7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About ‘The Legend of Billie Jean’
In July of 1985, audiences are lining up to see the summer blockbusters like Back To the Future, Rambo: First Blood Part II. and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Opening that same month was a little-noticed film that, on a $6 million budget, only grossed $3.1 million in domestic box office — yet in the decades since, The Legend of Billie Jean has gone on to become a cult classic.
Starring Helen Slater, fresh off Supergirl, as the titular Billie Jean and Christian Slater in his film debut as her brother Binx, the movie follows a group of teens who accidentally become fugitives — and inspire the put-upon teens of the nation in the process.
TriStar Pictures Via MoviestillsDBHere are seven things you probably didn’t know about The Legend of Billie Jean:
1 The original title was Fair is Fair
The film’s initial working title was Fair Is Fair, which is a line repeatedly uttered by Billie Jean in the movie as she demands justice for her brother’s scooter as well as the assault on her.
2 The film explored media exploitation
The movie surprisingly foreshadowed the kind of media celebrity that would become common, with the film’s villain, Mr. Pyatt (Richard Bradford), attempting to cash in on Billie Jean’s sudden fame by selling merchandise featuring her likeness.
3 The Slaters are not related
Everett Collection
While Helen and Christian Slater played brother and sister in the movie, they have no familial relationship in real life. In fact, Helen Slater’s birth name is Helen Rachel Schlachter, according to IMDb.
4 Pat Benatar wrote the soundtrack’s biggest hit … but reportedly disliked the movie
Though her iconic song “Invincible” became synonymous with The Legend of Billie Jean, as it was specifically written for the film and became closely associated with the movie’s theme of female empowerment, singer Pat Benatar has reportedly openly mocked the film at her concerts. In one case, Benatar called it “one of the worst movies ever made,” according to a concert goer at RibFest in St. Louis, Missouri years after the film’s release. The website TV Tropes says: “It was even rumored that she held up the DVD release by refusing to allow ‘Invincible’ to appear in the film.”
5 Language warning (seriously)
The film initially received an R rating for language, but it was successfully appealed and changed to PG-13 for its release.
6 Ow! That’s gonna leave a mark!
Janet Smalley, who played Putter’s mother, slapped Yeardley Smith (The Simpsons) for real in the movie. On the film’s DVD, Smith commented that her face was numb after that scene.
7 Helen Slater’s Joan of Arc haircut was a point of contention
TriStar Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
Billie Jean’s iconic punky, Joan of Arc-inspired haircut was a significant plot point, but Helen Slater was initially hesitant about cutting her long hair so short for the role. She recently told Indiewire “That was actually my hair. I was all in with the part, where I was and being so young and getting the lead in a movie. It’s such a dazzling thing at such a young age, ‘Supergirl’ then ‘The Legend of Billie Jean.’ I just couldn’t believe I was getting to do this. There was this feeling of, let’s jump in and do this.”
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