"Fair is fair!"

Here is a film whose iconography is instantly recognizable as emblematic of the 80's, however, most people would have trouble naming the movie. THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN (1985) tells the story of pretty young things Billie Jean (Helen Slater) and Binx (Christian Slater in his first movie role, with blonde hair!), two Texan kids who unwittingly become embroiled in a media circus when they flee a shooting and go on the lam. Billie Jean is an ordinary girl who looks after her younger brother, Binx, who harbors an abnormal attachment to his scooter and a hatred for hot Texan weather. When a neighborhood thug destroys Binx's beloved scooter, Billie Jean tries to extract restitution from Mr. Pyatt, the thug's father, who almost rapes her. Binx defends his sister by shooting Pyatt and the pair must go on the run, along with a couple of Billie Jean's little friends.

While dodging the law, Billie Jean makes her ragtag bunch of fugitives adhere to a strict code of ethics. "We may be outlaws," she says, "But we're not crooks." They leave IOU's in stores they rob and rescue hapless children along the way. She meets an asthmatic filmmaker named Lloyd who is so besotted with her that he films her manifesto and stages his own abduction in service of her cause. He also introduces her to the film "Saint Joan" and Billie Jean immediately chops off her long golden locks, styling herself as a modern-day Joan of Arc. She becomes an overnight sensation, pursued by the media and idolized by hundreds of teens who copy her signature haircut. There are plenty of action-filled chases and tender moments before the inevitable big showdown, and happily these likeable characters get the satisfying ending they deserve.

This film preceded NATURAL BORN KILLERS (1994) by almost a decade, so it is interesting to see the progression of the media's cult of the criminal from the early 80's to current examples, both fictional and real. I have no doubt that Billie Jean's journey provided some inspiration for Oliver Stone's portrayal of Mickey and Mallory. But this is a far tamer picture, backed by a great soundtrack (Pat Benetar's "Invincible" and Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" are used to great effect), cool sets (including those perennial 80's favorites, the mall, the beach, and the neon lights of the city at night), and adorable actors (keep an eye out for Yeardley Smith, famously known as the voice of Lisa Simpson). However, the only lasting impact of this film is in the iconic image of Helen Slater as punk gamin, preternaturally beautiful with her luminous green eyes and blonde hair cropped boy-short: the face that launched a thousand haircuts.

Overall, not a bad film, worth seeing for a look at the decade's best pixie cut. But once you've watched it once, you probably won't want to see it again. 3/5 stars.

HERE IS THE SCENE WITH THEIR ESCAPE FROM THE MALL: