AUGUST’S LOST LEGEND OF THE MONTH: BILLY FROM OVERBOARD.
If this face doesn’t scream “Lost-Legend” louder than anyone else, I don’t know what does. Congratulations to Billy Pratt from 1987’s summer-scorcher Overboard on claiming the spot for August’s Lost-Legend-Of-The-Month!
Wild Bill almost took home the Deadbeat-Of-The-Month prize during last year’s countdown, but he got shoved to the side and TNUC now feels really bad so we’re hoisting him up on the Lost-Legend platform of excellence. For some reason he works in both categories anyways.
Without reiterating the entire plot, Overboard stars Kurt Russell playing the role of Dean Proffitt, a single dad/carpenter/personal idol who gets hired to repair a closet on a yacht which is owned by a rich, pretentious husband and his horrendously snobby wife Joanna (Goldie Hawn). After the job is completed, Joanna whines about it not being up to her standards and refuses to pay Dean. She throws a tantrum and ends up tossing all of Dean’s tools in the ocean. Joanna ends up falling overboard and gets a bad case of amnesia, which inspires Dean to take advantage of the situation and convinces her that she’s his wife and mother of his rambunctious kids.
Billy is Dean’s best pal and drinking buddy. He proclaims that back in the day the two friends were known as “Mean Dean Proffitt” and “Bad Billy Pratt”. Since then they’ve spent their time bowling, pounding Miller High Life and chasing women of all shapes and sizes. While it’s not directly mentioned in the film, Billy’s reputation and local legend status in Elk Cove, Oregon is that he’s a supposed jack of all trades. During the scene where Dean tells Billy about how his tools were sent flying into the ocean, there’s a sign hanging on Billy’s trailer that reads BILLY PRATT. Contractor, Real Estate Agent, All Purpose Photography. “Whatever It Takes”. Billy’s many talents come in pretty handy for Dean when he asks him to do some early photoshop work on some photos in attempt to convince Joanna that they’ve been married for years. Another high score for Bill.
In one of his most memorable scenes, Billy puts on a classic pervert face as he stares at Joanna when she’s giving Dean an innocent foot massage. When she takes notice and whispers to Dean about it, he makes up a lie that she and Billy were high school sweethearts and then asks her “You don’t get any of the old feelings back when you look at him, do you?!”.
He might appear to be your average, every day slob drowning in grain alcohol at your town’s nastiest bar, but a closer look at scenes in the movie has Uncle T taking the high road with the belief that Billy simply hasn’t had a proper shot at life (definition of Lost-Legend). Not only does he go out of his way on separate occasions to help Dean out of the doghouse with Joanna but he’s also a co-inventor of Dean’s “Wonders of the World” miniature golf course dream.
Uncle Bill!
Billy shows up in only a few scenes but leaves a strong presence still felt 28 years after the film’s release. Now we’re faced with questions that plague our minds… Where is Billy Pratt right at this moment? Did he in fact stick around with Dean years after the opening of “Wonders of the World”? Or did he have dreams of his own? How does he adjust to modern day society? So much has changed since 1986 but there’s no way in hell that this guy has altered his ways. Let’s be serious for a moment…Bad Billy Pratt isn’t driving a environmentally-friendly vehicle and shopping exclusively at Whole Foods. I refuse to believe it, and so should you.
To help everyone reflect on this Lost-Legend, here’s a classic cut from Alan Silvestri’s score to Overboard. Play this one on the boombox by the lake as summer camp comes to a close!
[Lost-Legend-Of-The-Month is a heartwrenching chronicle of forgotten iconic warriors who were either wiped off the face of the planet for reasons unknown or simply never got the chance to “peak” during their short-lived careers. We cherish these individuals and devote an entire month to celebrate their impact on society. To see the rest of em’, go here.]
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