Footloose (1984)

I have finally added another genre of movies to the list on my blog. Its called “Dance”. And the only movie that could have been better than Footloose (1984) to start this with would have been Dirty Dancing. That too will be added shortly I am certain. But occupying the #2 slot of all time in this genre would definitely be the 1984 version of a movie which starts with that exceptionally addictive Kenny Loggins number of the same name. I am quite certain about most of you playing the opening bars of the song in your head as you are reading this. I can tell you that the song’s playing in my head already as I am typing this…. Been working…. So hard…. I’m punching my card… eight hours…. for what?.... I’ve got this feeling… that times just holding me down…. I’ll hit the ceiling… or else i’ll tear up this town…. Now I gotta cut loose…… Footloose…. Kick off the Sunday shoes…. For more on this visit http://www.lyrics007.com/.

Footloose epitomized the spirt of the youth in the late 70s / early 80s in the US of A. With most of them wanting to get out and really be something and not get stuck in the backyards of the small towns or villages where they have been bought up. They did not want to get stuck in the rut that their parents have been for the past few decades. Now isn’t that what a lot of us have wanted from our lives? To do something different? Whether it is the characterization of Ren McCormick (Kevin Bacon) or that of his lady love Ariel (Lori Singer) who is the preacher’s (John Lithgow) daughter. The common thread that passes through the movie is that of breaking free. All portrayed through a small town where there has been a ban on any activities that could lead to loss of control over oneself. So no drinking under 18, no unsupervised partying and wait…. NO DANCING. Why? All perpetrated by an incident where the preacher loses his son in a road accident after a party. Not that the preacher has any ill intent. He does all of this only because he doesn’t want to see it repeated. The city council agrees. All till Ren comes in and starts questioning the norm.

Footloose can easily be classified under the genre – Drama. But the music and the few dance sequences just compel me to put it under – Dance. A very young Kevin Bacon is at his aggressive best. And one cannot help but wonder how skinny Lori Singer would be in real life if this is what she looks like on screen. The acting part comes later. The support cast includes an extremely young and much better looking Sarah Jessica Parker and also the motherly Diane Wiest who is somewhat the equivalent of Nirupa Roy in Bollywood (or maybe the other way round). Footloose is a great movie again for a Sunday afternoon. Just good fun with some lazing around. 6 on 10.

Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAZvnPkFpHM