Buster and Billie

This is another movie I remember watching on cable in the late 70's. Jan-Michael Vincent is great to watch, here in his mid-70's prime. The rest of the cast is decent as well, and it is interesting to see a young "Freddy Kruger" act all dorky before he became a horror icon.

The film sets up nicely, a small town in the 40's where everyone knows everyone else and the local teenage boys screw around with a slut named Billie, who is a pretty girl but who seems to have some sort of problem. Buster always refuses to participate with the gang in having sex with Billie, mainly because he has his own girlfriend, who is plans to marry. But he becomes attracted to Billie on his own, and eventually starts dating her, even breaking up with his own girlfriend in the process. All this leads up to a very violent ending (where we all no doubt cheer on Vincent).

The film is decent enough but it does lack in some areas, especially in explaining a few certain things. For instance, just what started this fascination with Billie in Jan-Michael's character in the first place? Especially since he had the prettiest girl in school already? It really doesn't make much sense. Was it because she slept with all the guys? That she was quiet? Maybe he knew she had some sort of "problem?" And even that, the film never gets around to examining what Billie's problem really was. We can see that she is a little slow and extremely introverted, is the problem a head problem? Was she beaten as a child by abusive parents? Maybe she was raped? Who knows.

The ending of the film definitely is unsettling and sad. But even as Vincent loads his truck full of flowers, you are left wondering just what it was that made him go so crazy over that girl.

Buster And Billie has come down in legend as the film where Jan-Michael Vincent bore all for art and titillated more than a few women and gay men with what they saw. But past those few seconds people who saw this film in 1974 got to see a tender and sensitive story about teen love between two opposite type of people.

Buster is the teen idol of the school, popular and handsome, and the child of some pious church going parents in his rural Georgia small town in the post World War II years. He's going out with teen queen Pamela Sue Martin and they're considered a golden couple in the town. Joan Goodfellow is Billie, a sweet girl of easy virtue raised by some real white trash parents. She's popular too in a different way as the boys her town get to bleed the old lizard with her help.

Vincent and Goodfellow in a most improbable romance fall for each other. In the best scene in the film Vincent tells his parents that she's the way she is because all she wants is people to like her. Both grow as individuals until tragedy for a lot of the cast strikes.

Buster And Billie had one element of the plot I didn't really care for. Goodfellow's parents are not churchgoers and it's implied that she's the way she is because of her lack of religious upbringing. This film was set around 1948 and made in 1974 and that still might have been something you could sell the movie-going public then. I think too much has happened in the interim that dates that portion of the film. If it is ever remade you may be sure that that part of the film's story will be toned down or even eliminated.

But both Vincent and Goodfellow are a fine pair of leads and Buster And Billie has a cult status of sorts with Jan-Michael Vincent bearing all for art.

If you are at all sensitive or a person who cries at movies, do not watch this unless you have prepared yourself with a box of kleenex and only the closest of friends who you know will not make fun of you. (or watch it alone.)

I first watched this movie at a time when I was having "boy troubles" and the object of my desire happened to look exactly like Jan Michael Vincent, the star of this movie (yeah, he was hot). This just added to the pain.... I bawled my eyes out for about 10-15 whole minutes AFTER the movie had already ended and was turned off. I wept so loudly and couldn't control my crying eyes whatsoever. My housemates laughed at me, but it was an affectionate laugh. They had also been affected by the movie, but not to my extent. The story is SO SAD. SO SAD!!! The saddest story EVER!

As much as I loved the movie, I will never watch it again, even though I taped it. It is just too sad and I don't want to go through all that bawling and crying again.

This is most emotionally draining, saddest movie I have ever seen. Be prepared to cry your eyes out with this one.

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

(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.