Buster and Billie

For all his faults, JAN MICHAEL VINCENT certainly made some great movies in the seventies (be it, THE BIG Wednesday, HOOPER, THE MECHANIC, VIGILANTE FORCE) including this (little seen) gem. VINCENT plays Buster, a tough, high-school loner, who against the wishes of his (childish, rather ugly) friends, dates the local good-time girl (of whom, most of busters friends have been casually 'involved' with) But these two opposites find love, but as in all classic love tales, their romance is doomed. To give anything else away, would ruin this highly original period piece(set in 1948.) Needless to say, it does continue the ever growing trend of seventies movies, and features a downbeat ending. Long after the viewer shakes off initial images of sexist, drunken teens, several scenes of true beauty, shine through this great movie. The period details are spot-on, and there's not one bad performance (look out for a young ROBERT ENGLUND) but as with most other JMV movies, Hollywood soon moved onto bigger (although, not always better) actors, and he soon became a tragic casualty of cinema. He certainly had the 'look' (predating the 'tom cruise' boyish-good looks) but unfortunately ended up, in bad TV movies or low budget dreck (ENEMY TERRITORY aside) Too bad, because he had the makings of another JAMES DEAN (and gives a similar performance in this movie) Hunt this movie out (if you can, it's quite rare) but you'll be glad you did. Another notable aspect, is the fine (and rather haunting) musical score, including the main theme (sung by HOYT AXTON) which never fails to bring a lump in my throat, and made all the more lyrical, by the movies tragic (yet strangely, touching) ending.

A fine unseen gem, and well worth hunting down piece of 70's obscure 10 out of 10

Buster and Billie touched my heart i was twelve the first time i seen it at our small town drive-in i'm forty-two now. It was a true love story i remember crying so much and thinking Billie never had ever hurt anyone in her life or Buster. I loved it when he bought her that beautiful dress because she had never had anything. Buster was so in love with her and treated her so very special like Billie deserved. I would love to see it again if i could find it. I would for sure need tissues if i watched it again it was so very sad. I'm so glad they found one another and had a wonderful time together even though it was a short time. I hope all of you who enjoy a great movie get to see it. Tam from Indiana

I got lucky you might say and saw this on ABC TV (No Ads) late at night in the late 80's while living in a very small country town. Luckily I taped it on VHS and watched it quite a few times before the tape gave out.

This is one of those movies that you will either love or hate and if you loved it like I did it will stay with you forever.

Getting a good copy of it now is very difficult and I have had to make do with a really crappy copy. Even the DVD copy that was released is not all that good to watch.

One of the very best Jan-Micheal Vincent movies I have seen, and the one movie that I remember him for most even though he made quite a few good movies in the 70's.

Also Robert Englund's very first movie before he went onto bigger and perhaps better things and one of Pamela Sue Martin's early movies before her best known role in Dynasty.

A very sad movie that I have had the pleasure of watching more than once.

I also subscribe to the views of other IMDB writers concerning this film. BUSTER AND BILLIE made an enormous impression on my consciousness as a film viewer. I first saw it years ago, very late at night. Being teenaged at the time, this story of unconventional love in 1948 Georgia proved to be thoroughly eye-opening. This film affected me so much that, as I did not have a copy of it, I actually advertised in a newspaper for it, and someone forwarded a dubbed copy to me!

The excellent acting of Joan Goodfellow (Billie) and Jan-Michael Vincent (Buster) made watching this film a great experience. Their belief in the love of these two characters is reflected in their acting, reactions, and the little moments that these characters share. I have to admit that I have seen the film many times, but it is never a boring or predictable experience, even though one has knowledge of how it ends.

While this film has been described as cliched and a film with only a desparate appeal to oversexed teenagers, this is simply not true. It tells a good story beautifully, with great acting, and period atmosphere. If only the films of the 1990s and the 2000s could be like this.

(Story takes place in Georgia 1948) Very touching bittersweet love story. If you have not seen this movie then don't read this review and comments, instead go get a copy. Beg, barrow or steal it and watch it as I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.

I recommend seeing this movie in one sitting because it is a movie that slowly builds your feelings for the characters which will impact you more at the end of the movie.

Buster Lane (Jan-Michael Vincent) is a typical country boy with maybe a little more scruples then the average southern country poke. Buster is engaged to be married to Margie (Pamela Sue Martin) in the upcoming June and he has been playing touchy feely with her but she wants to wait until they're married to have intercourse. Buster's main friend is Whitey (Robert Englund--"Freddy Krueger") and they hangout and drink beers together and take a trip to the ocean and we get an idea where Buster's friends minds and morals are at and this suffices as the story comes to a close later in the movie. I little more about these friends in the next paragraph.

In the meantime Billie (Joan Goodfellow) who is a very very shy country girl from a very poor family has been having sex with several of Buster's friends in a way of getting some attention. You are never made to feel anything but compassion for Billie, you never think of her as a slut. Her performance radiates innocents and loneliness and sadness and then joy and happiness later in the movie, you can feel all her feelings as the movie progresses.

When Buster can't holdout any longer for sex with Margie his attentions turn to Billie and are not honorable at first. He finds her to be very very innocent and sees the beauty in her and finds himself falling in love but is not sure of his feelings reflecting his own youth and lack of experience to this new feeling called love.

Before Buster even realized what his feelings are he acts on his basic instinct and feelings and breaks off his relationship with Margie and is seeing Billie exclusively. You feel their new found love and see it as a rosebud just beginning to form. Billie is taken to her first movie with Buster to see a Tarzan movie, and you can see her elated joy at this new experience. When Billie and Buster go swimming Buster looks over at her to see if she is taking off all her clothes before he strips to the bare-ass as if to not offend her. It's little moments like this throughout the movie that all add up. The getting up in the middle of the night and waiting for the sun to show itself at the horizon and they jump up and down and then hold each other in a very very loving manner is touching as well. There are exchanges of gifts to one another and they both realize they love one another. Billie is taken to a dance with Buster and you again feel her joy. Billie is lit up like a Christmas tree by this time and you can actually feel her and his joy and happiness. but especially hers.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the boys that were getting laid by Billie before her self-esteem got elevated by her new love comes for some more poontang. Of course Billie resist and fights back but is beaten, raped and killed by these boys.

Buster finds her body shortly after the killing and ends up killing two of the boys who had the evidence literally written on their faces. Buster is released from jail just after Billie's funeral and she was buried with only Buster's parents and the preacher being present, her parents weren't even there. The movie closes with the opening song and you get a big lump in your throat in the closing scene at the cemetery with Buster at Billie's graveside.

I have seen reviews that see this movie as a sweet movie that turns into a sadistic mean spirited movie and was rated as a poor to fair movie because of it. I do not subscribe to this view. We live in a world where ugly things happen every day. We can be sure of two things, it was inevitable that these boys were going to come back for more poontang and that she would refuse them. I'm not sure how else this outcome might be played out. I suppose she could have been assaulted and then just told Buster about it and he could deal with it in a nonviolent manner. We all like happy endings and I love a good Cinderella story as much as anyone. American Beauty is a great movie and didn't end on a very happy note for the main character either, but these same reviewers don't knock that, go figure?

Bottom line is this is one of my favorite movies. I seen it at a drive-in movie theater as the second feature back in 1974 when it was released and just bought a copy last month from an e-bay seller. It was sweeter then I remembered from 26 years ago. Joan Goodfellow doesn't seem to have done any visible acting since 1984. She gives one very sweet performance in this movie. I give Joans performance an 11 and the movie a 10. This movie will always have a soft spot in my heart.