Based on the real life effort from the kids of Elmore City, Oklahoma, to overturn a law in their town banning public dancing, Footloose is about more than rowdy high school kids wanting to show off their cool moves. Though driven by its soundtrack (Footloose was one of the first films to use its soundtrack as a plot device and a promotional tool), the films larger focus is on growing up, dealing with loss, and youthful rebellion.
The rebellion comes in the form of Chicago-bred Ren (Kevin Bacon) who finds himself in the small town of Bomont—the heart of the Bible belt—where he soon learns that rock music and dancing are banned. Folks in Bomont immediately see him as a troublemaker because of his big-city background and challenge to Bomont ideals (he calls Slaughterhouse-5, a “classic,” in front of the town’s reverend). In truth though, Ren is just another new kid in town, who wants desperately to fit in. Since he’s a senior in high school, that job is doubly hard.
Leading the charge against Ren is the Reverend Shaw Moore (John Lithgow), a hard-line preacher who finds Ren’s happy-go-lucky attitude blasphemous. Nonetheless, he can’t help but befriend Ariel Moore (Lori Singer), a rebellious thrill-seeker who also happens to be the good Reverend’s daughter. Finally, Ren learns the reason behind the bans: five years earlier, a group of kids got killed during a night out (including Reverend Moore´s son). Alcohol, rock music and other inappropriate influences were blamed for the accident. As a result, the town put the bans in place in an attempt to prevent another tragedy. Of course, nothing makes teenagers more determined to break the rules than for adults to tell them not to do something. No one better exemplifies this than the reverend’s own daughter Ariel (Lori Singer), who drinks, dances and even dates the town redneck, Chuck (Jim Youngs). It’s pretty obvious she’s doing all this just to get her father’s attention.
I’ve always felt John Lithgow was an underrated actor, and here, as Reverend Shaw he shines. Lithgow doesn’t portray the character as simply a religious fanatic out to take the fun out of everyone’s lives. Instead, he’s a deeply vulnerable man, devastated by the heartbreaking death of his son. As a result, he’s much more protective of his only surviving child, daughter Ariel. Ariel for all her rebellious acts, is still daddy’s little girl, begging for attention.
Of course, Footloose was a major box office hit and made Kevin Bacon a star. He has this film to thank for a what has turned out to be a long and successful career in movies. Another noteworthy performance was Chris Penn´s portrayal of Willard Hewitt, Ren’s lovable, if somewhat clueless buddy. Footloose also marked one of the earliest film roles for a very young Sarah Jessica Parker as Ariel´s friend, Rusty.
I saw Footloose at least four times when it was in theaters back in 1984. I played the cassette of the soundtrack so much I had to buy it twice, and have since upgraded it to CD and then MP3. Footloose may not have been groundbreaking stuff, but the mix of teen rebellion, music, and dancing sure made for some fun times.
Unfortunately, this 1.78:1 aspect ratio, 1080p transfer is nothing short of awful. I have no idea why Paramount would release a beloved film with a transfer like this, but I have no doubts videophiles will be groaning. Detail is non-existent, faces look waxy, softness appears in almost every frame, and DNR is in evidence all over the place. This transfer can only be called an abject disaster, and is only slightly (that’s being generous) than previous DVD releases.
Thankfully, the DTS-HD 6.1 Master Audio sound mix fares much better than the video. Kenny Loggins’ Footloose blares from the speakers with excellent clarity and an inviting sense of space. The rest of the music is treated in much the same manner. Dialogue is nicely reproduced and always discernible. If the video was treated like the soundtrack, fans might have had something special here; as it is, many are bound to be disappointed.
We get a nice slate of special features:
- Audio Commentary: Producer Craig Zadan and Writer Dean Pitchford open the track by discussing the picture’s influence and legacy. They talk about the history of the project, the process of and challenges in writing the script, Paramount’s initial concerns over the music, the work of the cast, Herbert Ross’ direction, the picture’s themes, and more. A must-listen for fans.
- Audio Commentary: Actor Kevin Bacon delivers this set’s second solid commentary. He discusses the clash between the cast and crew and the Provo community during the shoot, his performance in the film and working with the cast, the film’s plot and themes, the place of music in film, and more.
- Let’s Dance! Kevin Bacon on Footloose (1080p, 12:20): Bacon looks back on his acting career, landing the role in Footloose, working with Director Herbert Ross, shooting in Utah, the discrepancy between his and his character’s age, his costumes and haircut, creating the dance scenes, and his thoughts on the theme song. Very informative.
- From Bomont to the Big Apple: An Interview with Sarah Jessica Parker (1080p, 7:37): The actress recalls her experiences making the movie, including her initial passing on the role, the excitement of heading off to Utah by herself, her thoughts on the character she played, working with Kevin Bacon and Herbert Ross, the friends she made on the set, and more.
- Remembering Willard (1080p, 6:11): Chris Penn, Kevin Bacon, and Sarah Jessica Parker speak on the Willard character, Penn’s own performance, his friendships on the set, his real-life relationship with Sarah Jessica Parker, and more.
- Kevin Bacon’s Screen Test (1080p, 4:36): Bacon discusses the stories behind his screen tests as they play.
- Kevin Bacon Costume Montage (1080p, 2:50): Raw archival footage of Bacon in various costumes.
- Footloose: A Modern Musical — Part 1 (480p, 17:55): Cast and crew look back on the project’s origins, the process of writing the script, the real Oklahoma town on which the movie is based, and the difficult process of casting the lead and supporting characters.
- Footloose: A Modern Musical — Part 2 (480p, 12:05): Cast and crew discuss the difficult process of creating a Musical with so little dancing, the use of doubles in some of the critical dance and gymnastics scenes, the film’s costumes, the picture’s legacy, and more.
- Footloose: Songs That Tell a Story (480p, 13:54): The picture’s hit soundtrack, the birth of MTV, and the film’s release is explored, with emphasis on the various songs that appear in the film.
- Footloose Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:33).
