Only the most cynical would never admit to tapping their toes to Loggins' title track.
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
A cynical and manipulative exercise with little feel for the teen culture it purports to celebrate.
The kids fight for their right to party in this hokey song-and-dance story.
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.
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.
The goofy breakdancing session at the senior prom that closes Footloose is a poor substitute for either the wildly pleasurable spectacles of past Hollywood musicals or the exaggerated pathos of a great teen film like Rebel Without a Cause.
Herbert Ross directed this odd but reasonably effective blend of rock music and didactic melodrama.
Like the rest of today's video-happy teen-age entertainments, Footloose doesn't expect to be watched closely or taken seriously. It wants to fill the screen with catchy music and pretty kids, and this it certainly accomplishes.
After a while you kind of go, 'Y'know, this isn't actually all that bad.'
primarily remembered as the "dance movie" that made Kevin Bacon a star, but it's a good deal savvier than it seems on the surface.
Essential to the result is young Kevin Bacon, superb in the lead part.
One could take it as a quaint little throwback, if the movie weren’t so tedious.
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.
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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