Search - Footloose on DVD

Jazmyn C.
Reviewed on 3/18/2010...

SOOOOOO CHEESY, but how I love it so!

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Yes, Kevin Bacon can dance, dance, dance....

Betty J. Kilgore | Medway, Ohio | 02/26/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is timeless and pure entertainment...it's a reminder of the angst of teenage years, dating, parental approval, best friends and the joy of living in a simpler time."

The One and Only Footloose

Michael Griswold | Rockford, USA | 07/21/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Forget the 2011 Footloose reboot, this 1983 original is the only choice for me. Kevin Bacon delivers one of his finest performance as Ren McCormick- the teenage rebel with a cause who is transplanted in a small town, who's repressive somewhat tyrannical Rev. Shaw Moore (John Lithgow) has convinced everyone in town to discard and destroy books, movies, and dancing because they are all a sign of immoral behavior. McCormick runs afoul of the older more conservative generation who believe much like the reverend that certain books and movies confuse the soul and lead to immoral behavior. Going stir crazy in such a small town were he's labeled as a dangerous outsider, Ren decides to fight against the conservative order to get a Senior Prom for the students of Beaumont High School. He finds an unlikely collection of allies including Ariel (Lori Singer), the reverends rebellious and free minded daughter and Willard (Chris Penn), a tough guy prone to getting into fights who really can't dance at all. The cast is topped off by a wonderful, if understated performance by Diane Wiest as Rev. Moore's wife Vie.

Footloose has always stood out for me because it had the depth that most movies geared towards teenagers today don't have. In Ren McCormick, there's a youthful adolescent still smarting over the perceived abandonment by his father, which causes him to be troublemaker to the small town residents of Beaumont, leading him to become this unlikely rebel with a cause character. Ariel Moore acts out because ever since her older brother died in a car crash while playing highway tag, she has been acting out trying to forget her brother on one level, while seeking to connect with her father who became more conservative after his son died. The greatest plot-line is Lithgow as Shaw Moore, who on one hand has appointed himself the spiritual light of the community, but delivers a sympathetic portrayal on the grounds that he was doing much of this because he was aroused by the tragic death of his son. Footloose speaks on issues of censorship, coming of age, and toleration.

The extras here are interesting: You can watch the movie with commentary from Kevin Bacon or Producer/Writer Craig Zaden. There's also a series of short features that discuss the making of Footloose and the process of crafting the soundtrack that's on equal footing with the movie in my eyes. However, I noticed that much of the DVD content was aired as part of AMC's DVD on TV version of the movie in 2005 or 06. But since I'm probably one of the few people who have a tape of the AMC airing, true fans of Footloose will not notice anything.
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