So last night, I ran across a movie I hadn’t seen in like 5 years: The Legend of Billie Jean. My father first introduced me to this movie and I’ve loved it ever since.
It’s about a teenager named Billie Jean (Helen Slater) who goes on the run with her brother, Binx (Christian Slater), after they get into an altercation with a man named Mr. Pyatt (Richard Bradford). She goes to his store to collect money from him after his son, Hubie (Barry Tubb), beats up Binx and trashes his beloved scooter.
While attempting to collect the money from Mr. Pyatt, he tries to rape Billie Jean. She gets away, but he grabs her and tells his son to call the police. Binx pulls out a gun he took from his cash register and attempts to scare Mr. Pyatt away from Billie Jean. Mr. Pyatt tells him there are no bullets in the gun and begins walking towards Binx who then accidentally shoots him. Billie Jean, Binx, and their two friends, Putter (Yeardley Smith) and Ophelia (Martha Gehman) go on the run.
(Left to right: Yeardley Smith, Helen Slater, Christian Slater, and Martha Gehman)
Through it all, Billie Jean is looked at as the poster child for justice and a hero for young people, more specifically, young women.
In the end, Billie Jean finds justice for Binx, his scooter and herself.
Unfortunately, because of the world we live in today, I think this movie is more relevant than ever. It’s a movie that speaks strength to all women, telling them to stand up for what’s right, and you’ll be rewarded when it’s all over and done with. It also speaks on people’s backgrounds and the thought of people not believing you because of where you come from and how others may perceive you to be.
As of right now, there is no remake in the works, but I believe there should be. If you haven’t seen this movie, go watch it! As a woman, you’ll definitely feel empowered by it.