue of Billy Idol's single 'Rebel Yell' climbed up to number six on the UK Singles Chart in October 1985.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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