Footloose

    So, I just found out that they are remaking this movie.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I have heard all of the rumors and followed the stories.  Somehow I just figured it wouldn’t ever happen.  Well, it is going to happen and yes I will watch it.  But before I see the remake and tarnish my image of the old one I wanted to write about the original.      Confession, I am a child of the 80’s and I love 80’s movies. I am a huge Kevin Bacon (Sleepers, Apollo 13, Mystic River) fan as well.  As a matter of fact I have all of the Bacon Brothers CD’s.  Having said that, I love Footloose (1984) I own the DVD and have the whole movie memorized.  My favorite scene is of course when Ren is dancing alone in the warehouse.  There are also some really good quotable lines in this movie.  John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun, Cliffhanger, Harry and the Hendersons) is amazing as Reverend Shaw and Dianne Wiest (I am Sam, Edward Scissorhands, The Lost Boys) plays his wife.  The way they grow as a couple, and as individuals, is so well done. And I can’t forget about Sarah Jessica Parker (The family Stone, Sex and the City, Ed Wood) She plays Rusty and this was her first movie and one of her first roles. She is Rusty! Footloose was directed by Herbert Ross (Steel Magnolias, Secret of my Success, Undercover Blues) I am a fan of his as well.  I like his movies and his directing style.  Footloose was probably one of the first movies that I started noticing camera angles, wide shots, close ups, all of those kind of things.
       Being a child of the 80’s of course means I enjoy those coming of age teenage dramas. I like seeing the new kid trying to fit in, his struggle with a town that is so scared of losing their kids that they go overboard to protect them.  It is a tough thing as parents to know where to draw the line.  They are just trying to do the right thing.  As Ren says, “there was once a time for this law, but not anymore.” Sometimes it takes an outsider to see the big picture and maybe it is time for a change.  Footloose is a movie that makes me think.  Does music have an influence on how we behave?  Of course it does.  How can it not? Can dancing be inappropriate?  I have heard many stories of high schools today not having prom because of inappropriate or suggestive dancing.  Does that mean they shouldn’t be allowed to dance at all? 
       My first thought was they can not remake a classic like Footloose. No one can ever replace Ren.  But, I guess it does still transfer to todays teens and I know how my kids feel about 80’s movies.  They usually roll their eyes when I put one in.  It would be nice for a new generation to see the story and it will be interesting to see what they do with it.  In my opinion it doesn’t really need updated.  It can apply to any generation.