Footloose

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Christopher Penn
Directed by: Herbert Ross
Rating: PG
Genre: Musical, Drama
1984

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: City-kid Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) moves with his family to the country, to a town where religion runs everyone's lives, and dancing is illegal. Now, Ren must go against the whole town, but most especially a conservative preacher (John Lithgow) in an effort to put on a senior prom, and win the heart of the preacher's daughter (Lori Singer).

Review:
Tim: Footloose is a classic story of teenage rebellion, and one of the best coming-of-age movies. Most people who grew up in the 1980s (like myself) will probably remember this movie and the impact it had on our formative years. It embodies a whole sense of striking out on your own, questioning everything you were taught and moving away from your childhood onto the verge of adulthood.

Footloose is a classic movie, and one of the most fun, enjoyable ones. I mean, watching Kevin Bacon pull off some incredible dance moves just makes you want to get out there and join him. This movie showed that men can dance AND be cool. The film itself is beautifully done, telling a simple story that applied to the lives of millions of people (not that dancing is illegal everywhere, but the rebellion theme, etc.).

Footloose is the film that rocketed Kevin Bacon to stardom, and for good reason- he is absolutely excellent in it. He plays the smart, tough, chip-on-my-shoulder role perfectly. I doubt any other actor could have given such a perfect performance. It's like Bacon was born for this role. He also got support from a very good supporting cast. Christopher Penn is great as Willard and Lori Singer gives a complex and wonderful performance. She is believable as a girl teetering on the edge, yet wanting to be saved. Perhaps the best supporting role is that of John Lithgow. His character plays a central role to the movie. Without his strong performance, the film would have suffered greatly. He plays the antagonist to Bacon's protagonist character and makes for a complicated, interesting character. They perfectly embody exact opposites, yet as the film goes on, you see the slighest similarities start to develop.

Footloose is a classic tale that has proven for years that it is one of our best films. If you haven't seen it yet, it's absolutely worth seeing. Definitely go out and watch it. If nothing else, it has one of the best movie soundtracks of all time- and who can help but dancing when you hear the great "Footloose" song? This is an absolute classic.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Turning Point, Dirty Dancing, Flashdance, Saturday Night Fever