Ren is the new kid in town. He's tough, he drinks, he wears the danger of the city like a cloak... and all he wants to do is dance!
Well, in actual fact, what he really wants to do is join the gymnastics team, but when he can't do that, all he wants to do is dance! (And get the preacher's daughter to take of those red cowboy boots and get down in the haystacks!)
This really is a piece of 80's schmaltz, but despite that, it's incredibly endearing. Kevin Bacon as Ren does his best with the material, infusing his scenes with a barely contained simmering anger that electrifies the screen.
John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest touchingly convey the hurt and bitterness of a couple torn apart by the death of a child, and it is the family dynamics of the Moore household that give the film it's real dramatic edge.
In peripheral 'comedy' roles are a young Chris Penn and a gawky Sarah Jessica Parker who, in her pre 'Sex and the City' days, plays second fiddle to Lori Singer in the sex symbol stakes.
The film engages with issues of social exclusion, estrangement between generations and the stifling atmosphere of small-town America well, though it does get a little preachy as the kids 'do the right thing' and engage with adults on an official level.
That said, any film which combines Kenny Logins, angry dancing in an agricultural warehouse courtesy of Kevin Bacon and a good, old-fashioned game of chicken on tractors deserves a night in with a bowl of popcorn.
Cheesy hokum and fantastic fun!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Re-rated based on Ciao's insistence that such reviews are no longer considered "Off Topic"
Soho_Black 09.01.2007 21:13
I see you've posted this as a DVD review, but you've not mentioned the DVD. Are there any extras? If so, what are they and are they any good? If you add to this, or if you change it to be posted as a "Film Only" review, which can be done by accessing "edit review" above the review and changing the drop down menu under the "Which format are you reviewing?" question at the bottom, please let me know and I'll re-rate.
Tempus_Fugit 19.12.2006 19:45
This category is for the DVD and CD, plus I would have liked to read more about your personal opinion about the movie, chorecography, songs, how it stands up against other musical movies like Flashdance, Grease or similar.
DVDFootloose jumps with spirit, dazzling dance numbers and an electrifying musical score. ... more
It portrays the timeless struggle between innocent pleasure and rigid morality, when city-boy Ren McCormick (Kevin Bacon) finds himself in an uptight Midwestern t...
![Footloose [+ Soundtrack CD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/99756936.jpg "Footloose [+ Soundtrack CD]")
very helpful by (9%):
helpful by (82%):
somewhat helpful by (9%):
