The Legend of Billie Jean

The Legend of Billie Jean is a 1985 action-drama film about a Texas teenager who becomes an outlaw martyr with her brother and friends after a confrontation with a local bully turns violent. She demands justice and becomes an icon for teens, leading to a standoff with the authorities.
 * Directed by Matthew Robbins. Written by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal.

The last thing she ever expected was to become a hero.taglines

Lieutenant Ringwald

 * [to Muldaur] I'm a policeman, you're a politician, and you're not running for office here!

Pyatt

 * Hubie and the truth have a way of not gettin' along with each other.

Dialogue

 * Putter: Far out, I'm coming!
 * Billie Jean: This is serious, Putter!
 * Putter: I can be serious, Billie Jean, please I can't stay here without you, I'll just die!
 * Billie Jean: Go away, Putter!
 * Putter: [to Ophelia] Billie Jean said I can come, don't move!


 * Ophelia: [Billie Jean steps out with her hair cut] Oh my God! Billie Jean, you look...
 * Binx: Famous!
 * Lloyd: Saint Joan.


 * Putter: Is that a boy or a girl?
 * Lloyd: Girl, Joan of Arc. She dressed up as a man and led the French in fighting the English. She heard voices, 'stop being a peasant', 'France needs you', 'the truth needs you'. And she won, she beat the English, but then...
 * Putter: Then what?
 * Lloyd: The French, burnt her, alive!


 * News Announcer: Excuse me young man, can you tell us what happened here today?
 * Interview Boy: Well these men were chasing this girl, and all of a sudden, she splashed through the fountain, and wrecked this man down the escalator.
 * News Announcer: [to girl] What do you think of this Billie Jean character?
 * Interview Girl: She's a rebel, and uh... I'm gonna personally... I think they're picking on her because she's a girl, and I think that's disgusting.
 * News Announcer: Well there you have a woman's perspective...
 * Interview Teen: I thought it was awesome, this guy was chasing Billie Jean up the stairs, she turned around and kicked him in the nuts and kept on running, I thought it was hilarious. Billie Jean if you're out there, I love you! [blows kiss]


 * Billie Jean: Lloyd, do you make videos?
 * Lloyd: All the time.
 * Billie Jean: What about copies?
 * Lloyd: I can make as many as you want... You are absolutely right!
 * Ophelia: What's she talking about?
 * Lloyd: She's gonna answer their call!


 * Lloyd: Tapes are not going to be enough.
 * Billie Jean: What do you mean?
 * Lloyd: I mean they don't have to give you the money, they'll just hunt you down and catch you. Cops don't have to bargain with you, you don't have anything they want. Unless you offer them a trade.
 * [starts tying himself up]
 * Ophelia: Whatever is that boy doing?
 * Putter: It's a trick, I saw it on TV.
 * Billie Jean: What kind of trade?
 * Lloyd: I'm going to be your hostage, then they have to reason with you. I'm your guarantee.
 * Putter: Like when you buy a car.
 * Ophelia: That's a warranty.


 * Billie Jean: [on TV] I'm Billie Jean Davy, and I wanna set the record straight.
 * Ringwald: Oh my God!
 * Policeman #1: Wow!
 * Billie Jean: I'm not a liar, I'm not a thief, and neither is my brother.
 * Binx: [cuts in] Hello, ma!
 * Billie Jean: [shoves Binx aside] Sorry, that is him. Mom, I don't know when we'll be comin' home, but we love you. I know people are making up stories about us. Don't you believe them. As for you, Mr. Pyatt. You are so sleazy.
 * Putter: [cheers on camera] YEA!
 * Billie Jean: You think you can do anything you want and then lie about it and we just have to take it, because what are we? Just a bunch of kids. Well not this time. From now on we're doin' this our way. No lyin', no cheatin', fair is fair.
 * Kid #1 in Crowd: [at electronics store watching TV] Alright!
 * Billie Jean: $608 dollars for the scooter your son trashed. That's what you owe, and we're NOT turnin' ourselves in til we get it. Fair is fair! We didn't start this, we didn't mean it to happen, but we're not givin' up til you pay. FAIR IS FAIR!


 * Boy: Did you rob that liquor store in Galveston?
 * Binx: Yep, that was us.
 * Billie Jean: We did not.
 * Guy: What about that school in Laredo? You burn it down?
 * Binx: No way, guy. We don't do schools.


 * Ophelia: Would you look at those tits?
 * Putter: I think they're gross.
 * Ophelia: That's because you don't have any.


 * Binx: What's this?
 * Putter: I think it's chicken.
 * Binx: It doesn't taste like chicken.
 * Ophelia: When you rich, food ain't supposed to taste like what it really is.


 * Billie Jean: Everything's just crazy now.
 * Lloyd: Sure it is. That's why you gotta be crazier than they are.


 * Billie Jean: The bill is for the scooter, and this... is for Binx.
 * [knees Hubie in the crotch, Hubie falls to the floor]
 * Hubie: [groaning] You crazy bitch!


 * Muldaur: [teenagers are filling the beach waiting for Billie Jean] Should have cordoned off the beach.
 * Ringwald: They would've come in on surfboards.


 * [After Binx is shot and carried away in an ambulance, Billie Jean sees merchandise stands being run by Mr. Pyatt. She confronts Pyatt with everybody standing behind her.]
 * Pyatt: What do you want? You got no business with me. [Billie Jean grabs a poster of herself] You're the one to blame! You're the one thinking you're so damn hot!
 * Billie Jean: Who paid?
 * Pyatt: What?
 * Billie Jean: [tears up the poster] Who paid Mr. Pyatt? Was it you?
 * Pyatt: You still want the money? Is that what you came here for? Well, why didn't you say so? Why didn't you say so? I got the money right over here. [Goes to his register to collect the $608.]
 * Billie Jean: You're giving me the money? Now?!
 * Pyatt: Look, it's a real shame what happened. It just got out of hand, that's all.
 * Billie Jean: Who paid for the scooter?
 * Pyatt: What difference does it make? The whole thing was an accident.
 * Billie Jean: WHO PAID?!
 * Mauldaur: I did.
 * Billie Jean: For your boy? [Lloyd appears]
 * Pyatt: Look, uh, no need to count this. Come on. [Puts the money in Billie Jean's hand.] Little more, little less, just take this for your trouble.
 * Billie Jean: You pig! You don't even know what a pig you are! For my trouble! Or to keep my mouth shut or maybe for a few minutes in your room upstairs! How much is that worth to you Mr. Pyatt?! Tell us! Everyone's listening. [Hubie appears in the crowd]
 * Pyatt: Nobody forced you up there! You knew damn well what you were doing.
 * Billie Jean: What about our lessons? "Pay as you go. Earn as you learn." What were you going to teach me Mr. Pyatt?
 * Pyatt: You lying piece of trash!
 * Billie Jean: You said I was going to love it. Love being touched by a man like you.
 * Pyatt: I'm sick and tired of your MOUTH, you little slut! [pushes Billie Jean away.] IT'S OVER! NOW WE'RE FINISHED!! IT'S OVER!!
 * Billie Jean: You're right, it's over with. I can learn to live with it. But I can't take all this. Here's your change! [knees Pyatt in the groin causing him to fall over and knock over a torch which begins to set his merchandise on fire.] You can keep your money! Go buy somebody else! [Throws the money back at Pyatt as Hubie walks away from the crowd.]
 * Pyatt: Dammit! Holy christ! Hubie! Hubie!! Where are you boy, I need your help!! Wanna get some water?! [to Billie Jean] Are you happy? ARE YOU SATISFIED NOW?! Hey get some water here! What are you standing here for?! Let's get some water on this before the whole place goes up! Just get me some help! Call the fire department! What are you standing here for?! What are you looking at?! Let's get some help here!

Taglines

 * The last thing she ever expected was to become a hero.


 * When you're seventeen, people think they can do anything to you. Billie Jean is about to prove them wrong.

Cast

 * Helen Slater - Billie Jean
 * Keith Gordon - Lloyd
 * Christian Slater - Binx
 * Richard Bradford - Pyatt
 * Peter Coyote - Lieutenant Ringwald
 * Martha Gehman - Ophelia
 * Yeardley Smith - Putter
 * Barry Tubb - Hubie
 * Dean Stockwell - Muldaur