A ChucksConnection Film Review

 

Helen Slater wears unbleached white high top Converse “Chuck Taylor” All Stars in the film.

Christian Slater wears camouflage green high top Converse “Chuck Taylor” All Stars in the film.

The Legend of Billie Jean

 

by Hal Peterson

Billie Jean and her friends Ophelia and Putter.

 

The Legend of Billie Jean is a film nearly thirty years old, but still has appeal to today’s audiences. Its basic story, about teenagers wronged and then forced to become fugitives due to the misguided and harsh reactions of the local power structure, resonates today because many of the things that happen in the film are very familiar to modern audiences. When Billie Jean’s plight is publicized, she ends up becoming a teen sensation, equivalent to a cause going viral these days. Eventually Billie Jean wins out in the end because she is able to communicate to the general public how she was wronged and why she was fighting back against the authorities who were trying to stop her. The pervasive gun culture in Texas is also a factor in the storyline, as there are several “shoot first ask questions later” scenes during the film.

Billie Jean sprinkles out marbles to trip up her pursuers.

As the film begins we meet Billie Jean Davy (Helen Slater), a teenager living in Corpus Christi, Texas, and her younger brother, Binx (Christian Slater), riding on his brand new Honda Elite scooter toward a local lake where they plan to go swimming. On the way, they are harassed by Hubie Pyatt (Barry Tubb) and his crew of friends riding in his convertible. Later at a fast food place, Hubie follows up with direct in their face harassment. Binx responds by throwing a milkshake in Hubie's face and the Davys rush off on the scooter. While Billie Jean and Binx are suntanning themselves at the lake, Hubie drives by and spots the scooter which he steals. That night Binx goes to retrieve the scooter while Billie Jean goes with her friends Putter and Ophelia (Yeardly Smith, Martha Gehman) to report the theft to the police. Eventually they are hooked up with Detective Ringwald (Peter Coyote) who advises them to wait and see if things can be resolved without him having to make an arrest. But that doesn’t happen, When Billie Jean arrives back home she finds Binx beaten up and the scooter is severely damaged. The next day the repair estimate for the scooter comes to $608 (remember this is 1985!) and Billie Jean goes to the store owned by Hubie’s father (Richard Bradford) to collect payment for the repair. At first Mr. Pyatt seems cooperative and invites her to his upstairs office presumably to get the money. But instead he propositions her and tries to rape her. When Binx and Ophelia enter the store to check on Billie Jean, he finds a small pistol inside the cash register. Billie Jean comes running back down the stairs freaked out about what has happened, followed by Mr. Pyatt. Binx points the gun at Mr. Pyatt who tells him it isn’t loaded. But it turns out that the gun was loaded, and when Binx fires, Mr. Pyatt is wounded. Billie Jean, Binx, Putter and Ophelia run away, becoming fugitives.

 

Billie Jean rests at the miniature golf course.

 

Now the film switches into full action mode, with a series of chase scenes between the authorities and Billie Jean. As the news gets out about what happened, first in the local community and then statewide, Billie Jean becomes a cause for teens and they follow her around wherever she goes. Ironically Mr. Pyatt decides to cash in on the situation and produces all kinds of Billie Jean merchandise to sell at his store. Detective Ringwald now realizes that he should have listened to Billie Jean and intervened when the scooter crime was reported. All Billie Jean really wanted was the money to fix the scooter and an apology from the Pyatt’s. But now the establishment and the police demand action. Billie Jean, concerned that people will get the wrong idea about her, decides to make a video about her situation with the help of Lloyd Muldaur (Keith Gordon) an amateur filmmaker who is also the son of the local district attorney. The video gets extensive coverage and mobilizes the younger generation. Inspired by a Joan of Arc movie, Billie Jean cuts her hair short and dons combat boots, fatigues, and a wet suit top with the sleeves whacked off. Billie Jean and Detective Ringwald do remain in contact, but every time a meeting is set up for her to turn herself in, something or somebody’s over the top actions, cause things to break down. But eventually the story leads to the inevitable climactic scene between Billie Jean, her fans, the authorities, and Mr. Hyatt where everything gets resolved.

 

An amped-up Binx celebrating on the hood of Ophelia’s car.

 

In the real world, legends often do not have a lot of factual basis to them, or are distorted in such a way to not be particularly truthful. If you look at things objectively for this story line, the only persons who possibly committed crimes were Binx, when he took the small gun and shot it, even though he was told by the owner that it wasn’t loaded, and Mr. Pyatt. He certainly was guilty of attempting to molest Billie Jean although it would be a ‘his word against hers’ type of situation. Another scene where some guy with a rifle in a pick up truck totally not involved in the film so far spots Billie Jean and goes after her firing away with no regard for who was in the car or the surrounding environment still resonates today. As does the scene where the district attorney has ordered sharpshooters to be at a rally meeting that is supposed to resolve things, and then they fire at someone who they think is Billie Jean against the wishes of Detective Ringwald. But in the world of film, that can all be put aside if the story is entertaining. With engaging performances by the Slaters and Peter Coyote, The Legend of Billie Jean still makes for an engaging look at how attitudes have changed since then, how many other attitudes remain the same, and what was considered cool for the youth of America in 1985 in a world without cell phones or the Internet.

Best Chucks Scene

The camera focuses on Billie Jean’s natural white high chucks as she walks with Lloyd.

 

Both of the Slaters wear high top chucks throughout the film. There are a number of closeups, including Billie Jean coming down the escalator at the mall, walking up stairs, the extended chase when she is pursued through the mall, and during closeups of people of object on the ground. Binx’ best scenes are at the end of the film when he his seated on top of their escape car and even at the very end where you see him wearing his camouflage print high tops in the Vermont snow.

The camera provides a closeup of Binx’ green camouflage high top chucks.

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