Footloose (1984)

Despite Its Flaws, An Eighties Classic

After hearing that "Footloose" was being remade (just in time for its 25th anniversary; god I feel old) with Zac Effron of "High School Musical" fame in the lead role made famous by Kevin Bacon, I couldn't resist revisiting a movie that was a huge a part of my own high school years. No doubt about it, "Footloose" is a film that screams EIGHTIES, defining its era in the same way that "Saturday Night Fever" defined the disco days of the Seventies (and perhaps the way that the HSM films will be seen to define this decade in the future.) It's all here: big hair, tight sweaters, tighter jeans, legwarmers (in a brief opening montage) and super-slick Eighties pop music...it was the golden age of MTV, and in many ways, "Footloose," like "Flashdance" before it, is a glorified, movie-length music video, especially in it's tightly choreographed dance scenes. To the credit of the makers of "Footloose," they tried to give the film some dramatic heft, rather than let it become just another of the fluffy, insubstantial teen exploitation flicks of the time. The problem with that is the juxtaposition of drama and dance is so jarring at times that the movie seems to suffer from a split personality, not sure whether it wants to be a hard-hitting message movie or little more than a live-action cartoon (kids who supposedly have never danced before suddenly cutting a rug with the best of them at the prom? Please. And the type of dancing that Bacon's character seems to favor is far more artistic than you would see on the dance floors of big-city clubs, despite what he says.)

In his star-making role, Bacon plays Ren McCormick, a Chicago kid who finds himself the proverbial fish out of water when he loses his father (Death? Divorce? We're never quite told) and his mother moves the family back to her hometown, a small, rural, red-state community somewhere in the midwest. (At least that's what we're supposed to believe but the Rocky Mountains in the distance say otherwise; the film was shot in Utah.) The pastor of the local church (an excellent John Lithgow in his pre-"3rd Rock" days) wields a disproportionate amount of influence in the community--he also serves on the town council--and at his direction, the town has banned dancing. There hasn't been a prom in six years. Not surprisingly this doesn't sit well with the new arrival, so Ren sets out to change the ordinance while teaching his classmates about the forbidden thrills of dancing, and romancing the pastor's daughter, the strong-willed Ariel, who feels stifled by her family and the town. (She's also in a relationship with a local boy that is disturbingly abusive; the movie is ahead if it's time in portraying the problem of dating violence and abuse in teen relationships.) Not surprisingly Ren is quickly labeled a troublemaker and will face a variety of obstacles before he makes an impassioned speech (complete with Bible quotes) to persuade the council to overturn the ban, allowing the Senior class to have a prom and even bringing a much-needed healing to the pastor's family.

In lesser hands the dramatic content of "Footloose" could fall into maudlin TV movie territory; thanks to a talented cast of actors (including Bacon, Lithgow, Lori Singer as Ariel and an almost unrecognizable Sarah Jessica Parker in an early role as Ariel's best friend) it rises above that level and the characters have some complexity. Ren is no saint; in the name of introducing his friends to dancing, he takes them over the county line, sneaks them into a bar and manages to get in a fight. Lithgow's character is revealed as not so much a rigid moralist than a father whose unresolved anger and grief over the death of his only son (after a night of music- and dance-inspired drunken revelry) prompted the infamous ban. Indeed it is the pastor who talks some of the townsfolk out of conducting a book burning at the local library. Diane Wiest portrays the pastor's wife as a woman who secretly sympathizes with the kids, and whose meek exterior hides a spine of steel.

It will be interesting to see how "Footloose" fares as a remake; will they keep it true to the original and maintain its gritty dramatic edge (the film drew a PG rating when it came out but would likely be PG-13 today), or, given Effron's popularity, will they be tempted to turn it into another "High School Musical" type production that's all sweetness and light? Hopefully not, because in the end what makes "Footloose" appealing is its reality and humanity, not just it's dance numbers.
November 2, 2008

footloose

my boss was asking if i owned this movie and i don't so i ordered it. this one is an all time favorite movie and i'm glad to have it in my collection. thanks October 21, 2008

Footloose never came

It has been well over a month and I have not received "Footloose" from THMP752002 and they won't answer an email. I notice their other feedback is pitiful. Amazon should have never listed this seller. September 29, 2008

Bacon has a stunt double.

Footloose starring Kevin Bacon made him a star and even though he is not the one dancing in the film, his charisma and acting chops makes this dancetastic movie worth a viewing or two. Lori Singer looks so much like Daryl Hannah, I can't tell them apart! John Lithgow is a riot, he knows how to make his characters memorable. Good flim for its time but pretty much dated now. September 1, 2008

veno

Speedy delivery to Sweden. Splendid music and intresting actors. Nice to have in my collection August 17, 2008

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