A city teenager moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.
I remember seeing “Footloose” in theaters in 1984 with a few friends. I didn’t think much of it then, but it introduced me to Kevin Bacon, an actor I have admired ever since. When Paramount sent me a 40th Anniversary 4K review copy, it was the first time I had watched it since 1984, and I have to admit, I enjoyed it more the second time around. The movie has incredible ’80s tunes featuring Kenny Loggins, Shalamar, Deniece Williams, Bonnie Tyler, Quiet Riot, John Mellencamp, Foreigner, and more. The music, I feel, is why the film was as successful as it was, and it’s very fitting as the story is about music and its effects on the teenagers of the time, at least according to their parents.
Kevin Bacon plays Ren McCormack, a Chicago native who moves to the small Southwestern town of Bomont along with his mother, Ethel (Frances Lee McCain). They move in with Ren’s aunt and uncle Wes and Lulu (Arthur Rosenberg and Lynne Marta), and he quickly learns that the town has a strict policy against rock music and dancing, as years earlier, a group of kids died in a car crash after a night of partying and music. Ren falls for Ariel (Lori Singer), the daughter of the town’s reverend, Shaw Moore (John Lithgow), who, with his strict religious beliefs, has campaigned for the ongoing ban of music and partying. Eventually, Ren, Ariel, and his new friends take a stand against Reverend Moore and his antiquated views and demand the town council revoke the anti-dancing law so the high school can hold their prom.
“Footloose” is most definitely a product of its time. The film is remembered mainly for its iconic soundtrack, especially “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins and “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” by Deniece Williams. The story is about the classic teenage rebellion and repression that every generation encounters in one form or another. While the elders in the town think they’re doing a good thing, they don’t realize the harm it’s doing to their youth. It takes the determination and perseverance of an outsider to hold the town responsible and stop blaming the teenagers for a tragic accident that happened in the past they had nothing to do with.
While Kevin Bacon already had small parts in “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” “Friday the 13th,” and “Diner,” “Footloose” was his first starring role and the film that catapulted him into stardom. The movie also boasts an impressive cast from John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest to then up-and-comers Lori Singer, Chris Penn, and Sarah Jessica Parker. The music is, without a doubt, the film’s best part. Some dramatic scenes, especially the “Dance Angry” scene where Bacon goes to an empty warehouse and takes out his frustrations while dancing, are laughably cringe-worthy; it was back in the day and still is today. “Footloose” is a great reminder of simpler times with some terrific foot-tapping tunes thrown in.
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