The Legend of Billie Jean ** (1985, Helen Slater, Keith Gordon, Christian Slater, Richard Bradford, Peter Coyote, Martha Gehman, Dean Stockwell) – Classic Movie Review 13,218

The 1985 American action drama film The Legend of Billie Jean stars Helen Slater and Christian Slater as Texas teenagers who become teen icon fugitives after a clash with a bully turns violent.

Director Matthew Robbins’s 1985 American action drama film The Legend of Billie Jean stars Helen Slater, Keith Gordon, Christian Slater, Richard Bradford, Peter Coyote, Martha Gehman, Dean Stockwell, and Yeardley Smith.

Helen Slater stars as Texas teenager Billie Jean Davy, who finds herself accused of crimes she didn’t commit after a confrontation with a local bully turns violent, so she takes to the road with her younger brother Binx (Christian Slater) as fugitives, and in the process she becomes a folk heroine for a number of easily pleased youths.

A very decent cast – especially Helen Slater, Christian Slater and Peter Coyote as Lieutenant Ringwald – play what turns out to be a pretty insignificant tale for rather more than it is worth. The premise and screenplay are always interesting, but its development and dialogue are none too persuasive.

It is Christian Slater’s first cinema movie (as Billie Jean’s younger brother Binx), aged 15 or 16, after his TV debut in Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr Story.

Release date: July 19, 1985.

The film was expected to be a big hit, but it disappointed at the box office, taking only $3.1 million in the US, but it has since gained a small cult following.

Locations include the Sunrise Mall and places along South Padre Island Drive in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Legend of Billie Jean is directed by Matthew Robbins, runs 96 minutes, is made by Delphi III Productions and The Guber-Peters Company, is released by Tri-Star Pictures, is written by Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner, is shot by Jeffrey L Kimball, is produced by Jon Peters, Peter Guber, Rob Cohen, Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner, is scored by Craig Safan, and designed by Ted Haworth.

The cast are Helen Slater as Billie Jean, Keith Gordon as Lloyd, Christian Slater as Binx, Richard Bradford as Pyatt, Peter Coyote as Lieutenant Ringwald, Martha Gehman as Ophelia, Yeardley Smith as Putter, Barry Tubb as Hubie, Dean Stockwell as Muldaur, Mona Fultz, John M Jackson, Rodney Rincon, and Caroline Williams.

Helen Slater played Supergirl in the 1984 film Supergirl.

Christian Slater’s career started revving with his role in The Name of the Rose (1986), alongside Sean Connery.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,218

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