Footloose

Ren McCormack is at an utter loss after moving from Chicago to the small town of Bomont along with his mother to share a home with his aunt, uncle, and younger cousins.  The citizens of Bomont are seemingly uptight and extreme fundamentalists. Rock music, along with most books and dancing have been cited as a source of individual thought and rebellion, and have been banned.

Just a normal kid by Chicago standards, Ren finds himself an outlaw; befriended by Willard and Ariel Moore, daughter of Reverend Shaw Moore. Ren finds trouble at every corner – from a fist fight with Ariel’s boyfriend Chuck, to his uncle and other townsfolk, to the police. In order to work out some of his anger, Ren takes a job at the Beamis Mill after school. Ren later finds himself confronted by Chuck, Ren finds himself showing his fearlessness in a game of chicken involving large farm equipment, and later a fist fight.  Ren discovers that dancing was banned after Ariel’s brother died after a school dance, and teams with Willard to take a stand for what he believes is right, driven by Ariel’s wild determination.
Cast:

Ren………..               Kevin Bacon
Willard……               Christopher Penn
Ariel………..               Lori Singer
Rusty……..                Sarah Jessica Parker
Rev. Moore….          John Lithgow
Mrs. Moore…           Diane Weiss

His diplomatic skills in hand, and with Ariel and Willard supporting him, Ren takes a stand against the Bomont town council, as well as the moral citizen majority whe he realizes he’s found a way to get around the town’s laws that forbid dancing. Ren managers to stage a prom at the Beamis Mill in the adjoining town of Bayson; but most of the teens have long since forgotten what dance was or never learned to begin with. It’s up to Ren to show the parents that dancing isn’t dangerous, that it’s freedom of the soul and expression!

Footloose features a wonderful, memorable soundtrack that includes:

Footloose
Dancing in the Sheets
Let’s Hear it for the Boy
Holding Out for a Hero
Bang Your Head
Almost Paradise

Footloose was a smash hit when it was released and remained so throughout the 80’s, even becoming a stage production! The movie features fun dance numbers and deals with a great variety of social issues. Although just about anyone in the family could watch it, I recommend it for the tween and older crowd. It’s a movie that’s definitely worth watching and owning!