About me:Hi,
Am back to read and rating more often now. Thanks for all the recent rrc's, especially the E's....
Member since:08.02.2008
Reviews:275
Members who trust:57
Review rated by 19 Ciao members on average: very helpful
Footloose is one of those films I've been meaning to see for quite some time but just never got round to doing so. I've heard most of the songs and amazingly know quite a lot of the words to them but for some strange reason that has often escaped me I have never actually seen the film - that is of course until last week.
With some HMV vouchers I had earned from a survey site I am a member of I decided that it was high time I actually bought and watched Footloose and so that's exactly what I did and it arrived on my doorstep early last week. I eventually got around to watching it two nights ago and thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end.
Footloose was released in 1984 and stars Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer as Ren McCormack and Ariel Moore respectively. The film is a musical that combines fantastic singing and dancing into a strangely touching story about a town in which dancing is
forbidden.
Ren is a city boy fond of singing, dancing and generally having a good time but the small town to which he has just moved shares none of his taste. That isn't to say that many of the teens living there do not wish to just let themselves go but in this small town in the west dancing and popular music is strictly forbidden. This sudden change in culture is more than a shock for the streetwise Ren but there is one consolation and that consolation comes in the form of Ariel Moore. The only problem here however is that Ren's father is the minister who is responsible for keeping the town dancing free.
Not ever being one to conform especially when that conformity means giving up everything that he has come to be so accustomed to Ren is ready to fight back and with the idea of a Senior Prom lingering at the back of his mind he sets to work. The town's teens rally around him despite the widespread adult disagreement. Ren knows that he is just one boy and that this is just one town but he also knows that he has just one chance to revitalise the town and raise the spirit of the somewhat repressed townsfolk.
Footloose is an utterly brilliant foot tapping and heart-thumping musical. It is relatively fast paced from the beginning yet has in my opinion quite clever plotline for a musical style film. This storyline of somewhat complex issues at times is cleverly interwoven with some tremendous musical classics such as "Let's hear it for the boy" and the title track "Footloose".
The acting throughout is also of a very high standing. Lori Singer is wonderful as the oppressed Ariel that breaks loose at every moment she feels she is unwatched. John Lithgow is also brilliant as the ever-preaching town minister and really plays his role with tremendous conviction that the audience eventually end up feeling sorry for him. Dianne Wiest as his wife Vi also puts in a great performance and contrasts him wonderfully. He is loud and somewhat brash whereas she is quite and supportive yet still holds onto the right to stand up for what she believes in when she feels it is necessary.
Despite these great performances it is of course Kevin Bacon as the rebellious Ren McCormack that steals the show. From the moment he steps onto the screen he captures our attention and holds our gaze throughout the films duration. His dancing ability is fantastic and really captures your imagination as you watch it. Bacon however wasn't originally expected to play the role, as both Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe were seen as having better dancing abilities than he. Unfortunately Cruise was unavailable to film due to other commitments and a knee injury on Lowe's part ruled him out too. This led director Herbert Ross to have to persuade producers to go with Bacon. In my opinion I think that Bacon should have been the first choice because I simply cannot see either of the other two in such a role.
Now I'm a definite musical fan and have seen my fair share of musical style films but I must say that I haven't enjoyed one so much for quite a while and will definitely be watching Footloose again in the neat future.
talgic cachet as John Hughes' contemporary schlock-fests about angst-ridden teens with silly hair. This is partly due to the fact that, as breathtakingly predictable kids-agains...
s almost self-consciously archetypal tale of teenage rock rebellion. Kevin Bacon stars as a hip city kid who ends up in a Bible-belt town after his parents divorce. An ...
The overall rating of a review is different from a simple average of all individual ratings.
Products you might be interested in
Oscar And Lucinda (DVD) Production Year: 1997 - Drama - Director: Gillian Armstrong - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Richard Roxburgh This product has not yet been reviewed.
Rate it now Buy now for only £ 2.30
![Footloose [1984] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78531450.jpg)
![Footloose/Flashdance [DVD] [1983]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/81300318.jpg)
![Footloose In Rocamadour [DVD] [2009]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/82345794.jpg)
This product has not yet been reviewed.
13.11.2008 19:02
I'm afraid I can't stand that title track - good review though!
12.11.2008 21:08
I hate all sorts of musical but I hardly consider this a musical at all. As a matter of fact I love Footloose!!! Great review
12.11.2008 19:26
Good Review.