Teringer An Exercise In Nonsense

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Mr-Fusion "The Legend of Billie Jean" feels like it blazed the trail for other movies like "Natural Born Killers and "Thelma and Louise", with Helen Slater on the run, Peter Coyote in pursuit and the news media fanning the flames. In that respect, it's a pretty lightweight movie, but it works better as a feminist rallying cry. Slater does a good job in the downtrodden hick-turned-punk fold hero role (that image of here on the movie poster speaks volumes). I think Peter Coyote and Keith Gordon carry the bulk of this, but as a teen movie with a catchy pop soundtrack, it's not bad. 6/10

moonspinner55 Teenage siblings in Texas are wanted by the police after one of the kids shoots and wounds an auto mechanic--this following a sexual proposition on Billie Jean (who is nearly raped) and the beating of her brother by a group of peers, which the cops have shrugged off. Teen-rebellion with a low-budget, candy-coated sheen. Screenwriters Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner occasionally have tongue in cheek, and display a curious penchant for oddball character names like Binx and Putter, but too often fall back on melodrama (which helps to derail the entire final reel). Despite constantly flashing her bright, nice-girl smile playing Billie Jean, Helen Slater is a fairly convincing rabble-rouser until the script gives her too much to handle. The film has a misshapen feel, with yahoo comedic moments targeted at the drive-in crowds. Far from being a teenage variant of "The Sugarland Express", which may have been fascinating, the movie instead takes the low road. It is unambitious and amateurish--and seems perfectly satisfied with being both. ** from ****

zardoz-13 "Corvette Summer" director Matthew Robbins wrote and helmed Helen Slater's second big-screen movie, the above-average road epic "The Legend of Billie Jean," about a blonde Texas teenager from a trailer park who becomes a highly-sought after fugitive after several guys stole her motor scooter from her little brother and vandalized it. Fifteen-year old Christian Slater plays Binx, the brother of Billie Jean (Helen Slater of "Supergirl") in this 1980s era who embarks on a journey of hardship as they dodge the law. When Billie Jean confronts the villainously mustached Pyatt (Richard Bradford of "The Milagro Beanfield War") whose reckless son Hubie (Barry Tubb of "Top Gun") damaged their scooter, she has to ward off a rape attempt. It seems that Pyatt is willing to pay Billie for the damages if she will accompany him upstairs. Fleeing from him, she descends from the room above the store and finds Binx has removed a revolver from Pyatt's cash register. Pyatt threatens Binx and Binx shoots him in the shoulder by accident. The entire state of Texas scrambles after Billie Jean, and she manages to not only elude them but recreate herself as a media icon by cutting her hair and emerging as look-alike Joan of Arc. She gets the idea one evening while watching the Otto Preminger classic movie "Saint Joan" (1957) with Jean Seberg cast as Joan. There is a wonderful scene when Detective Ringwald (Peter Coyote of "Sphere") is informed by one of his men that they have captured Billie. Actually, they have captured a quartet of girls with shorn coifs claiming to be the fugitive in a riff on the Kirk Douglas slave saga "Spartacus." Robbins co-scripted the Spielberg chase thriller "The Sugarland Express" and comparisons between the two are inevitable. The kids take a hostage, Lloyd (Keith Gordon of "Christine") who uses his videotape camera to shoots videos of Billie proclaiming her slogan "Fair is Fair." Actually, "The Legend of Billie Jean" is more than fair, and Helen Slater is delectable as the eponymous heroine. Rock star Pat Benatar hated this movie, but her song "Invincible" appears in it and adds to its message about wronged youth. Richard Bradford makes an evil villain who exploits Billie. A memorable moment occurs near the conclusion when Billie sets fire to Pyatt's canvas tent store selling posters of Billie Jean. In this instance, a towering statue of Billie Jean catches fire in a riff of "Saint Joan." The ending with our heroine and her brother in the snow-swept north is amusing. Binx spots a snow scooter reminiscent of the motor scooter that they were riding at the outset of the film. Yeardley Smith is fun to watch as Billie's friend who has her first period in the station wagon that they use to elude a carbine wielding truck driver. Clocking in a 96 minutes, "The Legend of Billie Jean" qualifies as entertaining with strong performances.

jfgibson73 Here is a movie that is very firmly set in the early 80's involving a teenager who becomes a folk hero. As a drama, it has some entertaining moments that I couldn't help get caught up in. At the same time, I found myself fast forwarding often and taking long breaks that caused me to need several days to finish the film.The movie starts out by showing Billie and her family being picked on by the rich kids. They go to far when they beat up her brother and damage his moped. Billie goes to his father to collect the repair bill, but he tries to sexually assault her. Things get out of control, and Billie's brother shoots the man in the arm. Now Billie and her friends have to go on the run. The media picks up on the story and it starts to become a local sensation. Things get even more frenzied when Billie meets up with a sympathetic rich kid who dabbles in filmmaking. He helps her make a PSA in which she appears with short hair proclaiming "Fair is fair!" and once it airs, she becomes a hero with a rock star following. People want to help her and look to her for help.It seemed a little to forced the way the crowds began to back Billie Jean. The ending was also complicated, with Billie confronting the dad and telling everyone about what he did. In the process, she causes a fire that ruins lots of property, but is apparently cleared since she isn't shown going to jail for resisting arrest, the shooting, or the vandalism. I think I would recommend skipping this one.