Footloose (1984)

A city teenager moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writer:

Dean Pitchford

Stars:

Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Bacon	...	Ren
Lori Singer	...	Ariel
John Lithgow	...	Rev. Shaw Moore
Dianne Wiest	...	Vi Moore
Chris Penn	...	Willard (as Christopher Penn)
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Rusty
John Laughlin	...	Woody
Elizabeth Gorcey	...	Wendy Jo
Frances Lee McCain	...	Ethel McCormack
Jim Youngs	...	Chuck Cranston
Douglas Dirkson	...	Burlington Cranston
Lynne Marta	...	Lulu Warnicker
Arthur Rosenberg	...	Wes Warnicker
Timothy Scott	...	Andy Beamis
Alan Haufrect	...	Coach Roger Dunbar

Storyline

Classic tale of teenage rebellion and repression features a delightful combination of dance choreography and realistic and touching performances. When teenager Ren McCormack and his family move from big-city Chicago to a small Midwestern town, he's in for a real case of culture shock. Though he tries hard to fit in, the streetwise Ren can't quite believe he's living in a place where rock music and dancing are illegal. However, there is one small pleasure: Ariel Moore, a troubled but lovely blonde with a jealous boyfriend. And a Bible-thumping minister, who is responsible for keeping the town dance-free. Ren and his classmates want to do away with this ordinance, especially since the senior prom is around the corner, but only Ren has the courage to initiate a battle to abolish the outmoded ban and revitalize the spirit of the repressed townspeople. Fast-paced drama is filled with such now-famous hit songs as the title track and "Let's Hear It for the Boy".

---

Plot Keywords:

teenage rebellion | small town | high school dance | church | cowboy boots | 

---

Taglines:

He's a big-city kid in a small town. They said he'd never win. He knew he had to.

---

Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 February 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Foot-loose

Filming Locations:

American Fork Community Presbyterian Church - 75 North 100 East, American Fork, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,556,935, 19 February 1984

Gross USA:

$80,035,402

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures,Phoenix Pictures,IndieProd Company Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The two girls who play Ren's little cousins, Mimi and Meghan Broadhead, are actual sisters and are residents of Utah. In addition to Mimi and Meghan Broadhead, their father J. Paul Broadhead appears as Mayor Dooley in the town hall scene and their mother and two brothers play extras.

---

Goofs

In one scene with Rev. Moore, the nursery/preschool in the foreground shows two children's toys still sitting atop "apple boxes," likely from a previous scene where the toys were raised to film height.

---

Quotes

Willard: You know what it is, you've got an attitude problem.
Ren: Oh I've got an attitude problem?
Willard: Yes and I'm not the first one that's noticed it. I mean we're not stuck in the goddamn middle ages here. I mean we've got TV. We've got Family Feud. We're not stuck in Leave It to Beaver land here.
Ren: Well I haven't noticed a wet T-shirt contest in town yet.
Willard: Yeah well I haven't either, but I'm waiting. Patiently.
Ren: I tell what I'd like to do - I'd like to fold a Playboy centerfold inside every one of Reverend ...

---

Connections

Referenced in Will & Grace: Big Brother Is Coming (1999)

---

Soundtracks

Footloose
Written by Kenny Loggins and Dean Pitchford
Performed by Kenny Loggins

User Reviews

Gotta Cut Loose for Kevin Bacon

Aw, come on IMDb'ers, why the low rating? Where's your sense of loyalty? I can't hear that Kenny Loggins title song and see those pairs of dancing feet during the opening credits without sitting down to watch this whole movie. And even if it's largely to make fun of it, I still love it for old times' sake.

Kevin Bacon is the tough city kid stuck in some podunk Midwest town where dancing has been outlawed. John Lithgow is the preacher who serves as Bacon's arch nemesis; Lori Singer is the preacher's daughter who has a hankering for the new dangerous kid. Dianne Wiest is the reasonable mom who acts as referee between dad and daughter. The whole thing is sillier than an episode of "Laugh-In," but many of the actors (particularly Lithgow, Wiest and Bacon) are good enough to actually sell the material. And come on, admit it, you know you like the music.

Grade: B+