Smith's first film role came in "Heaven Help Us" (1985). She then played Putter in "The Legend of Billie Jean" (also 1985). The film was a box office bomb and critically panned, although Smith "thought it would be the movie that launched my career. And then it was out at the box office about 10 days before it died." When filming was over, she rejoined "The Real Thing" before being out of work for six months. Smith worried her career was over. However, the following year, she played Connie in Stephen King's "Maximum Overdrive" (1986), noting it was "truly a dreadful film, but I had a great part in it."