My original plan for this week’s article was to review The Thing (1982) because it has been snowing so much lately, and it’s a perfect film for that weather. However, this weekend decided to be warmer, and it just didn’t feel right to watch it in the rain. So, I’ll be saving it for later. Until then, here is the Bitchin’ Bio on Footloose.
Release Date: Feb. 17, 1984
Synopsis: City boy Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) moves from Chicago to a small, strict town where he can’t seem to do anything right. While falling for the preacher’s daughter, Ariel Moore (Lori Singer), can he convince the townspeople that dancing is not a crime?
How I Watched It: Amazon Prime (My DVD player remote is missing, so I’m glad it was free!)
Degrees of Kevin Bacon: This speaks for itself. This is the first time I’ve gotten to review a movie with him in a starring role!
Come For: Wild dance sequences to a killer soundtrack. From the opening titles to the closing credits, there’s some perfectly executed choreography. (My personal favorite is the “Let’s Hear it For the Boy” sequence.)
Stay For: Beautiful acting from Dianne Weist (Vi Moore). She doesn’t get a ton of screen time, but she makes the most of every single line she has. John Lithgow (Rev. Shaw Moore) and Lori Singer also have powerful moments, as does Bacon himself. Honestly, the cast is all wonderful.
Had I Seen It? Several times.
Do I Like It? I do. Some parts are difficult to watch (including an instance of physical abuse), others are a bit silly (Kevin Bacon’s dance doubles do a great job in the warehouse scene, but it is a little distracting that it’s obviously not him). I wish that some of the characters had more screen time, especially Willard (Chris Penn) and Rusty (Sarah Jessica Parker), whose relationship is not fully developed. Overall, though, there is so much to enjoy about this film. Small, sweet moments like seeing Ren’s attitude as he tells people in a convenience store about his plans for the dance are worth it to watch out for.
I hope you have a good week! Until next time, “This is our time to dance.”
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