A cynical and manipulative exercise with little feel for the teen culture it purports to celebrate.
Footloose (1984)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:18
Rotten:14
Average Rating:5.6/10
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: This classic tale of teen rebellion features a delightful combination of dance choreography and realistic, touching performances. When teenager Ren (Kevin Bacon) and his family move from big-city... This classic tale of teen rebellion features a delightful combination of dance choreography and realistic, touching performances. When teenager Ren (Kevin Bacon) and his family move from big-city Chicago to a small midwestern town, he's in for a real case of culture shock. Though he tries hard to fit in, the streetwise Ren can't quite believe he's living in a place where rock music and dancing are illegal. There is one small pleasure, however: Ariel (Lori Singer), a troubled but lovely blonde--who also has a jealous boyfriend. In fact, it is Ariel's dad (John Lithgow), a Bible-thumping minister, who is responsible for keeping the town dance-free. Ren and his classmates want to do away with this ordinance--especially since the senior prom is around the corner--but only Ren has the courage to initiate a battle. Ren's pent-up frustrations cause a confrontation with Rev. Shaw Moore and the local town council as he takes on the small-town establishment struggling to abolish the outmoded ban and revitalize the spirit of the repressed townspeople. Herb Ross's fast-paced drama is filled with such hit songs as the title track and "Let's Hear It for the Boy" and is a classic of 1980s Brat Pack cinema. [More]
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Christopher Penn, Sarah Jessica Parker, John Laughlin, Elizabeth Gorcey, Frances Lee McCain
Director: Herbert Ross
Director: Herbert Ross
Screenwriter: Dean Pitchford
Producer: Lewis J. Rachmil, Craig Zadan
Composer: Miles Goodman
Reviews for Footloose
Only the most cynical would never admit to tapping their toes to Loggins' title track.
Footloose wasn't exactly a critical fave, but it didn't try to be hip and it had a relatively light touch, with recognizable human beings on the screen.
Essential to the result is young Kevin Bacon, superb in the lead part.
The movie features some good dancing -- not nearly enough, however -- and a fine, understated performance by Lithgow in a role that might easily lend itself to caricature.
Herbert Ross directed this odd but reasonably effective blend of rock music and didactic melodrama.
An 80s milestone, for better or for worse... and a key link to any game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
A lively and entertaining youth drama about the coming of change in a repressive small town.
Footloose is a seriously confused movie that tries to do three things, and does all of them badly.
Latest News for Footloose
October 26, 2009:
Kenny Ortega Quits Footloose Remake ![]()
Citing disagreements over the tone and budget of the film, director Kenny Ortega has left Paramount's upcoming "Footloose" remake. More...
May 20, 2009:
Chace Crawford Lands Footloose Lead ![]()
Zac Efron's loss is Chace Crawford's gain: Crawford, a member of the "Gossip Girl" cast, has been hired to replace Efron in the upcoming "Footloose" remake. More...
March 23, 2009:
Zac Efron Declines Opportunity to Kick Off His Sunday Shoes ![]()
After more than a year and a half attached to the project, Zac Efron has pulled out of Paramount's "Footloose" remake. More...
October 28, 2008:
Paramount Fast-Tracks Efron's Footloose ![]()
After watching "High School Musical 3" take over the box office last weekend, Paramount wasted no time in fast-tracking its Zac Efron-led "Footloose" remake. More...
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