It’s been quite a while since I haven’t covered a musical for this column, and since Footloose reached it’s 40th year anniversary, it would seem like an opportune moment. This might be bending the term ‘musical’, since there is no actual singing on behalf of the actors’ part, but it is considered such, so we’re going to roll with it. By the way, there is a recent remake which from what I remember was adequate, but in the end pales in comparison to the original.
Starting with the basics, Footloose was directed by Herbert Ross in 1984 and it starred Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer.
For those who don’t know the plot, it is cantered around a teenager who transfers from the big city, in this case Chicago, moves to an old-fashioned religious town that prohibited dancing. This was mainly due to the fact that that two teenagers had died in a car accident after a party. Eventually the main character convinces the city council to abolish said law and the youth end up organizing prom night. On paper, this would not seem like a very interesting story, but because of the character growth entailed and how generational divide is portrayed, Footloose has more to say than what meets the eye. Dancing, within the context of the movie, represents an act of rebellion towards what seems as an antiquated prohibition and parental form of control. The newer generation does not understand why they should suffer for something that happened to someone else, while the older one sees perdition and danger in a more modern way of living life. In a way, this movie also talks about parents watching their children grow and doing their best to understand when it is time to let them go their own way.
Obviously, because of the premise, Footloose puts a lot of emphasis on music and I would argue that it delivers; the soundtrack is just banger after banger. The homonymous theme fits perfectly, but there are also other pieces made especially for it such as Holding out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler (in other words we owe Footloose for an acclaimed masterpiece and combo between animation and music in THAT scene of Shrek 2). Other memorable songs are for instance Dancing in the Sheets and Bang your Head (Metal Health). Several moments have become iconic in the movie industry – Kevin Bacon dancing in the abandoned storehouse for instance – and not to mention the final scene and close-up on the casts shoes while they dance.
So, here is a bit of food for thought: as previously mentioned, in Footloose dance becomes an act of rebellion given the circumstances. My question regards not what would be considered an act of rebellion from a younger generation by today’s standards, but rather would a similar act exist or begin in the first place? There is more and more a nuance of apathy towards everything that is within the boundaries of our own reality; a newer generation has witness so many problems and has been so disappointed that I find it difficult to even consider the will to act or rebel. Just a minor consideration, not the time for existential dread, nothing to see here.
More importantly, P.S.: Wait…Sarah Jessica Parker is in this? (insert banal yet witty reference between Footloose and Sex and the City here).
I would give this movie an 8 out of 10 first-rule-of-dance-club-is-there-is-no-dance-club.