Footloose (1984)

Best movie ever!

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

How can you not love this movie? It's a super classic with real acting and it's original.

The main issue people have with this movie is that the story is so silly. A town where dancing is illegal, whaaat? But turns out that it is based on a real story. There was indeed a town where dancing was illegal until the 80's. Only it was more one of those cases where nobody has changed the law for a century and it became a bit outdated.Besides being silly it is still a feel good movie. "I" love the dancing scenes. Mainly that famous Kevin Bacon scene as well as when he teaches his friend to dance.Another scene that I live is that tractor chicken game scene. Especially because the soundtrack to it is Holding out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler. Oh that was just perfect.One of the things I love about big hits from those times is that it includes a lot of well known actors, most at the very beginning of their careers. This is the case here as well. Kevin Bacon is so damn hot and so incredibly young, it was the movie that made him a star. Lori Singer is also there looking beautiful, although as far as I know it is also a highlight of her career. Then there is Chris Penn who will bring a lot of good work in the future but letting us to see him dance in this one. And it was exciting to see Sarah Jessica Parker. She was actually still a teenager in this movie. And I must say I got all giggly when she gave Kevin Bacon a compliment about his outfit.

I wish I could say that Bacon sizzles in this "rebellious youth" tale, but he doesn't. There is a lot of ham on the screen and corn in the flaky dialog. This is a typical underdog film with all the tired clichés: the bad guys end up with egg on their faces; the town finally wakes up and smells the coffee; the protagonists eventually turn on the juice; etc.Although Kevin Bacon did an admirable job with his own dancing, I must say that the dancing double used in the more challenging scenes really smoked Bacon. Incidentally, I was going to review another mid-80s film - The Breakfast Club - but I've decided to put that pan on the back burner and cook with this one.You know, it's puzzling that this movie would leave me unsated and hungry for something else.

RELEASED IN 1984 and directed by Herbert Ross, "Footloose" chronicles events in the small Western town of Bomont where dancing and loud music have been outlawed because of an accident that killed some kids years earlier. Preacher's daughter Ariel (Lori Singer) rebels against the legalistic measures while taking liking to a new student from Chicago, Ren (Kevin Bacon), whom her father (John Lithgow) disapproves of because he perceives Ren as a "troublemaker" who wants to change the town laws against dancing.Also on hand are Chris Penn as Ren's "country boy" pal, Willard, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Ariel's friend, Rusty. Penn's character is real fun and Sarah was a real cutie back in '84.I stayed away from this film because of Roger Ebert's scathing review and the fact that I thought the story was about some big city fop moving to a small town and dancing on the tables of the local high school, etc. I was wrong (and so was Ebert). The protagonist, Ren, is no dandy; in fact, he can kick some arse if necessary. And you never see him dancing through the halls of the high school or whatever. He's a professional-class gymnast and his dynamic solo work-out at the factory is simply a matter of blowing off steam, which is a form of healthy venting.Although I stayed away from "Footloose," the film acquired a respectable following and this inspired me to finally view it. I now understand why it's so popular. "Footloose" has that cinematic magic that pulls you in and gives you a good time. This is just a really entertaining movie with an exceptional soundtrack of songs made for the move with no less than six top 40 hits, like the title track by Kenny Loggins and "Holding Out for a Hero" performed by Bonnie Tyler, plus a couple of other significant ditties, e.g. "Bang Your Head" by Quiet Riot.Surprisingly, "Footloose" also has depth and is actually moving. We understand Rev. Shaw Moore's grief, but his rigid law-ism isn't doing his people or town any good. I like how Shaw isn't made out to be the clichéd villain. This is a good man thinking he's doing the right thing for his town, and in many ways he is, but the legalistic spirit he cops is sapping the life out of him, his family, his congregants and his town. Does he have the wisdom to see his error and re-route?BOTTOM LINE: Footloose is easily the best of the Big Three 80's dance movies and actually made significantly more at the domestic box office than "Dirty Dancing" ($80 million compared to $65 million). It has heart, a great cast, a superb soundtrack, all-around entertainment and real-life mindfood. It's also based on a true story that occurred in Elmore City, Oklahoma. Actually, there were similar towns with the same laws throughout America (and maybe still are). THE FILM RUNS 1 hour, 47 minutes and was shot in areas 30 minutes south of Salt Lake City, on the eastern side of Utah Lake. WRITER: Dean Pitchford.GRADE: A