Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

SoTrumpBelieve Must See Movie...

Pluskylang Great Film overall

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

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

liberal_rep While this is truly an '80s movie and the acting is a little blah, the plot is actually an everyday event. There is such bullying and even though there are state and federal laws against it, it still happens. These teens tried to tell the truth and because of their age, were discriminated against, simply because of their ages. While I don't agree with vigilante justice, the end justifies the need to take people, no matter the age, serious. The "dad" in the movie, sad yet it happens on a daily basis. I watched this movie when it came out and I felt such a connection to Billy Jean. I know the injustice that children/young adults face. I hope you watch the movie and even though it is an "'80s" movie, the plot/story behind the movie, is a timeless truth... Enjoy!

Scott LeBrun It's easy to see why "The Legend of Billie Jean" would have a following almost 30 years after it was released. It's firmly on the side of its youthful protagonists, with most of the adults and upper class characters treated with a degree of contempt. A more even hand would have helped, but as it is, our young actors are good enough that one does still root for them up to a point. In fact, solid acting right down the line helps to sell this material."Supergirl" star Helen Slater is sexy Texan Billie Jean Davy, living with her younger brother Binx (an engaging Christian Slater, making his film debut) and mom in Corpus Christi. A run in with obnoxious rich jerk Hubie (Barry Tubb) causes Hubie to steal Binx's treasured scooter and ruin it. Billie Jean goes to Hubies' store owner father Mr. Pyatt (Richard Bradford) to ask for the $608 to repair the scooter, but circumstances get out of control, and Billie Jean and Binx become fugitives from the law, convinced that the authorities will never buy their side of the story. They become rebel heroes to kids everywhere, and Billie Jean is inspired to cut her hair short, Joan of Arc style.Helen Slater is quite good as the reluctant pop culture icon. Co-star Keith Gordon is fun as the slightly eccentric young man who becomes sympathetic to her cause. Bradford is perfectly slimy as the unrepentant elder. Martha Gehman and Yeardley Smith offer solid support as the gal pals who join the Davys on the road. Peter Coyote is good as the understanding cop, ditto Dean Stockwell as Gordons' attorney father. Look for John M. Jackson ('JAG') and Caroline Williams ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2") in small roles.Also helping to make this palatable is the catchy rock & pop soundtrack, featuring that irresistible kick ass theme song belted out by Pat Benatar.The movie does have something to say about the way that people can and will cynically capitalize on fads, and how justice isn't something that should just be reserved for adults. It's a fairly intriguing melodrama that provides a striking amount of catharsis at the end.Seven out of 10.

wisewebman I just re-watched this movie nearly 30 years after its theatrical release, and I'm happy to say that it lost very little (if any) of its initial impact. The characters were well cast, the script better than it's given credit for, and there is definitely a magical "mood" to the movie that's hard to describe. Sure there are some blips (I laughed when the cops/security guards kept slamming into the dumpster), but these moments do very little to detract from the overall experience. The ending also dovetails everything together nicely and creates a finale that's both satisfying and logical - not the easiest thing to do.I'm not sure why Pat Benatar hated this movie so much (you would think the story of an attractive young girl rising from obscurity to achieve cult status for shunning the system would appeal to her), but do yourself a favor and check it out yourself - you won't be disappointed.Oh, and Helen Slater is beautiful too (still is!)