Footloose (1984)
Kevin Bacon boogies his way through a number of eighties hits, much to the disgruntlement of the local townsfolk - in particular, their minister.
This is yet another of those all-time classics I’ve never actually watched before. Of course, I’ve heard the song "Footloose", but I didn’t realise the film also contains a whole host of other 80s anthems - "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler, "Let’s Hear It for the Boy" by Deniece Williams, to name but a few. Well, two. I suppose they had to pick one of the songs for the film's title. Calling it Footloose, Total Eclipse of the Heart, Let’s Hear It for the Boy, and Other Tunes would’ve been a bit of a mouthful.
Ren (Kevin Bacon) and his mother move to his uncle’s house in rural Utah. Running — or more accurately, controlling — the town is Reverend Shaw Moore (John Lithgow), who has a particular disliking for music. Especially the kind young people dance to. He does enjoy chamber music though, obviously. He believes rock and roll brings with it “a gospel of easy sexuality and relaxed morality.” Yes, quite.
Rev. Moore also appears to be the town’s unofficial librarian-slash-censorship czar, given that the books available at the library all seem to meet his personal approval. And it looks like arcade machines are also a threat to society. There’s a scene where they’re being removed from a diner, presumably to prevent a Pac-Man-induced crime wave. Sad as it is, there are probably parts of America that still operate this way today. Might explain why they’ve put a nutcase in charge of the country.
Of course, teenagers being teenagers, they completely ignore their God-fearing parents and sneak out to listen to tunes, write poetry in abandoned warehouses, and, for reasons I don't really understand, attempt to murder each other with slow-moving tractors.
Ren, originally from Chicago, is all too eager to question the town’s strict status quo. He hits it off with Ariel (Lori Singer), the vicar’s daughter, and brings his big city ideas to this small, conservative community. He suggests they hold a dance for the school seniors. Naturally, the idea doesn’t go down well with the locals, who are still very much under the vicar’s spell. But will Ren and his crew of wannabe dancers get their way? Or will they be forced to take their happy feet underground?
The 80s were a decade of films built around music and dance. We’ve already had Fame and Xanadu in 1980, Flashdance in 1983, and now Footloose in 1984. Dirty Dancing isn’t far off either. Could 1985’s Back to the Future count a little too? It’s hard to overstate just how influential films were to music at the time, and vice versa. MTV made music videos big business, and one thing I’ve noticed about 80s films is just how much music they contain. Even outside of music-focused movies, other 1984 titles like Ghostbusters, Electric Dreams, and Sixteen Candles are packed with full album soundtracks.
The film itself isn’t too bad either. Earlier dance films often feel quite dark and serious in tone. Footloose is still more drama than comedy, but at least it shows people actually enjoying themselves. I guess that’s the point — the kids aren’t trying to rebel for rebellion’s sake. They’re not trying to undermine their parents or act immorally. They just want to dance. They just want to have fun.
Hmm. That sounds like a good title for a song.