Review of Buster and Billie

I was not able to get this movie out of my head days after seeing it. Buster and Billie is a powerful and poignant coming-of-age story, but also just very stark tale of how brutal and cruel people can be sometimes. This film takes place in the 50's I believe, but it's almost hard to determine the year. It's set in rural Georgia, so it has a very back-woods atmosphere about it. High-school buddies gather around to exchange girl and car stories, and the talk of the town is 'Billie' (Joan Goodfellow), a very shy, poor girl who lets this gang of upper-class boys do what they will to her. They basically come knocking at her door late at night (she lives in a run-down shack with her 2 negligent parents), take her out into the woods for gang-sex! Billie goes willingly, but with obvious sorrow. She's a lonely girl with no friends and 'this is the only way she knows how to find affection', (as Buster later tells his father). Buster (Jan-Michael Vincent) is a care-free, cocky young man who seems to have a penchant for taking odd-ball people under his wing. He drives his truck like a maniac, and annoys the heck out of the local school bus driver. His best friend is Whitey, played by a very young, awkward Robert Englund of Nightmare on Elm Street fame! Whitey apparently was a tortured 'geek' when he first arrived at school, but ever since Buster became his friend, Whitey became popular. Buster is also a 'lone ranger' among his friends – he never joined the group visits to Billie's house late at night. He remarks to Jake the bartender that two things in a man's life should be private..."Taking a s___ and getting laid." Buster is also engaged to marry Margie (Pamela Sue Martin), his high-school sweetheart. Because his girlfriend doesn't let him go 'all the way' when they park at night (she's waiting until the wedding night, of course), Buster starts to lose patience with her. At school, after a physical beat-down with the grumpy bus-driver, Buster notices Billie smiling at him. His friends steer him clear of her, saying he shouldn't be seen with her at school. Buster introduces himself to Billie at lunch-hour, and invites her on a date. She accepts, very, very shyly. She obviously has a crush on him, and the fact that he speaks to her like a human being is something totally new. So Buster takes Billie out on a date. It's still a sexual encounter, but the fact that he takes her in his own truck and treats her very gently is something she has never experienced. So as their dates continue, Buster starts to fall in love with her as well. He breaks up with Margie and takes Billie with him to church, nonetheless, in front of the whole town! It's scandal - his friends and his parents are shocked. Even the bartender Jake is offended that Buster would break up with a 'nice girl' like Margie, and start taking up with a 'bad girl' like Billie. But Buster doesn't give into all the pressure from his friends or family. He continues to see Billie, and Billie starts to show her real personality- she's a bit of a free spirit like Buster. She loves to be in the truck when Buster drives fast. They jump in the river together, naked (this is the infamous JMV full frontal scene – where he looks like an Adonis!). Fatefully, all is not meant to be so idyllic. One rainy, stormy afternoon Billie innocently encounters the car-load of Buster's so called friends. A horrifying chase and rape scene ensue, and Billie's fate is sealed. Buster finds out – he just knows something has happened –and he discovers her body in the dark, damp woods behind her house. His rage is insurmountable, and he tracks his friends down in local bar. In a frightening display of physical violence (as only JMV can display), he swiftly kills two of them, and seriously maims the others! The movie ends with Buster at Billie's grave site…sadly saying goodbye.

Wow, it's some movie! Anyway, the performance by Jan Michael Vincent is great. It wouldn't call it great acting, but his gentle manner combined with his ability to threaten physical violence form a unique blend in this movie. His sheer beauty is also just staggering to see – he was truly one of the most beautiful actors to even grace the silver screen. Joan Goodfellow is heart-wrenching in this movie—too bad she didn't appear in more films! And any fan of Robert Englund will enjoy this as well – he's such a funny geek in this!!