Before I even get started on this review, I just came across a trailer for a remake of Footloose, out later this year. It looks identical, even the dialogue is the same. It's just got dreadful music instead of the classic soundtrack. Don't know why they even bother with these remakes sometimes.
Anyway, back to the original. Which, to this day, possesses one of the strangest plots for a teen movie ever. After a car accident killing some (probably sexy) teens occurs, a small town in America outlaws rock music and dancing. Not drinking. Or driving. Dancing, mainly.
Then, a city boy (Ren McCormack, played by Kevin Bacon) arrives in town and starts to shake things up, befriending a country boy (Christopher Penn) WHO CAN'T DANCE (And, because of that, acts like he is crippled or something), and gets romantically involved with Aerial (Lori Singer), whose father (John Lithgow) is a minister totally opposed to any kind of frivolity, seeing as his son was one of the kids killed in the accident.
It all sounds fairly terrible, but the 80s were a time when this sort of thing could work, and it does. It just has that 80s charm, and the entire cast is really likable too. Even the cookie cutter role of disapproving minister Dad is played with such empathy by John Lithgow, as opposed to just ranting, then having a last minute change of heart, it takes the film to another level.
As does the music, of course. The soundtrack is jammed full of 80s hits from the likes of Kenny Loggins, Bonnie Tyler and more. Sure it sets the film at a certain point in time, but, like the film, its cheesy fun, and I can't see how an exact replica of it in 2011 will do anyone any good.
****
Generic 80s dancing tosh sure, but it's great fun, has a killer soundtrack and a brilliant turn from John Lithgow. And where else could you possibly see Kevin Bacon cracking out those moves?
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