Footloose (1984)

	Directed by: Herbert Ross	COUNTRY USA Genre Comedy/Drama NORWEGIAN TITLE Footloose RUNNING TIME 110 minutes
	Produced by: Lewis J. Rachmil Craig Zadan
	Written by: Dean Pitchford

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Ren McCormack	Kevin Bacon	½
Ariel Moore	Lori Singer
Vi Moore	Dianne Wiest
Rev. Shaw Moore	John Lithgow	½
Willard Hewitt	Chris Penn
Rusty	Sarah Jessica Parker	½

Review

Maverick teenager Kevin Bacon is ready to challenge the system when he moves to Bomont, a small town where the local preacher and the town council have banned dancing and rock music. The concept is an anachronism which feels contrived from the get go; the film's heart and characters belong in the 1950s, but they have been made to look and talk like greasers circa the 1980s. If not for a heartfelt, balanced performance from John Lithgow as the preacher, and sympathetic turns from Lori Singer as his daughter, Bacon in the lead, and a wonderful Chris Penn as Bacon's new pal, the film probably wouldn't have worked at all. With its predictable plot developments, this is touch and go all along. It never quite feels like director Herbert Ross (The Goodbye Girl, California Suite) is in touch with the youth culture he tries to convey. Still, the story has a sweetness to it that makes it very hard to dislike. Kevin Bacon's speach before the town council, and the inevitable, rewarding ending are among the highlights. And there are of course lots of great 1980s dance songs for those who enjoy that.