Review of Footloose (1984) by Tom B — 21 Jun 2010
My sons love this movie. They're into power metal and heavy metal, and they don't dance (yet), and they love this movie. Understandable, it comes from the same alternative movie universe as Streets of Fire.
It cares not a bit for story sense or logic or credibility, throws everything it's got into a handful of heart-tugging scenes of pure melodrama, and sticks to its righteous guns all the way to the rousing finale.
Okay, so it's ludicrous at points, yet the point underlying it is tough to argue, and even if you do, it'll win you over. Over 25 years after it came out, I finally saw it, and recognized every song, had every song already etched into my brain, and loved every minute of the fresh-faced cheese.
Embedded in all the fun are a few things worth noting. Early glimpses of actors who work took interesting turns, for one. Dianne Wiest doing lovely things. And Lori Singer, who I had a terrible crush on when a TV-watching Teen.
Most of all however is a love story played out between Kevin and Lori that really is absorbing at times. We're talking about scenes of looking long into each other's eyes that really tug. And of course there's the music and dancing.
As someone else has noted, the songs can be an odd match to the action, but that's part of the fun, and the rousing finale is genuinely rousing. While it starts out somewhat satirical, the story resolves on an even note, asserting it's argument for dance-freedom, using passages from the Bible to support it's right to dance for pure pleasure and enjoyment.
Yup, they don't make them like they used to, and that's okay, but hooray for the ones they did that are fun. Footloose. Give it a spin sometime instead of the newest heavy drama or mindless action flick.
Guaranteed to raise a smile. Y'all come back, y'hear?
This review of Footloose (1984) was written by Tom B on 21 Jun 2010.
Footloose has generally received positive reviews.
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