Feisty lower-class teenager Billie Jean (a strong and charismatic performance by Helen Slater) and her brother Binx Davy (a solid and likable Christian Slater in his film debut) become celebrity fugitives after a dispute between affluent jerk Hubie (a perfectly obnoxious turn by Barry Tubb) and his no-count father Mr. Pyatt (a splendidly slimy portrayal by Richard Bradford) about Hubie trashing Binx's scooter gets out of hand.

Director Matthew Robbins keeps the engrossing story moving along at a quick pace, vividly captures the humid atmosphere of rural Texas, and manages to prevent the potentially campy story from degenerating into totally laughable kitsch. The astute script by Rick Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner offers a pointed and powerful social commentary on how the rich exploit and push around the poor and disenfranchised, the way the media can mold someone into a martyr, and the basic necessity to see that justice gets served after something wrong goes initially unpunished. This film further benefits from fine acting by a tip-top cast: Yeardley Smith as excitable third wheel Putter, Keith Gordon as the helpful Floyd, Martha Gehman as loyal gal pal Ophelia, Peter Coyote as sympathetic cop Lt. Ringwald, and Dean Stockwell as Flloyd's estranged bigwig politician father Muldaur. However, it's Slater who really keeps this picture on track: She looks absolutely stunning with close-cropped hair and brings a fierce conviction and winning sense of pure integrity to the character of Bille Jean that makes her real easy to root for and side with as she becomes a symbol of defiant rebellion and female empowerment to the adolescent public at large. Jeffrey L. Kimball's slick cinematography provides a neat polished look. Craig Safan's moody score and the pumping rock soundtrack both hit the stirring spot. A super cool movie that's deserving of its avid fan following.