Footloose (1984)
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A teenager from Chicago moves to a small town and attempts to overturn a ban on dancing.
The story
Ren McCormack, a teenager from Chicago, moves to the small town of Bomont, Utah, where he meets the strict Reverend Shaw Moore and his daughter Ariel. The town has a strict ban on dancing and rock music, enforced by the local leadership. Ren falls for Ariel and decides to challenge the local ban to ensure the high school can hold a senior prom. He faces opposition from the local authorities and the community, who view his influence as a threat to their traditions.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ren McCormack and his mother move to Bomont, Utah, where Ren meets the rebellious Ariel and the strict Reverend Shaw Moore. After learning of the town's ban on dancing and rock music, Ren is confronted by the local authorities and a rival, Chuck Cranston. Ren eventually takes several local youths to a nearby honky-tonk and begins a campaign to overturn the ban. He argues before the town council using scriptural justifications, but they initially refuse. Despite the opposition, the Reverend eventually allows the students to hold their prom in a grain mill just outside the town's jurisdiction. On prom night, Ren and Ariel take the dance floor, and although they are confronted by Chuck and his friends, they successfully dance the night away.
- First release year
- 1984
- Runtime (minutes)
- 107
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Herbert Ross
- Writers
- Dean Pitchford · writer
- Cast and characters
- Kevin Bacon · Ren McCormack; Lori Singer · Ariel; Dianne Wiest · Vi; John Lithgow · Reverend Shaw Moore
- Genres
- musical drama; romance; dance; high school
- Themes
- rebellion; tradition vs. freedom; forbidden love
- Tone and mood
- dramatic; rebellious
- Premise and plot tags
- forbidden dance; small town; coming-of-age
- Source material / true-story basis
- loosely based on the town of Elmore City, Oklahoma
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 42 · scale: 100 · review count: 12
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Original Song · nomination; Golden Globe Award · Best Original Song – Motion Picture · 1985 · nomination
- Production trivia
- Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe were both considered for the lead role.; The soundtrack sold over 10 million copies in the USA.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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